《Signing In At Mount Sword For 100 Years To Become Invincible》 Chapter 1 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, the Holy Master ascended the throne and became the emperor. It was the year 356 when the imperial examinations were held across the dynasty. In the magnificent hall, there were coiling dragons standing in all directions. The golden dragons were lifelike with their heads pointed towards the sky, as if in the next second, they would rush to the sky and roar. Emperor Sheng Yuan looked at the people in the hall. The crown he was wearing was made of the Night Pearls of the East Sea, which added an extra layer of dignity to him. The others were all intimidated by the emperor¡¯s might and did not dare to look him in the eyes with the exception of one person, Lin Ran, who remained perfectly composed. He did not expect that after he was reborn, not only did he transmigrate to the Fantasy Continent, but he also came top in the martial arts examination. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s voice pulled Lin Ran back from his thoughts. On the other hand, the others were shocked. It had to be noted that staring at the emperor intently was a serious offense. For a moment, the hall fell extremely silent. Lin Ran said neither humbly nor arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯m really excited to be able to see you today, so for a second, I forgot about manners. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan sized up the young man in front of him. He was handsome and gave people an impression of being a scholar. Compared to the winners of the past martial arts examinations, he was really one of a kind. ¡°No offense taken. Today¡¯s Civil and Martial Arts Palace Examination was surprisingly good. Lin Ran, the winner of Martial Arts Examination, is undoubtedly a talent of the dynasty. In the future, he will be put in an important position.¡± The moment the emperor finished speaking, many people looked at Lin Ran with envy. From the looks of it, Emperor Sheng Yuan was clearly very satisfied with Lin Ran¡¯s reply. After all, everyone liked bootlicking including emperors. Lin Ran did not know why, but he felt that the emperor in front of him was too feminine. However, he did not dare to say this out loud. Should he have done so, he would certainly have ended up being beheaded. There were still many things to deal with after the new emperor ascended the throne. After saying a few words of encouragement, Emperor Sheng Yuan excused himself and left the rest to Li Tianyi, the imperial butler, to handle. Li Tianyi was a senior elder of the three dynasties and a person who used to serve Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s father. Therefore, he had a lot of power in his hands. Emperor Sheng Yuan trusted him a lot and even entrusted the task of distributing imperial jobs to him. Treasures were sent to Li Tianyi in bulk by those who wanted to seek a good position in the palace. Lin Ran looked at these people who had an ingratiating and fake smile on their faces and felt speechless. It seemed that the way of the world was extremely important no matter where it was. However, the original Lin Ran came from a poor family. He relied entirely on his own strength to reach his current position. ¡°Lin Ran, His Majesty favors you a lot, so he wants you to guard Mount Sword.¡± Everyone was in an uproar. ¡°Why is it that place¡­¡± Mount Sword was the holy land of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. There were countless divine weapons hidden inside. It was very difficult for ordinary people to get close to it. It sounded like a good job, but the truth was that it wasn¡¯t. To put it bluntly, Lin Ran would just become a mountain guardian and his official career would come to a halt from the get-go. Logically speaking, since Lin Ran came top in the Martial Arts Examination, he should be appointed as the imperial guard. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that Li Tianyi must have done something to stop Lin Ran from climbing up. Li Tianyi said with a fake smile, ¡°This is a good job. You have to do your best. Don¡¯t let His Majesty down.¡± Many people looked over at Lin Ran with sympathy. The winner of the Martial Arts Examination who was envied just now by everyone had fallen to such a state in the blink of an eye. ¡°What a tragedy. Mount Sword is located in the middle of nowhere. Not a soul would ever pay him a visit in this lifetime.¡± ¡°He¡¯s finished for good. Although he just won the examination, in the end, he¡¯s doing worse than us.¡± Lin Ran did not mind the post he was about to take on. He accepted whatever that was given to him without a grudge and quickly set off for Mount Sword.¡± The mountain range was lush and covered in layers of clouds. The cliff top was like a sharp blade that was hidden in a scabbard, making people feel pressure just looking at it from afar. Lin Ran stood at the foot of the mountain and felt that the sky above him was split into two by the sharp cliff tops. There were also many black spots scattered across the mountain range. When one got closer, one could see that they were all swords. Even the air was filled with sword intent. The eunuch with low cultivation did not dare to walk further in with Lin Ran. ¡°Just go in yourself. Someone will meet you there and tell you what to do.¡± After saying that, the eunuch scurried away. Lin Ran looked around to find no one around him. The sudden voice startled him. ¡°Are you the new mountain guardian?¡± When he turned around, he saw a white-browed old man in a tattered Daoist robe. Lin Ran didn¡¯t notice the old man approaching at all. He was slightly shocked and found that the old man seemed to be blind. He said calmly, ¡°Yes.¡± The old man didn¡¯t ask why Lin Ran was here. He said indifferently, ¡°Follow me. Including you, there are three guardians here.¡± The blind old man seemed to have not spoken to anyone for a long time. His voice was a little hoarse. ¡°Your job is to guard Mount Sword in case anyone trespasses. Also, you have to wipe the spiritual swords.¡± ¡°Remember, you can¡¯t wander around. This is crucial because if you do so and fall into danger, no one can save you.¡± Seeing that the old man was serious and didn¡¯t look like he was joking, Lin Ran nodded seriously. He thought that this would be an easy job, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be life-threatening. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about your monthly work. You just have to complete it. I¡¯m surnamed Li. You can call me Daoist Li.¡± Daoist Li brought Lin Ran to the spiritual sword and gestured for him to give it a try. Lin Ran had just picked up the spiritual sword and was about to wipe it. [Ding!] [Congratulations to the host for activating the Sign-in System.] [Location detected. The host is in Mount Sword] [Do you want to sign in?] Chapter 2 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The series of notifications stunned Lin Ran who was standing rooted to the ground. As a game player in his previous life, how could Lin Ran not know what sign-in was? Apparently, it was true that when God closes one door, He opens another. He wasn¡¯t doomed. [Can I get a reward as long as I sign in?] [The system will give you a notification when it is time to sign in. You can obtain a reward by wiping swords. Different swords have different rewards. If you wipe your sword at a special time or place, you will also receive a special reward.] It turned out that he could only sign in at a given time. Naturally, if he could sign in all the time without limit, the rewards in the system would probably be emptied. However, even so, Lin Ran was satisfied. Thinking about how he could get a reward just by signing in and wiping swords, he felt that it was no different from a free lunch. [Can I sign in in the same location?] [Yes, you can.] After getting the answer from the system, Lin Ran was relieved. If he was asked to sign in at a different place, wouldn¡¯t he have to travel all over the world? It was definitely unrealistic for him now. Seeing that he did not move and seemed to be in a daze, Daoist Li could not help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Only then did Lin Ran come back to his senses and suppress the excitement in his heart. ¡°Nothing. I want to walk around alone.¡± Daoist Li did not stop him. He only instructed Lin Ran to not go too far. ¡°Mount Sword is enormous. There are many empty houses. You can find one to cultivate.¡± After giving a few more reminders, Daoist Li quickly vanished in thin air just like the way he appeared. ¡°What a spooky old man,¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but mutter. Daoist Li said that there were three people stationed there, but until now, he hadn¡¯t seen the third person appear. Perhaps the third person was cultivating somewhere, or perhaps he was a loner and did not want to see strangers. ¡°Since the system said that the rewards for wiping different swords are different, and I can¡¯t sign in every day, I have to be careful with choosing the sword I wipe.¡± As Lin Ran walked around Mount Sword, he was dazzled by the swords stretching out to as far as the eye could see. He realized that the deeper he went, the sharper the Sword Intent. However, after being warned by the Daoist Li, he did not dare to go too far for the time being. Mount Sword had a history of a few hundred years. It was said to be established by the founding emperor, Emperor Tian Sheng. The first sword buried here was Emperor Tian Sheng¡¯s beloved sword. Later on, he collected many divine swords, which was why Mount Sword had its current scale. It was called Mount Sword, but more precisely, it was a sword tomb. Apart from the Imperial Mausoleum, it was the holiest place in the dynasty. This place was open, flat, and deadly quiet, devoid of even the singing of birds and the chirping of insects. It was as if any noise, no matter how loud, was blasphemy to this place. Lin Ran had the delusion that he was the only one left in the world. As if being pulled by magnetic force, he walked mechanically ahead with a frown. The pitch-black sword was made of top-grade black jade and iron. Under the sunlight, it flickered with a mysterious luster. The black iron heavy sword in front of him was more than two feet long. The blade looked wider than usual, but it was by no means sharp and even looked a bit blunt. ¡°Good heavy swords are blunt,¡± Lin Ran muttered to himself. ¡°Formless.¡± He slowly read out the name of the black iron heavy sword. As if the two of them had reached some kind of agreement, the spiritual energy in the surrounding fluctuated strongly, and an invisible force connected the two of them. He might have been hallucinating, but he felt a buzz in the air, as if it was a response from the sword. Lin Ran subconsciously opened his arms as a chilling sword energy swept past him, but it carried no killing intent. He felt like he was just greeted by an old friend. It was a special feeling that was indescribable. [Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in and obtaining the Formless Sword Body.] The notification that rang in his ears snapped Lin Ran back to reality. Formless Sword Body? What was this? A beam of golden light entered the space between Lin Ran¡¯s eyebrows. Lin Ran felt his body tremble as if an electric current was running through him, causing him a burning sensation. At first, it was bearable, but gradually, the pain intensified. Sweat broke out on Lin Ran¡¯s forehead, and he looked like he had been drenched in water. Even his face turned ghastly pale. It was as if countless swords were shuttling back and forth through his body, stirring up all all the nerves and cells. It was more excruciating than being tortured to death. Even his vessels were filled with sharp sword intent. At this moment, he was like a small boat in the ocean at the mercy of the overpowering sea waves. Lin Ran sat cross-legged to focus his attention. He gritted his teeth as his consciousness gradually became blurry. In front of him, countless sword shadows appeared and surrounded him. ¡°Bomb!¡± An ear-piercing sound of explosion echoed through the mountain range before it quickly went away. It came and went so fast that people thought they were hallucinating. In the deepest part of Mount Sword, a pair of eyes opened calmly. They were filled with supreme dignity and pressure, as if they could determine the life and death of a person with a glance. However, the eyes quickly closed again. No one knew where this pair of eyes came from. Daoist Li also seemed to have sensed something, but he did not find anything unusual and did not take it to heart. After an unknown period of time, the pain Lin Ran felt gradually dissipated, replaced by a warm current that slowly flowed through his body, filling him with indescribable warmth. When Lin Ran regained consciousness, a horrible stench overwhelmed him. After seeing the situation in front of him, he took a deep breath. ¡°Damn! What the hell is this?¡± Chapter 3 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations It was no wonder Lin Ran was so surprised. Anyone who saw themselves covered in dirt would find it difficult to calm down. At this moment, he was so dirty and smelly that it was as if he had not taken a shower for a century. The first level of the Formless Sword Body, Body Transformation. Lin Ran took a deep breath and immediately went to find a lake to wash up. At this moment, he felt his body was filled with strength. Previously, he was under pressure when facing the sharp sword intent of Mount Sword, but now, he was probably able to walk all the way to the depths with ease. To outsiders, these sword energy could inflict great harm. If they stayed in such a place for too long, their bodies would probably be corroded. However, to Lin Ran, all of this was not a problem. Instead of being harmed, he felt like soaking in a hot spring. It opened up every pore on his body, making him quite comfortable. ¡°This place is perfect for cultivation.¡± After Lin Ran¡¯s body underwent a transformation brought about by the Formless Sword, he could now use the sword energy of Heaven and Earth to help him facilitate cultivation. In the future, no matter what kind of sword technique he practiced, he would be able to master it quickly. It was equivalent to taking a shortcut and reaching the finishing line while others were still at the starting line. This was the advantage of the Formless Sword Body. Lin Ran could help but wonder. ¡°At the first level, I¡¯m already so powerful. What will happen if I cultivate it to perfection?¡± He found a quiet place and began to cultivate. Other than guarding the mountain and wiping the swords, there were not many things to do in Mount Sword. Besides, the spiritual swords did not need to be wiped clean every day, so Lin Ran was free most of the time. After patrolling around the mountain and occasionally wiping the spiritual swords, as were instructed by Daoist Li, he would be able to get off work and devote the rest of the day to cultivate. Mount Sword was an important place for the royal family where ordinary people were prohibited from entering. In addition, Daoist Li rarely showed himself. Sometimes, Lin Ran had the illusion that there was no one else on Mount Sword except him. It was simply too liberating. He could do whatever he wanted and be a free bird. If Li Tianyi was here, Lin Ran would definitely thank him genuinely for giving him such a good job. Lin Ran focused on cultivation. Although his days were boring, they were very fulfilling. With no one to disturb him, he could concentrate. In less than a month, he completely mastered the sword body. On this day, Lin Ran sat cross-legged and meditated as usual. As if sensing something, he slowly opened his eyes. This time, he heard faint footsteps behind him. ¡°You¡¯ve done a job this month. You adapted quickly to the work at Mount Sword.¡± As expected, when he turned around, he saw a white-browed old man. Daoist Li was still wearing the same old Daoist robe and he was as unpredictable as always. However, this time, Lin Ran was very calm. The Sword Body made his five senses extremely acute. It wasn¡¯t exaggerated to say that nothing within a hundred kilometers could escape his eyes and ears. This was the second time Lin Ran met Daoist Li. It had only been only a month but it felt like a lifetime ago. Lin Ran said very humbly, ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Daoist Li.¡± Daoist Li nodded and handed Lin Ran a jade token. ¡°With this token, you can go into Mount Sword to take a look. As I said, don¡¯t go too deep lest you put your life in danger.¡± Lin Ran took the jade token. He did not know what material the jade token was made of, but he felt that it was slightly cold to the touch. On it was a sword-shaped symbol that looked very exquisite. ¡°Thank you, Daoist Li.¡± Being allowed to go into Mount Sword meant that his workload had increased because he had to wipe more swords. However, Lin Ran was actually excited about it. The deeper he went into Mount Sword, the better the quality of the spiritual sword would be. This meant that the reward for signing in in the future would be even greater. It was another opportunity for him. Daoist Li did not stay for long. After giving a few more instructions, he left again. Lin Ran was already used to him coming and going like a ghost. After Daoist Li was nowhere to be seen, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t wait to go into Mount Sword. As expected, the pressure here was stronger, but it posed no threat to him. If Daoist Li was here, he would definitely be surprised because Lin Ran didn¡¯t use the power in the jade token. All kinds of spiritual swords came into sight. Surrounded by them, it felt like he had entered a world of swords. He was an intruder in this world that belonged only to swords, but the Formless Sword Body could allow Lin Ran to blend in very well. It was as if he had been one of them all along. The white sword shone brightly like the Milky Way was contained within. Lin Ran was instantly attracted to it. The sword hilt was engraved with the pattern of the sun and the moon. It was natural and filled with indescribable Dao runes. ¡°Three Essence Sword.¡± Looking at the extraordinary sword in front of him, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but reach out to touch it. [Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in and obtaining the Three Essence Sword Technique.] After a month, the system notification sounded again. A book that was glowing with divine light appeared in Lin Ran¡¯s hand and quickly entered his body. What followed a feeling of weightlessness was Lin Ran¡¯s soul being pulled into the void. Chapter 4 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In the vast void, Lin Ran was as small as an ant. What appeared in front of his eyes was a sky full of stars, as if he could touch the stars and the moon as long as he stretched out his hands. Lin Ran was attracted by this magnificent world, but in front of the celestial objects, his strength was nothing. Soon a surreal scroll laid flat in front of him. The sword technique book was divided into three chapters: starlight, moonlight, and sunlight. As if being pulled by a force, Lin Ran reached out to touch the scroll. Immediately, the light blue starlight exploded in front of his eyes and then condensed into a ball and entered his body. The impact felt like an asteroid had just exploded. With Lin Ran¡¯s current cultivation, he could only cultivate the first chapter, but this chapter was already very powerful. This world was not like the fantasy world he knew. It was divided according to the strength system. The basics were Commoner, Martial Artist, and Martial Master. Above that were the Senior Martial Master, Grandmaster, Senior Grandmaster, Half-saint, and Saint. There were nine levels in each realm, but it was rare to see anyone reaching the realm above Grandmaster. It was said that after reaching the Half-Saint realm, one could feel everything in the world, and after reaching the Saint realm, one could even shatter the void and ascend. However, these were all legends. To date, the strongest person on this continent was only a grandmaster. They were basically ancestors who had lived for hundreds of years. They were in seclusion in the mountains and forests and did not interfere in the affairs of the mortal world. Just one grandmaster alone could wipe out an entire city. In the past, when the two countries fought, the experienced cultivators they sent out razed dozens of cities to the ground at the drop of a hat. Later on, it was only with the help of a senior grandmaster that the battle was called off. Even so, both sides still suffered heavy losses. Lin Ran could feel the Three Essence Sword Technique circulating in his body. He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. His dark eyes seemed to encompass the entire Milky Way. He casually picked up a branch from the ground and swept it across the air. The sharp sword intent being let out seemed to be able to cut the air in half. With a rumbling sound, a huge rock that was more than half the height of a person was cut off from the clifftop and rolled down into the abyss below. Even Lin Ran himself was shocked. ¡°I¡¯m actually so powerful now!¡± The power of the Three Essence Sword Technique really exceeded his expectations. Cultivating the starlight level to perfection was comparable to the cultivation of a grandmaster, the moonlight to a senior grandmaster, the sunlight to a saint. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°So coming out top in the martial arts competition just makes me an elite among the commoners¡­¡± Now, he had just entered the realm of Martial Master and was already so powerful. He did not dare to imagine what kind of terrifying power those Senior Martial Masters and Grandmasters would have. ¡°It seems that I was too ignorant before.¡± Although this world was not a traditional fantasy world, it was still vast and unfathomable. It was best not to underestimate anyone. Although the highest cultivation level ever reached was that of Senior Grandmaster, who knew if there would be a Half-Saint hiding in this world? Lin Ran was a little smug when he obtained the Formless Sword Body, but now, his attitude had changed. He knew that there was always someone better. If he became complacent because of this, he would probably die without knowing why. However, Lin Ran was not afraid by any means. After all, he had the help of the sign-in system. He was confident that he could become a senior grandmaster or even a Half-Saint. After all, before this, he was just a nobody. In just a short period of time, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. With this thought in mind, his mentally changed and he felt that he had risen to another level. Time spent in the mountains flew. Lin Ran spent most of his time cultivating every day. In the blink of an eye, three months had passed. ¡°The sun, moon, and stars, infuse me with your power!¡± As Lin Ran shouted out, countless rocks exploded instantaneously. He swept his sword across the air, releasing tens of thousands of blades. The spiritual swords nearby buzzed in response. At this moment, Lin Ran was like an unsheathed divine sword. He didn¡¯t use all his might. Otherwise, the spiritual swords at the foot of Mount Sword would definitely start buzzing too and alert Daoist Li¡¯s attention. The boulders and cliffs were all covered in sword marks. These were the evidence of his tireless training everyday. If a sword master were here, he would definitely be shocked. This was because these sword marks were stable and powerful. Only after decades of practicing would one reach this level of mastery. In just a few months, Lin Ran had done what others couldn¡¯t in their lifetime. It was not an exaggeration to say that he was a genius. Of course, this was also thanks to the Formless Sword Body. No matter what sword technique Lin Ran learned, he could quickly master it. Moreover, his one day of hard training was equivalent to a hundred days of hard training for others. ¡°Roar!¡± A roar came from the top of the mountain. It came and went so fast that Lin Ran almost didn¡¯t notice it. Lin Ran suddenly stopped in his tracks and said thoughtfully, ¡°It¡¯s this sound again.¡± Previously, he thought that it was the commotion caused by the wind blowing past the mountain. After hearing it a few times, he felt that it did not seem like it was caused by the wind. It sounded like a dragon¡¯s roar, but it was weak. Moreover, this sound would only occasionally be heard when he was practicing swordsmanship, which puzzled him even more. Lin Ran fixed his gaze on the top of the mountain that was covered in thick fog, making it hard to see what was on it. There was also something mysterious about the mountaintop as the pressure up there was the strongest. ¡°What exactly is there?¡± Chapter 5 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Lin Ran had already completely mastered the Starlight Chapter and was at the ninth level of the Martial Master Realm. He vaguely felt that he had reached a plateau. He was just a step away from entering another realm, but he couldn¡¯t take the step no matter what. Something was missing, and it wasn¡¯t something that could be obtained from training. Perhaps, Lin Ran thought, he needed an opportunity of some kind. Lin Ran was very curious about the top of Mount Sword. When he was about to wipe the sword, he stopped. WIth a strike of his sword, the huge rocks shattered, destroying the deep sword marks. If one did not look carefully, one would not be able to find out that someone had once practiced swordsmanship here. Although no one would step into Mount Sword without permission, Lin Ran was still cautious and did not want anyone to know his true strength. Otherwise, such a profound sword technique would definitely be coveted by many people. After all, he had yet to meet the mysterious third person that Daoist Li mentioned. ¡°Today, I¡¯m going to see what¡¯s on the mountaintop.¡± One of the forbidden areas Daoist Li mentioned included the mountaintop. However, because of that strange sound, Lin Ran felt compelled to get to the bottom of it even if it meant putting his life at risk. The main peak in front of him was the highest peak of Mount Sword. The sound came from above. Looking down from above, the entire peak looked like a sharp sword that was inserted into the center of Mount Sword. The sword intent in the air seemed to be able to materialize. Even the spiritual swords here were filled with murderous aura. Lin Ran realized that the sword intent of the spiritual swords was the weakest at the outer layer of Mount Sword. However, the deeper one got, the more murderous aura they emitted. If it were him three months ago, he would definitely not be able to withstand such pressure. Even with his current cultivation and the help of the sword body and the jade token, after taking only a hundred steps, his chest became heavier and heavier, and his breathing began to quicken. Lin Ran frowned. ¡°Something is unusual here.¡± He originally thought that he should be able to walk freely on Mount Sword now. After all, he was by no means weak. However, after walking a few hundred meters, he felt as if a huge rock was chained to his ankles, forcing him to slow down. Lin Ran took another small step forward under the huge pressure. In an instant, a terrifying pressure suddenly pressed down on his shoulders. Beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead, and a deep pit was formed under his feet. ¡°Is this area protected by a formation?¡± At this moment, he was still some distance away from the top. It seemed to be within arms¡¯ reach, but it was actually far away. Lin Ran wanted to continue on, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure. If he continued in, the pressure would probably crush his bones before he reached the top, so he had no choice but to give up. ¡°It seems that I underestimated Mount Sword.¡± Lin Ran was certain that there was something on the top of this main peak. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be filled with such pressure. ¡°I¡¯ll come back one day!¡± He couldn¡¯t afford to be careless. After all, he would remain in Mount Sword for the foreseeable future. There was no need to take such a big risk now. Just as Lin Ran was about to return, he caught sight of a slender sword and was instantly attracted to it. Compared to the other swords that were emitting a murderous aura, this sword in front of him was especially gentle like a gust of wind. If one thought that it was harmless because it was gentle, they would be wrong. As Lin Ran reached out to wipe it, in the next second, a sharp wind blade carrying strong force swept past him. Fortunately, it did not hurt Lin Ran at all. ¡°What a special sword.¡± [Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in. You have obtained Sword Flight.] Hearing the mention of Sword Flight, Lin Ran knew that it was something good. When he opened the technique book, he was stunned to see blank page after blank page. ¡°Why is that?¡± A row of faint words appeared on the top of the book before slowly dissipating into the air. It turned out that there was a requirement to cultivate this technique. It required one to first reach the Realm of Senior Martial Master. Because his cultivation was not high enough, he could only see blank pages. In the second peak of Mount Sword. Multicolored light intertwined like a golden dragon swimming through the clouds. With the cry of a dragon, the sword intent broke through the endless clouds, causing the red sun to finally break free from the shackles of the sea of clouds. Sheathing his sword and returning it to its sheath, Lin Ran did everything to perfection. On the top of the mountain, the silhouette of a figure could be seen standing at the edge, looking into the yonder. It was Lin Ran. He let out a long sigh as he looked at the setting sun. The world fell into a silence again as he walked down the mountain slowly like an ordinary person. No one could tell that it was him who was causing that impact just now. ¡°Now looking back, I realized it¡¯s already been a year¡­¡± A year passed without him even noticing it. The four seasons came and went without affecting Mount Sword much. It looked just like the way when he first came here. He originally thought that it should be easy to break through from the ninth level of the Martial Master Realm to the Senior Martial Master Realm. After all, he was only a level away. However, he did not expect to be stuck at this bottleneck for a year. Actually, this was very normal. After all, it was a watershed. Some people would be stuck at a bottleneck for a hundred years, while others could be immediately enlightened and enter a new realm. All of this depended on fate. From a commoner to a ninth-level Martial Master, no one across the continent could¡¯ve repeated what Lin Ran had done. If word got out, it would probably cause a sensation. Even the most famous sword genius could not achieve what Lin Ran had, but he still felt that it was too slow. Seeing that he was not making any progress, he said to himself, ¡°Maybe I should take a short trip outside the mountain. I might find something new.¡± With this idea in mind, he, for the first time in a year, stepped out of Mount Sword. Chapter 6 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°As expected of Official Zhou. In just a year, you have already become a fourth-grade imperial guard.¡± ¡°With how much His Majesty trusts you, I believe that you will be promoted soon.¡± ¡°When you reach a high position, don¡¯t forget about us.¡± In the imperial garden, a few people were walking in groups of few. The man being discussed was wearing a purple-gold crown and a sea python robe. He looked proud and condescending. ¡°In my opinion, the position of the winner of the Martial Arts Examination should be given to you. What right does Lin Ran have to claim the first place? I heard that he¡¯s still a mountain guardian in the middle of nowhere.¡± Hearing his name, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but stop in his tracks. Zhou Hao¡¯s face immediately darkened, clearly a little unhappy. He was in the same batch of contestants as Lin Ran. However, Lin Ran came out first while he only got second place. People would remember the champion by heart, but they would soon forget the runner-up. This was a thorn in his heart. Even though Lin Ran was not doing as well as him now and was gradually forgotten by everyone, hearing this name mentioned still stung him quite a bit. It reminded him that he was a runner-up. The lackey at the side could tell that Zhou Hao was displeased at a glance. He glared at the person who spoke just now. ¡°You ignorant thing, don¡¯t talk nonsense! Lin Ran is not worthy of being mentioned in our conversation!¡± After saying that, he spat on the ground. ¡°He was just lucky.¡± Hearing this, Zhou Hao immediately felt much better. Seeing this, the rest of them started belittling Lin Ran even more enthusiastically. ¡°What can he do on Mount Sword? I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll remain a petty and insignificant mountain guardian for the rest of his life. He¡¯s not even worthy of carrying Official Zhou¡¯s shoes.¡± ¡°With Official Zhou¡¯s current cultivation, he can easily squash Lin Ran with a finger.¡± ¡°I think we should suggest to His Majesty that the winner of the Martial Arts Examination be replaced. Otherwise, our Heavenly Saint Dynasty will be embarrassed.¡± The few of them went on taking delight in demeaning Lin Ran. Lin Ran¡¯s expression was indifferent. Zhou Hao was only doing well because of his good family background and his connections. It was said that Zhou Hao was born in a bureaucratic family, and his ancestors were the founding statesmen of the Heavenly Emperor. The Zhou family had been around for a hundred years and had accumulated a lot of influence as well as wealth. This was probably the reason why Zhou Hao¡¯s official career had been smooth-sailing. Just as he was about to leave, Zhou Hao and the others noticed his existence. ¡°Stop! Who are you? Why aren¡¯t you bowing to Official Zhou? How dare you slight him?¡± Zhou Hao felt that this stranger¡¯s back looked familiar. When Lin Ran turned around unhurriedly with perfect composure, everyone was dumbfounded. ¡°It¡¯s actually you.¡± Zhou Hao and the others looked at each other and sneered. ¡°I was wondering who it was. So it turned out to be the former winner of the Martial Arts Examination. Why aren¡¯t you guarding Mount Sword? What are you here for?¡± Lin Ran could tell at a glance that among these people, Zhou Hao was the strongest. Until now, he was only a commoner and was no different from back then. If Lin Ran wanted to, he could deal with him with a finger. However, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to do that. After all, an elephant wouldn¡¯t care about the provocation of an ant. Zhou Hao, on the other hand, did not know the strength of the person in front of him. The two of them were not on the same level. Lin Ran was many levels higher than him, so he naturally couldn¡¯t notice it. Moreover, Lin Ran intentionally restrained his aura, which gave Zhou Hao the illusion that Lin Ran¡¯s cultivation had regressed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Brother Lin to have weakened so much after not seeing you for so long. It¡¯s really a pity. You have to know that His Majesty once praised you in the throne room. I wonder if he will regret saying what he did when he sees you.¡± Zhou Hao perfectly demonstrated what the frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean meant. He had no clue as to the extent of Lin Ran¡¯s ability. ¡°How about this? If you beg me, perhaps I can put in a good word for you in front of the emperor and help you leave that place where even bugs don¡¯t go. What do you think?¡± Zhou Hao said sarcastically. At this moment, he felt extremely satisfied. ¡°This is simply ridiculous that you came out first in the Martial Arts Examination. You are probably the most down and out champion in history.¡± Everyone burst into laughter. Lin Ran didn¡¯t flare up at all even after being belittled and ridiculed by them. On the contrary, he looked at the clique with sympathy in his eyes. These people were not even qualified to be his match. In the past year, Lin Ran had been molded into a person with a calm temperament through quiet cultivation day in and day out. His cultivation level was completely beyond what these people could imagine. For the sake of comparison, if these people were still at the foot of the mountain, Lin Ran would have already reached the peak. To him, wealth and fame meant nothing. The only thing that mattered was cultivation. Moreover, there was always a higher mountain. The peak he reached was only the beginning. He had to reach the peak of the Martial World and look down on all living beings. These people thought that they could be smug just because they had higher positions than Lin Ran. They were really short-sighted. However, that was perhaps the only thing they could be proud of in their lives. Zhou Hao felt uncomfortable under Lin Ran¡¯s gaze. Lin Ran was clearly the loser who had nothing, but Zhou Hao actually had the illusion that he was the one who should look up to him. Why was he intimidated by a loser? Zhou Hao immediately flew into a rage out of humiliation. He released his aura to scare Lin Ran. ¡°What kind of attitude is this?¡± In Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, this was like a baby gently stomping its feet in front of a giant. Not only was it not lethal, but it also looked comical. Chapter 7 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations However, when Lin Ran shot Zhou Hao a look, Zhou Hao was instantly stunned on the spot. He could not quite describe that gaze with words, but the defense mechanism told him that he was in danger. He was stunned by the trace of aura released by Lin Ran. In an instant, Zhou Hao felt that countless sword energy was surrounding him, ready to stab him into a sieve. Almost every hair was standing on end due to fright. He felt like being targeted by a ferocious beast. As long as Lin Ran wanted to, he could kill him with a glance. However, the people beside Zhou Hao did not feel it. It was obvious that Lin Ran¡¯s control of his sword energy had improved greatly to the extent that even some grandmasters couldn¡¯t achieve. Lin Ran quickly looked away. Other than Zhou Hao, no one else could feel it. Zhou Hao, for some reason, had a feeling that he had just survived a disaster. When he came back to his senses, Lin Ran was already nowhere to be seen. Zhou Hao¡¯s back was already drenched in cold sweat, and he felt like he had just been pulled out of the cold water. ¡°Why are you sweating so much?¡± The lackey beside him said ingratiatingly, ¡°Official Zhou, that brat actually walked away without greeting you. He doesn¡¯t take you seriously at all. Do you want us to catch him and teach him a lesson?¡± Zhou Hao felt weak all over. If not for the fact that he was holding on with all his might, he would have collapsed to the ground. He was in no mood to find trouble with Lin Ran and only glared at the lackey, signaling him to shut up. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The lackey was puzzled. He did not know what he had done wrong. Neither of the two parties noticed that there was a pair of eyes in the dark that were observing everything. After Lin Ran returned to Mount Sword, he felt that something was about to come out of his body. He was just a step away from entering the gate of Senior Martial Master, but he couldn¡¯t take that step no matter what. [Ding! It is time to wipe the sword heart.] While Lin Ran was meditating with his legs crossed, the system notification sounded again. Ever since he obtained the ¡°Sword Flight Technique¡± last time, the system had been quiet. Lin Ran almost thought that the system went kaput. Otherwise, why was there no response no matter how he called out? Now after receiving the notification, his attention was caught on the words ¡®wiping the sword heart.¡± ¡°So Sword Heart can also be wiped.¡± Lin Ran had wiped many swords, but this was the first time he attempted to wipe the Sword Heart. He was curious about it. [Congratulations, host. You have successfully signed in and obtained the Enlightened Sword Heart.] In an instant, a refreshing aura surged into his entire body. Lin Ran felt as if he was being cleansed by water. All the dust was wiped away, and he felt unprecedentedly relaxed. Everything that confused him suddenly became clear, and a new world unfolded in front of him. Enormous sword energy flowed through his vessels and veins. Lin Ran had never been so sober-minded. It felt as if his heart had opened up so vastly that it could contain the entire world. What was the Sword Dao? What was the Martial Dao? He suddenly heard a voice speaking to him. It was deafening and made Lin Ran stunned on the spot for a long time. This moment felt like a century. He saw a sword rising from the ground and shoot into the sky, cutting through the sky and illuminating the chaos. It came from the void and crossed time and space. Nothing could stop this earth-shattering sword. It was indestructible and had been there since time immemorial. In an instant, Lin Ran was overcome with excitement. ¡°The Earth, the Heaven, the Sun, and the Moon, please be my witness. Here, I shall obtain this sword, and with this sword, I will bring justice back to the mortal world!¡± As if in response to his words, countless spiritual swords on Mount Sword buzzed. Even the dragon roars from the top resounded through the mountain range. This time, the roar was more deafening than ever. However, Lin Ran was immersed in the joy of reaching a new realm, the realm of Senior Martial Master, with the help of the Enlightened Sword Heart. Although it was just a level difference between the ninth Martial Master and Senior Martial Master, the difference was humongous. The strength Lin Ran could unleash now was far superior to what he was capable of a while ago. As a result, Lin Ran could also fly on his sword. If he did not take the initiative to show his strength, mortal martial artists would not be able to notice it. On the other side, Daoist Li¡¯s expression was solemn. The commotion at Mount Sword just now attracted his attention. He suddenly leaped up. The first thought that struck him was that something had happened at the top of the mountain. Just as he was about to go up to take a look, he seemed to have thought of something and stopped in his tracks. ¡°No, Master instructed me not to step into the forbidden area.¡± Daoist Li looked at the mountaintop worriedly. Seeing that there was no commotion that followed, he was finally relieved. ¡°With Master around, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± He walked down the mountain, still looking worried. As he got older, he felt he was no longer up to take this position. Perhaps it was about time someone else took over it. There was nothing bad about making early preparations in case of emergencies in the future. Daoist Li turned around without warning and walked in the opposite direction. Lin Ran did not expect Daoist Li to drop in on him suddenly. Just as he thought that he had concealed everything perfectly and that Daoist Li wouldn¡¯t find out anything abnormal, Daoist Li opened his mouth. ¡°I know all about what you¡¯ve done.¡± Lin Ran was dumbstruck, not knowing what to say. Chapter 8 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Lin Ran felt his heart tightened. He thought that Daoist Li had discovered something. However, he had always been cautious. What mistakes could he have made that exposed him. Looking at Daoist Li¡¯s calm expression, Lin Ran sensed that he was probably at the sixth or seventh level of the Martial Master Realm. Could it be that he was also hiding his strength? Just as Lin Ran was guessing¡­ ¡°I know that you were originally the champion of the Martial Arts Examination, but you ended up becoming just an insignificant mountain guardian. You were even mocked and looked down on by your former opponent whom you defeated. You must be indignant.¡± The next second, what Daoist Li said relieved him. It turned out that he was talking about the incident in the Imperial Garden. Lin Ran did not expect Daoist Li to be there as well. Back then, Lin Ran indeed felt a gaze fixing on him and thought that it was just a passing palace maid or eunuch. ¡°But you also have a good mindset. You didn¡¯t give up on yourself or become hopeless.¡± Daoist Li looked impressed. Although he couldn¡¯t see, he could feel that Lin Ran had done a good job. Even though Lin Ran cultivated diligently every day, he wasn¡¯t making any progress and had been stagnating for a long time. However, he didn¡¯t give up on himself and went on cultivating day in and day out. If Lin Ran knew what Daoist Li was thinking, he would definitely burst out laughing. His current strength was well-hidden. Only a Senior Grandmaster could discern his true level of cultivation. What what more, the few Senior Grandmasters known to the world were either cultivating in the deep mountains or in seclusion. How could they possibly show themselves in the secular world? ¡°You¡¯re not arrogant or impatient but are calm and composed. Even if you¡¯re humiliated, you can still maintain your composure. Very few young people are like you now.¡± He let out a long sigh and continued, ¡°The mortal world is replete with all forms of temptations. Most martial artists are easily lost in it and forget the very reason for which they started cultivating. Those people are more like mortals than martial artists.¡± Daoist Li did not know that Lin Ran was actually in a completely different realm than him. At this moment, he wanted to give Lin Ran some guidance. Perhaps Lin Ran was not as talented as others, but his mindset was rare among the new generation. Even if he was blind, he was by no means a fool. After observing Lin Ran for a year and seeing the interaction between Lin Ran and Zhou Hao, Daoist Li had a high regard for him. ¡°You¡¯ve been wiping swords at Mount Sword for a year now. We¡¯re, in a way, destined to meet here in the middle of nowhere. Let me tell you something about the sword technique.¡± Although Lin Ran was much stronger than Daoist Li, there were many things he might not know. Moreover, he had only been in this world for a short time, whereas Daoist Li had lived in this world for the better half of his life and was definitely very experienced. Lin Ran said humbly, ¡°That would be terrific. I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°Come with me.¡± In silence, Daoist Li brought Lin Ran to walk along a small path. He remembered that this direction should lead them up to the mountaintop. Lin Ran followed behind with a look of surprise. He had been in Mount Sword for so long, but he didn¡¯t know such a path existed. As if he knew that Lin Ran was surprised, Daoist Li said, ¡°There are still plenty of miseries and secrets in Mount Sword that you will unravel one by one in the future.¡± What Daoist Li said seemed to carry a double meaning. Lin Ran had a feeling that he was listening to the words of a dying man. As the two of them went deeper, the surrounding vegetation became lush. As far as the eye could see, there were nothing but towering trees that blocked that sunlight from seeping in, causing it hard to tell whether it was day or night. Lin Ran vaguely saw something in front of him. When he walked closer, he was surprised to find that it was a stone tablet that looked like it had been standing on the spot for centuries. Weathered by the wind and rain, it was overgrown with moss. In the middle under the moist moss, two words could be vaguely seen. They were probably words of the ancient language. Lin Ran didn¡¯t understand the meaning, but the handwriting was strong and powerful as if the words were carved instead of written. It was filled with an indescribable pressure and strength, making people afraid. Lin Ran even felt a special energy fluctuation from it that even he could not figure out. He was surprised to find that after living on Mount Sword for so long, he didn¡¯t notice such a place. It seemed that he had underestimated Mount Sword. Daoist Li had a complicated expression on his face. He carefully brushed away the fallen leaves and said, ¡°Do you know where this is?¡± Without waiting for Lin Ran to answer, he continued, ¡°This stone tablet is called the Demon Subduing Tablet. There is an array formation seal on it. Every once in a while, you have to reinforce this seal.¡± So this was the Demon Subduing Tablet! Hearing this name, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel awed. Many questions popped up in his mind. Then what was sealed here? Could it be related to something on the mountaintop? He recalled the strange roars he had heard occasionally. As expected, Mount Sword was not as simple as it looked. There might be a huge secret hidden somewhere. This was probably the reason why Daoist Li told him not to wander about. ¡°The Five Elements Sword Technique is needed to reinforce the seal.¡± Daoist Li¡¯s voice interrupted Lin Ran¡¯s thoughts. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What is the Five Elements Sword Technique?¡± ¡°The Five Elements Sword Technique contains the power of the five elements, namely metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. To perform it, a specific mahogany sword is required. In addition, the Five Elements Divine Stone is also needed to stabilize the core of the array formation.¡± Just by listening to it, one could tell how complicated the procedure was. Even Lin Ran couldn¡¯t quite understand what Daoist Li was talking about. However, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that this array formation should be extremely powerful, and that the thing being sealed must be powerful too. He couldn¡¯t help but look up in the direction of the mountaintop. Chapter 9 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Now that you¡¯ve been on Mount Sword for so long, it¡¯s time to bestow upon you the Five Elements Sword Technique. If I¡¯m not around in the future, you will be in charge of reinforcing the seal in my place.¡± At this moment, Daoist Li had already treated Lin Ran as his successor. He had also been selecting a qualified successor in the secular world, but none of them had a character and aptitude comparable to Lin Ran¡¯s. If the Five Elements Sword Technique was mastered well, it could be deadly. If, by any chance, it fell into the hands of evil, it would bring about a bloody calamity to the world. That was why Daoist Li was so careful with choosing his successor. Daoist Li took out his sword. In an instant, a dazzling cold light flashed through the air, causing people who looked at it to shudder. It was obvious that this was a good sword, on par with those up in Mount Sword. ¡°I¡¯ll only demonstrate it once. You have to watch carefully. As for how much you can comprehend, it depends on your aptitude.¡± ¡°Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, the power of the five elements, listen to my command.¡± Buzz! The moment he finished speaking, the sound of metal clashing could be heard in the air. It was as if a huge army was approaching, giving people great pressure. The power of metal was injected into the sword, and the spiritual sword became more powerful. It emitted a dazzling light that made Lin Ran subconsciously raise his hand to block his eyes. He couldn¡¯t help but praise. ¡°What a powerful sword energy.¡± Daoist Li slashed through the air, and the sky immediately darkened, then densely packed with sword intent condensed from metal. The expanding sword intent interweaved into a huge net that covered the sky and the earth and was filled with a murderous aura. If an enemy was trapped in the net weaved by the sword intent at this moment, they would probably have nowhere to escape. Lin Ran thought that if it were him, although he could break free, he would probably have to pay a huge price. ¡°The Power of Metal is the most lethal and destructive element of the sword technique. It¡¯s the best when used against powerful enemies.¡± Daoist Li explained as he demonstrated. In the next second, a huge tree rose from the ground, coiling around the sword intent with its branches. The power of metal slowly dissipated, turning into green light spots that scattered across the land, bringing with it vitality. ¡°The power of wood can provide you with energy to heal your injuries.¡± The sky cleared up and a gentle breeze blew past the forest, causing the leaves to rustle. Suddenly, raindrops fell from the sky and condensed in the air. For some reason, the raindrops began to shake vigorously. Without warning, rain poured down from the sky, making the world covered in mist. It was hard to see anything clearly, and even Lin Ran found it difficult to recognize Daoist Li. ¡°Water benefits all things and fights for nothing.¡± Lin Ran was shocked to hear Daoist Li¡¯s voice right by his side. He had no clue when he appeared beside him. Everywhere Daoist Li walked, water formed under his feet, allowing him to tread on air. With a shake of the sword in his hand, the world around them changed drastically again. A fire dragon roared as it flew past the sky, and its roar was deafening. The water vapor instantly evaporated. Lin Ran looked up at the sky to see two scorching suns hanging high. They turned the earth into a huge steamer. He felt his body was burning and his forehead breaking out in sweat. ¡°The power of fire is violent and difficult to control. You have to use it carefully, or else it will hurt you.¡± As if to prove a point, gigantic fireballs exploded in the sky, and sparks flew everywhere. Countless fire meteors fell, and the heat they caused could melt a person almost instantly. Boom! The ground rumbled and shook violently. A few deep cracks emerged on the ground. Fortunately, Lin Ran reacted in time and jumped to the side. The earth wall appeared out of thin air and blocked the sparks from burning down the forest. ¡°The power of earth is extremely defensive. It often has unexpected effects in battle.¡± Daoist Li tried his best to teach what he knew, but he did not know that his disciple¡¯s cultivation was much higher than his. Lin Ran praised, ¡°The Five Elements Sword Technique lives up to its name.¡± If the five elements were used together or in specific combinations, it would have expected results. Daoist Li, as only a Martial Master, could already bring out so much power with this sword technique. If it were Lin Ran, it would be more so. ¡°Thank you for your teaching.¡± Lin Ran bowed respectfully with a grateful expression. Daoist Li was worthy of his respect. The Five Elements Sword Technique was no small matter. It was even comparable to the ones he had obtained from the system. Daoist Li nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already finished demonstrating. Master it well. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, come and ask me.¡± After saying this, Daoist Li left with a gust of wind. Lin Ran was grateful that Daoist Li had given him a great opportunity. He picked up the branch on the ground and started practicing. Daoist Li did not go far when he heard a commotion behind him. He turned around and saw the water dragon and the fire dragon hovering above the mountaintop, splitting the sky into two. The impact was so great that even the other side of the mountain was affected. He couldn¡¯t help but look surprised. ¡°It seems that this kid is actually quite talented.¡± Daoist Li looked satisfied. Then, he seemed to have thought of something and looked at the mountaintop with a complicated expression. Chapter 10 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Ever since Daoist Li finished teaching him last time, Lin Ran hadn¡¯t seen him. Fortunately, with the help of the Formless Sword Body, he learned everything very quickly, and the Five Elements Sword Technique was no exception. However, knowing the existence of the Demon Subduing Tablet, Lin Ran would wander around there for no reason. Perhaps because of the invisible magnetic field, the aura emitted by the spiritual sword was especially powerful. Lin Ran had already taken a liking to a heavy sword. This sword was named ¡°Dragon Elephant¡±. It looked ordinary, but it weighed 81 kilograms. It wasn¡¯t one that ordinary people could use. He wiped it carefully, as if what was in front of him was not a sword but an insurmountable mountain. At this moment, he felt weak. [Congratulations, host. You have successfully signed in and obtained 30% of the internal energy of Dragon Elephant Divine Master.] The reward this time was different from before. It was actually a transference of internal energy. Lin Ran was overjoyed. It had to be noted that he now had the Formless Sword Body, the Sword Flight Technique, the Three Essence Sword Technique, and the Five Elements Sword Technique. He no longer lacked anything offensive. This kind of internal energy was exactly what he wanted. An overwhelming force surged into his body, stimulating the acupoints. Lin Ran felt like he was caressed by a warm current that kept flowing back and forth through his vessels, making him feel hot and restless. It was a feeling indescribably by words. He felt like he had endless strength. Lin Ran subconsciously clenched his fist and smashed it to the side. With brute force, the boulder beside him shattered. Looking at the gravel rolling on the ground, even he was shocked. Lin Ran had the feeling that as long as he wanted to, he could smash a hole in the sky. ¡°Who exactly is the Dragon Elephant Divine Master? I only obtained 30% of his internal energy, but I¡¯m already capable of shaking the earth.¡± Lin Ran slowly opened his eyes and realized that at this moment, he had already reached the ninth level of the Senior Martial Grandmaster Realm. The speed of his cultivation was simply unbelievable. It had only been a short while since he became a Senior Martial Grandmaster. If news of this spread, everyone would be amazed.. No one on the entire continent could achieve it. ¡°It seems like it won¡¯t be long before I can break through to Grandmaster Realm.¡± Grandmaster was another watershed difficult to reach. After all, when Lin Ran was breaking through to the Senior Martial Master Realm, he was stuck at the ninth level of the Martial Master Realm for an entire year. However, if he could successfully advance to Grandmaster Realm, not only would his lifespan be extended, but his appearance would also remain unchanged. To a certain extent, it was no different from obtaining the elixir of life. With that said, it was not easy to become a Grandmaster. It was complicated and required him to set up a relevant array formation. ¡°Looks like I have to collect some array formation tools when I have the chance.¡± Lin Ran was not in a hurry. After all, he had just leveled up and had not completely gotten used to his new strength. It was better to be safe than sorry. With a good foundation, it was only a matter of time before he broke through. On this day, Lin Ran cultivated as usual, but he received a message from Daoist Li. ¡°There will be an important guest visiting tomorrow. You must prepare well. Remember! See to it that the guest isn¡¯t neglected.¡± Lin Ran was baffled. ¡°What kind of an important guest would visit such a place?¡± Although Daoist Li did not state the person¡¯s identity, from his tone, it was obvious that the person was not ordinary. The next morning, the two of them stood at the entrance of the mountain to welcome the guest. Lin Ran noticed that Daoist Li had changed his clothes and was no longer wearing the tattered Daoist robe. Lin Ran had been in Mount Sword for so long without seeing Daoist Li ever change his clothes. This was unprecedented. It showed that he took this matter very seriously. Lin Ran was really curious. After all, after so long, other than Daoist Li, he had never seen anyone else in the mountain. Who in the world would pay a visit to a place in the middle of nowhere? Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who is it?¡± Daoist Li shot him a serious look. Lin Ran had never seen him with such a serious expression. ¡°Don¡¯t ask too much. You just have to remember to do more and talk less. Just follow behind me. Don¡¯t offend the guest. Otherwise, even I can¡¯t help you.¡± As the two of them were talking, a group of people approached from afar. Although they were dressed in ordinary clothes and looked inconspicuous, their auras betrayed their extraordinary identities. The young man in the middle was dressed in black clothes with golden patterns of dragon embroidered on his chest and sleeves. He was handsome and outstanding. Although he kept a low profile, from the fabric and other accessories on his clothes, one could tell he was either powerful or rich. The guards around him had steady footsteps. Even though they didn¡¯t reveal their auras, Lin Ran could still tell at a glance that their cultivation was similar to Daoist Li¡¯s. They were at least at the third or fourth level of the Martial Master Realm. What surprised Lin Ran even more was that there were a few mysterious auras in the air that even he couldn¡¯t discern. If he hadn¡¯t advanced to the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm, he probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed it at all. The auras must be coming from someone among the guards. What was this person¡¯s background? He actually had such a powerful secret guard protecting him. Lin Ran was shocked. Daoist Li had already gone up to welcome him. ¡°Welcome. I hope that your journey here has been a pleasant one.¡± Seeing that Lin Ran was still standing rooted to the ground, Daoist Li was a little anxious. He tugged at Lin Ran¡¯s sleeve to remind him of what he instructed him. Chapter 11 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations When the young man approached, Lin Ran felt that he looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn¡¯t recall when and where. Seeing that not only was Lin Ran not bowing, but he was even staring at the guest, Daoist Li broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Please forgive me. This kid is not usually impolite, but¡­¡± The young man laughed heartily, revealing his two dimples. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s been many years since we last met. Lin Ran, you haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± Even the voice was familiar, but Lin Ran couldn¡¯t quite find anything related to this man from his memory. However, from the way he addressed him, Lin Ran thought that he probably knew him. Seeing that the young man didn¡¯t take offense, Daoist Li heaved a sigh of relief. At this moment, Lin Ran said, ¡°I¡¯ve been staying in Mount Sword all year round and rarely interact with outsiders. Now that I see you, I can¡¯t help but be awed by your extraordinary presence.¡± The young man smiled even more brightly. ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re still as glib-tongued as you used to be.¡± For some reason, although there was no energy fluctuation coming from the young man, Lin Ran could feel that his aura was strong. He must be someone powerful but he just deliberately concealed his real strength. This made Lin Ran even more curious about his identity, but it wasn¡¯t his place to raise a question. ¡°Has there been any abnormality in Mount Sword in the past year?¡± Daoist Li replied respectfully, ¡°Everything is fine. You can rest assured.¡± The young man immediately revealed a satisfied look. He looked at the mountaintop and said meaningfully, ¡°The job of guarding the mountain is very important. Please, don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± Lin Ran nodded and followed his gaze. He wondered if this young man knew what was on the mountaintop. The young man seemed to have something to say to Daoist Li. Lin Ran did not linger around and took his leave. Before he left, he vaguely heard the words ¡°selected person¡± and ¡°not much time¡±. He had no clue as to the content of their conversation. After that, life went on peacefully and unchanged. Lin Ran was not a noisy person and quickly forgot about this matter. Time passed in the blink of an eye. The only thing that remained constant in the flow of time was the mountain range. At this moment, Lin Ran was standing on the peak of the second peak, looking far into the yonder. He was calm and did not emit any sword energy. He looked no different from an ordinary person. However, the calmer, the scarier. Lin Ran had almost reached the level that allowed him to disguise his identity perfectly. Only a Senior Grandmaster could somewhat discern it. ¡°Another year has gone by.¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but sigh. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed in Mount Sword and how long he had been cultivating. He felt like it was first day on the mountain, but he was no longer the champion of the Martial Arts Examination. In this year, he signed in five more swords, obtaining the ¡°Indestructible Medal Sword Intent¡±, ¡°Ten Thousand Wood Sword Intent¡±, ¡°Formless Water Sword Intent¡±, ¡°Heavenly Fire Sword Intent¡±, and ¡°Earth Sword Intent¡±. With the power of the five elements combined with the Five Elements Sword Technique that Daoist Li had taught him previously, the power was almost tens of thousands of times stronger. Although he was still at the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm, Lin Ran had the confidence and strength to fight one in the realm of Grandmaster. Now that he had gathered all the sword intent needed, he felt that it was time for breakthrough. Lin Ran¡¯s gaze landed on the top of the main peak. He wondered if he had the strength to explore that place again. Over the past year, Lin Ran¡¯s interest in the forbidden mountain top had only increased. Just as he was thinking, Daoist Li sent him a curt message. ¡°Emergency. Come immediately.¡± After receiving the important guest last time, Daoist Li hadn¡¯t looked for him, not even once. He did not even send Lin Ran a message. It was as if he had disappeared from the face of the earth. Lin Ran had once tried to get in touch with him, but Daoist Li¡¯s room was empty and he was nowhere to be found in Mount Sword. He guessed that either Daoist Li had something to do and left the mountain, or he might be at the top of the mountain. This was because that was the only place where Lin Ran hadn¡¯t set his foot. In the dimly lit room, Daoist Li was lying on the bed, weak. After not seeing him for a year, Lin Ran found him to have aged greatly. Hearing the movement in the room, Daoist Li coughed violently. He couldn¡¯t see, but his eyes were fixed on Lin Ran. He said weakly, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± At this moment, he was like a candle flickering in the wind, in danger of being extinguished at any moment. Lin Ran quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll call the imperial physician over now.¡± Daoist Li reached out his withered hand and grabbed Lin Ran¡¯s wrist tightly. He shook his head and said, ¡°No need. I know my own body better than the physician.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to waste your time. Besides, I¡¯m old and can¡¯t hold on much longer. If not for¡­¡± He stopped in mid-sentence. After hesitating for a while, he continued, ¡°In short, I called you over on my deathbed because I hope you can protect the country and the emperor, and it¡¯s time to tell you something.¡± Daoist Li¡¯s expression was unprecedentedly solemn as he said in a deep voice, ¡°You¡¯ve already mastered the Five Elements Sword Technique. I¡¯ll leave the matter of reinforcing the seal to you in the future.¡± No wonder Daoist Li taught him the sword technique a year ago. Now that Lin Ran thought about it, Daoist Li probably knew that his time was running out. Chapter 12 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°The reason why I don¡¯t let you get close to the mountaintop is that there is a powerful demon sealed there. You must not let it break through the seal. Otherwise, it will bring calamities to the world!¡± There were actually demons sealed at the top of Mount Sword! Lin Ran gasped. No wonder that stone tablet was called the Demon Subduing Tablet. No wonder Daoist Li kept it a secret and warned him over and over. Could it be that the strange roars he heard were from the demon? After saying so much in one breath, Daoist Li¡¯s face turned even paler. He panted heavily, clearly at death¡¯s door. Seeing him like this, Lin Ran¡¯s heart sank. The two of them had spent two years together on Mount Sword. Although he could count the number of times he met Daoist Li on one hand, Daoist Li was nonetheless both his teacher and friend. He even taught him the Five Elements Sword Technique. It was inevitable that mortals be separated by life and death at some point. At this moment, Lin Ran had yet to reach the level where he became indifferent to the mortal emotions. It was only natural for him to feel sad to part with a dear friend. Daoist Li struggled to get up and took out two stones from under the bed. They contained a huge amount of spiritual energy and looked like top-grade spirit stones. ¡°This is the Five Elements Spirit Stones. Use one for yourself to help you break through, and use the other one to reinforce the seal for this year.¡± ¡°Also, I hope you can help me with something after I die. I¡¯ve guarded Mount Sword for decades and dedicated my life to it. I hope that I can also be buried here, even if that means I have to transform into nothingness and enter the cycle of reincarnation¡­¡± Daoist Li told Lin Ran about his arrangement. At the last few words, his voice was so small that it was blown away by the wind as soon as he spoke. Looking at Daoist Li¡¯s hand that was slowly losing strength, Lin Ran was silent for a long time before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish.¡± However, this time, Daoist Li didn¡¯t respond to him. He lay on the bed without breathing. Lin Ran sat there in silence for a long time before getting up to leave. Daoist Li had no parents and no relatives. Lin Ran knew very little about his background, but from his words, Lin Ran knew that he had been guarding Mount Sword since he was very young. As he promised, Lin Ran buried Daoist Li on Mount Sword. After everything was done, Lin Ran was now the only one left in the huge mountain. Naturally, he felt kind of lonely. It was as if he was the only one in the world. Right, there was also the ¡°third person¡± he had never had the chance to meet. Until now, even when Daoist Li was on his deathbed or buried, Lin Ran still didn¡¯t see the third person showing up. Could it be that the third person never existed at all? However, he couldn¡¯t see why Daoist Li should lie to him about it. On the other hand, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t find any traces of the third person¡¯s existence. There were also many mysteries about the demon sealed at the mountaintop that had yet to be unraveled. Lin Ran initially thought that after staying for so long on Mount Sword, he should know enough about it. Perhaps what he knew was just the tip of the iceberg. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about it for now.¡± If one¡¯s strength reached a certain level, all the confusions would, as a result, be cleared. The reason why he was confused was because he wasn¡¯t strong enough. Lin Ran looked at the two Five Elements Spirit Stones in his hand. Even on his deathbed, Daoist Li didn¡¯t forget to help him. He was extremely grateful. With the Five Elements Spirit Stones, he would be able to break through. Moreover, he could feel that the time had arrived. Lin Ran sat cross-legged as spiritual energy circulated through his body. As if he was pulled into a world of nothingness, his mind was packed with images of Daoist Li in his final days. What was life? What was death? In the nothingness, a voice suddenly sounded. Some people would be remembered after death while some would be forgotten. For example, even if Daoist Li died, no one would know anything about him except himself. In fact, no one in the imperial palace even knew about his existence or what he had done. If Daoist Li was still alive, Lin Ran wanted to ask him, ¡°Is it worth it?¡± Did his life really have no meaning at all? A figure dressed in a tattered Daoist robe fluttered in the wind and was drawing closer. It was Daoist Li! Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself, ¡°If I were asked this exact question, how would I answer?¡± No, the meaning of a person¡¯s existence should not be defined by others. Everyone¡¯s pursuit was different and equal no matter whether the cause was small or big. If he had pursued his cause till the end of his life, how would that be meaningless? Instead of becoming a frog, satisfied with its life at the bottom of a well, Lin Ran would rather become a mayfly drifting in the ocean. At least, the world he saw was larger. Daoist Li spent almost his entire life protecting Mount Sword, and that was his pursuit. Even if he wasn¡¯t remembered after his death, to him, it didn¡¯t matter. Knowing that Lin Ran had found his answer, Daoist Li¡¯s figure slowly drifted away with an approving smile on his face. Every living being in the world had their unique pursuit, so what was Lin Ran¡¯s? The voice was still lingering and was getting louder and louder, as if it came from the supreme Great Dao, shaking Lin Ran to the core. Lin Ran pondered for a moment and spoke without hesitation. ¡°The Dao I pursue will be covered with thorns and spikes. I thereby ask for a sword that can enable me to clear the path and restore the justice of the world.¡± Chapter 13 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations As Lin Ran finished speaking, Ten thousand swords buzzed at the same time, and the entire Mount Sword seemed to have come to life. Even the spiritual swords were responding, looking like they were about to take off and fly to Lin Ran. If Daoist Li was still alive, he would definitely be shocked to see this scene. Other than his master, Lin Ran was the second person capable of causing such a phenomenon on Mount Sword. The sword intent at the foot of the mountain was overflowing, as if it was celebrating the advent of something. The roaring at the mountaintop was growing especially strong, which formed a sharp contrast. Lin Ran suddenly opened his eyes that were sparkling with sword light. His entire body was surging with an inexplicable force, like a divine sword that was ready to strike. Lin Ran focused his mind and everything returned to silence. Now, not to mention a grandmaster, even a senior grandmaster might not be able to see through him. ¡°I actually broke through successfully¡­¡± The Five Elements Spirit Stone flickered with a jade-like light. It was simply beyond Lin Ran¡¯s expectations. He didn¡¯t expect his breakthrough this time to be so easy. Logically speaking, breaking through from Martial Master to Grandmaster was very difficult. Some cultivators would be stuck at this stage for decades. However, Lin Ran made it very successful. Not only was it thanks to the Formless Sword Body, but Daoist Li¡¯s death also taught him a great lesson and made him learn something he otherwise wouldn¡¯t. As a grandmaster, not only would Lin Ran¡¯s lifespan increase, but also his appearance would remain unchanged. Most importantly, his five senses were made more acute. Previously, he could only sense movements and sounds within a hundred miles, but now, he could capture everything that was happening in Mount Sword. Like now¡ª He could sense a few sneaky people climbing up Mount Sword on the other side. They were heading towards the top. ¡°Is this a good idea? After all, Ten Mile Sword God is the guardian of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Will our movements here disturb him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. According to the information from Master, the Sword God is suppressing some kind of evil demon on the peak and hasn¡¯t shown up for decades. That¡¯s why we¡¯re sent here. To investigate what exactly is going on.¡± ¡°I understand what you are saying, but I still have a bad feeling. This is the territory of Sword God. If we¡¯re found out, we¡¯ll be dead as a doornail.¡± His companion was clearly losing patience. ¡°Why are you such a coward? Mount Sword is currently only guarded by Sword God¡¯s sword apprentice and a weak guardian. They can¡¯t be our match.¡± None of them realized that there was another person behind them. These people were all in the realm of Martial Master. No wonder they were so cocky. If it were Lin Ran in the beginning, even if he joined forces with Daoist Li, they wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with them. But now, Lin Ran could deal with them with a finger. Only at this point did he know that Daoist Li was actually Sword God¡¯s sword apprentice. ¡°Welcome, everyone. I hope your journey here has been a pleasant one.¡± The sudden male voice shocked all of them. ¡°Who is it? Show yourself!¡± The men in black were shocked. They turned around and realized that there was a figure standing in the darkness. They did not know how long the figure had been following them, but they did not notice it at all. However, this figure did not emit any energy fluctuations and was just like an ordinary person. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t possibly climb a mountain that was tens of thousands of feet tall with their bare hands without alerting them. His strength could not be underestimated. However, according to the information, neither the sword apprentice nor the new mountain guardian could have such cultivation. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°The Mountain Guardian.¡± The men in black looked at each other and nodded. Without warning, they initiated an attack at the same time. The sound of sharp weapons piercing through the air resounded through the mountain range. Even the cold moon in the sky was frightened by the sword energy and hid in the clouds, only revealing a tip. The men in black were fast, but in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, their speed seemed to have slowed down multiple times. He could even tell what their next moves were. Lin Ran was slightly surprised by the strength he had just gotten. Because it was pitch black, they did not see the weapon Lin Ran was using. In the next second, Lin Ran suddenly disappeared into the thin air. The men were shocked, puzzled for a second as to what just happened. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± For some reason, the men felt a chill run down their spines, and their hands shook so violently that they couldn¡¯t even properly hold their swords. Feeling the strong wind above their heads, they subconsciously raised their hands to block it. They felt their hands go numb and the swords in their hands fell off. The sharp sword intent brought them to the brink of death. Under the moonlight, they finally saw the weapon Lin Ran was using. It was actually just a tree branch! On the other hand, their swords had already fallen to the ground and were broken into several pieces. Lin Ran stood there calmly while the men in black retreated step by step, looking as if they were scared out of their wits. To be able to use a branch to defeat them and break their swords, who else could this man be but the Ten Mile Sword God? ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The men in black knew they were not his match. After throwing down a smoke bomb, they jumped off the cliff in a sorry state. Lin Ran had no intention of chasing after them. These people were simply too weak. If not for the sake of stopping them from climbing higher, he wouldn¡¯t even be bothered to show up. He looked at the mountaintop and recalled what those men had just said. Chapter 14 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Although Daoist Li had instructed him not to approach the forbidden area at the mountaintop, he was confident that as a grandmaster, he had the strength to wade through that uncharted water. The third person Daoist Li mentioned should be the ¡°Ten Miles Sword God¡±. He also wanted to see what the legendary Sword God looked like. Lin Ran was a man of action. Last time he attempted, he was exhausted halfway through his exploration. But this time, he felt unprecedentedly relaxed. Soon, he arrived at the top of Mount Sword. It was different from what he imagined the place to be, which was a place covered with layer after layer of array formations. It turned out that there was nothing special about it despite being called a forbidden area. The view at the mountaintop was good. There were no demon or Sword God. It was as if everything he heard about what was on the mountaintop was just a rumor. Lin Ran¡¯s gaze was instantly attracted by the sword marks on the rock wall. ¡°This is¡ª¡± In the eyes of commoners or martial artists, these sword marks were just random slashes. Only Martial Masters or above could understand one thing or two about how skilfull these slashes were. He ran his fingers over the rock wall and could tell that these sword marks had been there for a long time. Even so, he could still sense this person¡¯s outstanding sword technique and the lingering sword intent. With his eyes closed, Lin Ran could see a figure brandishing his sword across the air, bringing out cold and intimidating sword intents. He danced back and forth around this place with his sword, as if he was alone in this enormous world. Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Feeling the sharpness in every strike, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Incredible swordsmanship.¡± Lin Ran believed that this was the place where the Ten Miles Sword God was cultivating. He was totally amazed by such masterful swordsmanship and couldn¡¯t imagine what his true strength was. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t see Sword God in person.¡± Lin Ran was about to go down the mountain when he saw something from the corner of his eye. ¡°Wait a second!¡± He stopped in his tracks and observed the sword marks on the rock wall again. He realized that these marks were all pointing in one direction! It had to be noted that the sword marks were ever-changing and hard to control even by the sword wilder. For all sword marks to point in one direction, this required extreme precision and mastery. It showed that the Sword God must be in a terrifying realm. ¡°Sword God must have done it intentionally.¡± Lin Ran walked towards the direction the marks pointed at and came to a rock wall covered in vines. Beside it was a cliff. ¡°What¡¯s different about this rock wall?¡± Lin Ran frowned and pondered. He knocked on it and realized that it was hollow. He picked up the branch on the ground and waved it. The rock wall split open, and a dark cave appeared in front of him. There was actually a secret passage here! A cold aura immediately gushed out, causing goosebumps to appear all over his body. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t sense what was inside the hole, but after some thought, he walked in. Since he was already here, there was no reason for him to give up. Perhaps the Sword God had not left yet and was still in this cave. The cave was pitch-black and extremely narrow, as if there was no end to it. Lin Ran had a feeling that this place was connected to hell. Lin Ran felt an extremely sharp sword intent and subconsciously reached out to touch the rock wall. Just as he had guessed, it was filled with sword marks. Unlike the marks outside, these sword marks were sharp and filled with killing intent. There was also an indescribable murderous aura, indicating that the sword wielder was in a state of extreme uneasiness. Lin Ran retracted his hand and walked on. He gradually felt his footsteps getting heavy, as if he was shackled by a mountain. He had a feeling that if he continued on, he would probably be affected by the killing intent in the sword marks and lose his mind. ¡°What happened to Sword God?¡± He was certain that these marks were left behind by the Sword God. Otherwise, they would not carry such a powerful pressure. It was said that sword intent could represent a person¡¯s state of mind. Outside the cave, the sword marks were orderly, showing people the whereabouts of the secret cave. Only those with outstanding talent in the Sword Dao could discern it. But now, all these sword marks were in a mess and could easily affect one¡¯s mood. They could even trigger the dark side of one¡¯s heart, causing one to go astray. Something serious must have happened at the mountaintop. Thinking of this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but speed up, wanting to get to the bottom of it. The deeper he went, other than the sharp sword energy, there was also an extremely evil aura, causing the surrounding temperature to drop. The cave almost reached the point of freezing. Fortunately, Lin Ran had the Formless Sword Body and was not affected by the evil aura. Even so, he still felt a little uncomfortable. After walking for a long while, the path finally opened up, and light shone in from the countless small holes. With the help of the light, Lin Ran finally saw the scene in front of him clearly. There were sword marks everywhere, even on the ceiling. They intertwined into a huge net that surrounded him, wanting to stifle him. Lin Ran felt suffocated. He forced himself to look away from the violent sword marks. ¡°How did this happen!¡± After seeing the scene in front of him, Lin Ran¡¯s pupils constricted and he was stunned on the spot. It was as if a huge hammer had smashed down, making him black out. Lin Ran revealed an expression of panic. After entering the Martial Master Realm, this was the first time he panicked. What appeared in front of him was not the Sword God, but a pile of bones! Chapter 15 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Lin Ran was suddenly struck by a bold guess. Something that would make him and the Heavenly Saint Dynasty extremely terrified was about to happen. He slowly walked over. This corpse should have been dead for decades. Its bones were like jade, and its clothes were rotten. Even so, Lin Ran could still feel the sharp sword intent that had yet to dissipate. The sword intent was soul-shaking and awe-inspiring, causing one to retreat in fear. There was no need to say out loud the identity of the corpse. To be able to possess such sword intent, even if he died, he would continue to linger in this world. If there was anything else that could prove this person¡¯s identity, it was the sword beside him. Unfortunately, the sword was already broken. Lin Ran reached out to pick it up. Even though it was broken, the sword energy was still formidable and strong that it could almost materialize. The hilt was inlaid with dragon patterns and rubies, surging with an inexplicable power. It was obvious that it was a peerless divine sword. Buzz! A cold light appeared, followed by a dragon¡¯s roar. It was the roar Lin Ran had heard before. He could not help but fall into deep thought. The divine sword had a spirit. Even if Sword God died, it would still carry spiritual energy. It was rumored that Sword God was also born with a sword body. It was probably because of this that Lin Ran¡¯s Formless Sword Body resonated with the divine sword. Not it all made sense why he heard the roars coming from the mountaintop. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But what broke you?¡± This was Sword God¡¯s sword. Even if it was broken, it still carried enormous power, let alone before it was broken. Looking at the ghastly skeleton in front of him, Lin Ran sighed. He also noticed that the skeleton had his fist clenched tight, looking like he was about to strike. What exactly was Sword God going to attack? The eyes of the skeleton were fixed on the southeast direction above, looking like he was unwilling to die just yet. Lin Ran looked up and saw a huge gap. In addition, there were several deep claw marks on both sides. He couldn¡¯t help but gasp. The evil aura he sensed previously when he came in was densest here. Even after so long, the aura still did not dissipate. This must be the place where the evil thing was sealed. There were all kinds of mysterious totems and symbols carved around the cave. It should be some kind of array formation. However, it was now damaged and no longer had the divine power from before. The thing imprisoned inside had also escaped. Lin Ran had a complicated feeling as he looked at the skeleton. Only then did he notice that there was a line written in a small font on the ground. The handwriting was messy. It must have been written by the Sword God in a hurry. ¡°I was born with a sword body and entered the path of the Sword Dao after decades of cultivation. In order to protect the dynasty, I came here to subdue the evil demon and dedicated my life to reaching the realm of Saint. However, the demon was cunning and sinister. While I was breaking through to the Half-Saint Realm, I was attacked and infected with the evil aura, which will soon decay me from inside out. If anyone is guided to come here by fate, you can inherit everything from me. Although Dragon Roar is broken, it can be reforged. I only have one wish. Please protect the person wearing the phoenix-patterned ruby.¡± The huge amount of information stunned Lin Ran for a long time. ¡°The legendary Sword God, who is said to be subduing a demon here, is actually dead and turned into a skeleton!¡± ¡°Without Sword God¡¯s presence, the demon has long broken the seal and escaped. Now, the demon is nowhere to be found!¡± ¡°The seal that Daoist Li had guarded and maintained for his entire life is useless!¡± Ten Miles Sword God had already reached the Senior Grandmaster realm, but when he was breaking through to the Half-Saint realm, he was attacked and killed by the demon. Logically speaking, Sword God must be many times stronger than the demon. According to Sword God¡¯s description, the demon should have used some underhanded methods to make Sword God fall into its trap. Now, Sword God was no longer around, leaving only a broken sword. It was really a pitiful sight. Sword God, a legend of the era, died just like that, and the most terrifying thing was that the outside world did not know about this! If not for Lin Ran¡¯s sudden intrusion, no one would have noticed it even after decades or a hundred years. After all, this was a forbidden area that was difficult for ordinary people to enter. Even if they came to the mountaintop, it would be difficult for them to discern the clues from the sword marks. ¡°Sword God, rest in peace. After inheriting what is yours, I will fulfill your promise.¡± If Sword God was still alive, he might have reached the Half-Saint Realm. With these sword marks and the other things in the cave, Lin Ran could learn a lot, so, in a way, he regarded Sword God as his shifu. Perhaps it was Lin Ran¡¯s illusion, but he felt the violent sword intent in the air calmed down. Lin Ran buried the skeleton so that Sword God could rest in peace. There were very few things left behind by Sword God. Apart from a broken sword and a few other things, there was nothing else. This broken sword was called Ten Mile Dragon Roar. Unfortunately, it was broken while Sword God was battling with the demon. Now that it could no longer be used, he had to find a way to gather the materials and forge it again. However, the materials needed for this divine sword were definitely precious. It would probably be another problem. Lin Ran carefully wiped it. The originally dusty ruby on the hilt emitted a dazzling light again, as if countless sword beams were shooting out. Dragon Roar jerked slightly before it started trembling violently. On instinct, Lin Ran tightened his grip on the sword. [Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in. You have obtained the remnant internal energy of Ten Mile Sword God and the Divine Sword Technique Manual.] Chapter 16 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Lin Ran saw an image appear where a figure holding Dragon Roar was defending an entire army on his own. One strike of the sword could cause the earth to split! Just looking at the back of the figure made one feel reverence. It was as if the figure was standing at the top of the world and looking down on all living beings. As soon as Dragon Roar was unsheathed, a golden dragon soared to the sky, bringing out a formidable sword energy. Instantly, the battlefield was enveloped by the humongous dragon. Those Senior Martial Masters and Grandmasters could not even withstand the power of Dragon Roar and were instantly reduced to ashes. What a terrifying power. At this moment, even if Lin Ran was just a spectator, he could feel the destructive power of Dragon Roar. In comparison, his current strength was too weak. ¡°Is this the power of a ninth-level Senior Grandmaster?¡± Lin Ran subconsciously clenched his fists. Not only did he not retreat, but he even looked straight at the sword beam, not showing signs of backing down. If Sword God could achieve it, he would be able to achieve it too. It was just a matter of time. An unyielding will spread out from Lin Ran, and the sword intent that belonged to him condensed at this moment. An inexplicable power surged in his body, and his aura was like the rising sun, instantly occupying an area. Sword God¡¯s sword intent was also gravitated towards him.. The two sword intents collided in midair. ¡°Boom!¡± The world shook! A huge energy fluctuation devoured everything, turning everything into rubble and sucking them into the void. Even Lin Ran was devoured. He could feel the majestic sword energy rampaging through his body. He was too weak to handle it, and his internal organs exploded. However, because of the Formless Sword Body, the internal organs were quickly repaired. At this moment, Lin Ran was trapped in the cycle of exploding and repairing. No one knew how much pain he was enduring. However, the benefits such suffering brought about were unimaginable. The speed of recovery became faster and faster, and his body became tougher and was filled with sword energy. Unless he suffered destructive damage in the future, nothing could hurt Lin Ran. After God knows how long, Lin Ran slowly opened his eyes. He felt like what happened just now was just an illusion. However, his body was surging with powerful force and he realized that he was actually at the first level of Senior Grandmaster. Just the remaining internal energy from Sword God could send him to this realm. It was hard to imagine what Sword God was truly capable of. Lin Ran rubbed Dragon Roar and could feel the bond between them getting deeper. His tone was like he was talking to a good friend he hadn¡¯t seen for many years. ¡°I¡¯ll fix you sooner or later and give you your former glory.¡± Dragon Roar was attracted to the Formless Sword Body. In addition, after Lin Ran inherited Sword God¡¯s internal energy, Dragon Roar became more close to him. It trembled as if it was responding to Lin Ran. Divine swords were spiritual. Even if he couldn¡¯t use it now, it would definitely become his good aide in the future. Lin Ran held the sword hilt in his hand and felt that the sword seemed to be forged especially for him. ¡°Speaking of which, what is this Divine Sword Technique Manual?¡± Perhaps because this place was special and it was where the Sword God subdued the demon, the system was very generous this time and gave Lin Ran two things. ¡°This is too heaven-defying. This is simply a walking treasure trove of divine weapons.¡± After Lin Ran figured out the Divine Sword Technique Manual, he was awe-struck. It was equivalent to a skill that could store all the famous swords in the world and be unsheathed at any time. However, this skill had a cooldown effect, and there was a limit to the swords that could be taken out. Otherwise, it would be too OP. This skill could be upgraded. This meant that Lin Ran could reduce the cooldown time and increase the limits of swords in the future. This was a great windfall for Lin Ran. Not only did he obtain Dragon Roar, but he also obtained the Divine Sword Technique Manual and even broke through to the first level of Senior Grandmaster Realm. Lin Ran used the Five Elements Spirit Stones to purify the evil aura in the air. Without the influence of the evil aura, this place was simply perfect for cultivation. After all, this was once the place where Sword God cultivated in seclusion. It was filled with spiritual energy. Be it cultivating or wiping the spiritual swords, it would be more effective. Most importantly, Lin Ran could observe the sword marks left by Sword God and learn from him. Every and each strike Sword God dealt was enough for Lin Ran to learn for some time. He was the only one in the entire Mount Sword. Now that his divine sense had enveloped the entire mountain, as soon as there were strange movements, he would be the first to know. At the same time, he also found the notes left behind by Sword God, on which he recorded things he encountered while traveling all around the world in his early days. After reading them, Lin Ran felt his horizon broadened. ¡°Sword God is really knowledgeable. I¡¯m deeply impressed.¡± There was no sunlight in the cave. Lin Ran sat cross-legged and focused his mind to cultivate. Time passed quickly. After God knows how long, he figured out and mastered all the sword marks on the rock wall. He had also learned most of the sword techniques left behind by Sword God. Those techniques were simply a treasure. Should they be known to the world, they would definitely cause people to risk their lives fighting to get it. [Congratulations, host. You have successfully signed in and obtained the Graceful Sword Moves.] Lin Ran happened to lack a movement technique. With the Graceful Sword Moves and the help of the Three Essence Sword Technique and the Five Elements Sword Technique, he could kill people without leaving a trace. Chapter 17 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Lin Ran was so immersed in cultivating in the cave that he had forgotten about the passage of time. If not for the sudden light of the communication talisman, he would have forgotten that it was time to reinforce the array formation tomorrow. Every once in a while, Daoist Li would hold a ritual to reinforce the array formation to calm the people down. This was also what Sword God had instructed. Now that the Sword God was no longer guarding the world, and even the demon had broken through the seal and escaped, Lin Ran still decided to continue the ritual. After all, if this news were to spread, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, which had finally regained its peace, would probably be in turmoil again. The new emperor had just ascended the throne and many people were still eyeing his power covetously. Although the world was peaceful on the surface, peace was hard to come by. Should anyone make use of the fact that Sword God was dead, War would break out across the dynasty. ¡°Sword God mentioned in his note that the evil demon has been suppressed for many years. Although it has advanced to the Half-Saint Realm, after breaking through the seal and fighting with Sword God, it must have suffered a huge blow and needs some time to recover.¡± Therefore, for the time being, Lin Ran did not have to worry about the demon harming the human world. As long as others did not come to this cave, no one would know that Sword God had died. What he had to do was to keep this matter a secret even if he knew that no secrets could be kept forever. Lin Ran prepared what was needed for the ritual. He did not expect that the important guest from last time was also here. He was a little surprised to see Lin Ran presiding over the ritual. ¡°Why is it you? Where is Daoist Li?¡± ¡°Daoist Li died in peace.¡± The young man was slightly stunned. With a solemn expression, he whispered something to the people around him. Then, he took the incense from Lin Ran and bowed to the Demon Subduing Tablet. ¡°I pray to the heavens to bless the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and ensure its prosperity.¡± He had a pious expression and an upright attitude. His eyes were slightly closed, and his long eyelashes were like butterfly wings that gently covered the top of his eyelids. A man with a feminine look. His eyelashes were actually so long. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself. Looking at the young man with his eyes closed, Lin Ran felt that the young man had delicate facial features. For a moment, he was so engrossed looking at him that he did not even notice it when the young man opened his eyes. Only when the young man cleared his throat a few times did Lin Ran come back to his senses. The Five Elements Spirit Stone emitted a warm light. He made a hand seal and followed Daoist Li¡¯s instructions to form complicated patterns. At the same time, the Five Elements Sword Technique was activated. With a wave of his hand, the Five Elements Spirit Stone was embedded into the Demon Subduing Tablet. A beam of light rose from the tablet and shot into the sky. A righteous aura descended, making the air seem especially fresh. Unfortunately, that demon had already escaped, so the ritual was just a show. After the ritual ended, the young man did not blame Lin Ran for staring rudely at him. He thought that it was his first time hosting a ritual, so he was a little nervous. ¡°You did well. Daoist Li was right in choosing you.¡± The young man was lost in his memories as he said, ¡°Last time, he told me that he felt that his time was up and chose you. I thought he was joking, but¡ª¡± The young man sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with worldly affairs recently and didn¡¯t receive any news of his death. Where is he buried? Show me the way.¡± ¡°He said that he had guarded Mount Sword for his entire life and hoped to be buried here after he died, so I made the decision¡­¡± Lin Ran was worried that the young man would blame him. Unexpectedly, the young man looked not surprised at all, as if he had expected it. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It does seem like his style. WIth the contributions he made throughout his life, he deserved to be buried in Mount Sword. If anyone asks, just say that the emperor¡ª¡± Realizing that he had made a slip of the tongue, the young man quickly reorganized his sentence. ¡°If anyone asks, just show them this token.¡± The token was also carved with dragon patterns. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know what material it was made of, but it looked small and exquisite. In front of the tomb, the young man put down a bouquet of flowers and remained silent for a long time. Lin Ran didn¡¯t want to disturb him. He had a vague guess about the young man¡¯s identity. ¡°It¡¯s been a few years. I wonder if you¡¯ve wasted your time on Mount Sword. Let me take this opportunity to test you.¡± He did not expect the young man to suddenly have the whim to challenge him. If the young man¡¯s identity was really as he guessed, Lin Ran was afraid his head would be separated from his body. He quickly rejected, ¡°You exude the aura of a noble person. How can I possibly be your match? I think within a few moves, you can easily take me down. Let¡¯s not waste the time.¡± The young man didn¡¯t give Lin Ran much time to think. ¡°Draw your sword.¡± The moment he finished speaking, he drew the soft sword on his waist and came at Lin Ran like an agile snake. Lin Ran had no choice but to dodge. His movements were so fast that the young man couldn¡¯t even catch up with it. ¡°What a swift movement. It seems that you didn¡¯t waste your time here. You definitely weren¡¯t telling me the truth just now.¡± The young man grew more interested. He released all his strength and attacked faster and faster. The soft sword hummed softly and trembled. It swam back and forth in his hand as if it was given life. It was obvious that this was also a spiritual sword. The young man could be considered talented at such a young age. Even though he was fast, in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, he was too slow. As the young man attacked, the distance between the two of them became closer and closer. If Lin Ran struck back, he would easily hurt him. He could only retreat step by step. Perhaps it was because the two of them were too close, Lin Ran could smell a faint fragrance coming from the young man. He smelt nice. Lin Ran found it strange that such a nice fragrance came from a man. He took a closer look and realized that the young man¡¯s exposed skin was extremely fair, like white jade. Wasn¡¯t he a little too much like a delicate porcelain? Chapter 18 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations At this moment, the young man had no clue what was on Lin Ran¡¯s mind. On the surface, the young man seemed to have the upper hand, but he knew he didn¡¯t. It had to be known that his martial techniques and movement techniques were taught by a senior grandmaster. Even the senior grandmaster in the palace had once praised him for his outstanding talent. He was by no means invincible among his peers, but it was rare for him to find an equal opponent. Now, Lin Ran was able to fight him back and forth with ease. In just a short while, sweat had already broken out on his forehead, but Lin Ran¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He realized that Lin Ran was not as ordinary as he claimed to be. ¡°It seems that you have been hiding your strength. What kind of movement technique is this? It¡¯s so powerful.¡± Lin Ran was just inches away from him, but the young man had never managed to touch his clothes with the sword. The young man was well-read and had collected all the supreme martial techniques in the palace¡¯s treasure vault, but he had never seen such a strange movement technique. ¡°You must be making fun of me. How can I have the chance to learn advanced movement techniques in the deep mountains? I am agile and fast because I used to travel a lot.¡± Lin Ran explained with a sincere look face, but the young man didn¡¯t believe a word of it. He raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t really want to tell me.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the young man¡¯s attacks became even more fierce. Sword intent interweaved into a sword net that trapped Lin Ran, almost leaving him no room for escape. Even so, Lin Ran still remained collected and calm. He dodged leisurely as if he was taking a stroll in his own backyard. It was not offensive but very humiliating. The young man¡¯s face turned red, as if he was blushing. His originally delicate face became even more bubbly. As the two of them were physically close, it was inevitable that there would be contact when their bodies collided. Lin Ran felt the softness on his palm and couldn¡¯t help but smack his lips. It was too soft, like it was made of water. Being pushed to the corner, Lin Ran finally became a little impatient. It was almost dusk. If they continued to fight like this, it would take at least another day. He gathered strength on his fingertips and released an undetectable sword beam. Lin Ran didn¡¯t want to expose him, so he could only do this. The cloth was torn open, revealing a bulging chest, and the breasts hidden underneath the cloth were almost visible. The two of them stopped at the same time, dumbfounded. After coming back to senses, they spoke at the same time. ¡°You actually¡ª¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± The young man, no, it should be the young girl, shouted angrily, stopping Lin Ran from continuing. She adjusted her clothes and looked sulky, and the redness on her cheeks slowly spread out. Lin Ran was shocked and blown away. She was actually a woman. No wonder she had all the delicate features. It was just that her aura was too intimidating and dignified that ordinary people wouldn¡¯t dare to look at her face at all, so they ignored her feminine characteristics. In addition, she had been hiding her identity well. If Lin Ran hadn¡¯t accidentally cut her clothes, even he couldn¡¯t tell. If this news spread, it would definitely cause a sensation in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty! Before Lin Ran could digest this huge piece of information, a red light immediately attracted his attention. When he took a closer look, he saw that it was a ruby pendant the shape of a dragon¡¯s eye that gave off dazzling rays. When the girl was tidying up her clothes, it was accidentally revealed. ¡°This is¡ª¡± Lin Ran recalled the last words left by Sword God. Could it be that she was the person he had to protect? Perhaps because Lin Ran¡¯s gaze was too intent, it attracted the girl¡¯s attention. Seeing that Lin Ran was staring at her chest without blinking, she was immediately furious. She glared at him fiercely, but her cheeks were slightly red. It was unknown if it was because of anger or embarrassment. She did not have her usual intimidating aura. Instead, she looked like a sulking little girl. Her eyes were like summer breeze and peach blossoms in March, making Lin Ran unable to take his eyes off her. After Lin Ran realized that she had misunderstood him, he quickly explained, ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking at your chest, and I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± As soon as he said that, it sounded like he was really guilty of doing it even if he didn¡¯t. The girl¡¯s eyes became even more fierce. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat.¡± When she heard the voice coming from outside the cave, the girl¡¯s expression changed. At this moment, she had already tidied up her clothes and her face had returned to normal. However, the tips of her ears were still slightly red and were hidden in her hair. If one did not pay attention, they would not be able to see it clearly. ¡®You saw nothing.¡¯ The girl¡¯s voice became deep again. She shot Lin Ran a look before turning to leave. Lin Ran stared at her departing figure and was lost in thought for a long time. The emperor of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty was actually a woman! No wonder Daoist Li asked him to protect the emperor. At that time, he was wondering why the emperor needed his protection since there were plenty of people more powerful than him. So this was what Daoist Li meant. Daoist Li must know the fact that the emperor was a girl, and so did Ten Miles Sword God. Lin Ran didn¡¯t take this mind-blowing discovery to heart. He was as calm as usual. If the empress did not want him to know, he would pretend that nothing had happened. If he felt threatened and wanted to leave, with his current strength, no one would be able to stop him. Lin Ran was very confident. In the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty, unless it was someone above the fifth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm, no one could defeat him. Naturally, there was nothing to worry about. Chapter 19 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations From then on, the empress did not pay a visit to Mount Sword again. Lin Ran put this matter to the back of his mind and dedicated his days to cultivation in the cave. After an unknown period of time, Lin Ran slowly opened his eyes. A glint flashed across his eyes as his expression turned cold. ¡°A few more rats ran into my territory.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, his figure blinked and he instantly disappeared from the spot. Near the forbidden area, a few black figures passed through the mountains like ghosts under the cover of the night. However, they did not know that their every move was being watched by a pair of eyes in the darkness. The night wind blew, causing Lin Ran¡¯s sleeves to flutter. He stood on his sword in midair with a silver moon hanging above him. He looked like an immortal descending from the moon, looking coldly at this group of people in black. No one noticed his existence. As everyone knew, the Ten Miles Sword God was in seclusion, and Daoist Li and the Mountain Guardian were not strong. Who would have thought that a freak like Lin Ran would appear? ¡°Recently, there have been more and more people in black approaching this area.¡± Lin Ran frowned. This was the third time he had seen these people. However, he did not want to alert them so he didn¡¯t make a move. In addition, he wanted to see what these people in black were up to. At the same time, he noticed that the cultivation methods of these men in black were different. From this, it could be seen that they were not from the same faction. ¡°Who are they and what do they want?¡± Lin Ran smelled a conspiracy. These men in black were probably afraid of attracting the Sword God¡¯s attention and did not stay for long before they left. Lin Ran thought for a moment and followed. A hundred kilometers away from Mount Sword at the border between the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and the Great Yong Dynasty, it was deserted and used as the gathering place by the people in black. Until now, no one had noticed that they were being followed. After all, with Lin Ran¡¯s current level, only someone above Senior Grandmaster Realm couldn¡¯t notice his presence. Senior Grandmasters were that common at all. Lin Ran observed for a moment and realized that the people here were all quite strong. The weakest was at the ninth level of the Martial Artist Realm. Groups of some ten people were constantly patrolling the area. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that it was so heavily guarded that even a fly couldn¡¯t escape. People with this much power to mobilize so many cultivators were definitely not to be underestimated. What¡¯s more, these people seemed to be plotting something. In the tent not far away, silhouettes reflected by the lamplight were moving around on the canvas. When the men in black entered the tent, Lin Ran quietly followed. To him, no matter how heavily guarded this place was, he could get in as if he was invisible. In the tent. ¡°Everyone, please listen to me. With the new emperor ascending to the throne, the imperial court is in turmoil. The current emperor is not a wise ruler. For the future of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, we should work together.¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. ¡°You make it sound so righteous. In the end, you¡¯re just planning to overthrow the current emperor in the name of saving the dynasty and make yourself the new emperor.¡± There were three people sitting on the main seat. One of them was a middle-aged man in gorgeous clothes who exuded a formidable presence. There was a four-clawed coiling dragon pattern on his chest that only regional vassals were allowed to use. He was the one who spoke just now. Three groups of men in black came to report. ¡°Did you find anything unusual during this investigation?¡± ¡°King Zhao, we¡¯ve investigated the entire Mount Sword, but there¡¯s no sign of anyone. Other than the forbidden area at the mountaintop, we checked everywhere. It¡¯s not easy to get close to the mountaintop because we¡¯re afraid of alerting the Sword God.¡± King Zhao fell into deep thought and looked at the others. ¡°What do you think of this matter, Official Zhang?¡±¡® If the empress were here, she would definitely be shocked. This was because the person sitting beside King Zhao was the senior statesman, Sun Zhanghong. He usually looked amiable and was respected by everyone in the imperial court. No one would¡¯ve expected him to be on the same table with Kind Zhao, and he now looked nothing like what he normally looked. Sun Zhanghong¡¯s face darkened. After pondering for a moment, he said, ¡°The former emperor once gave the word that no one was allowed to disturb the Sword God. From then on, we¡¯ve never seen the Sword God again. I¡¯m afraid only the current emperor knows about the situation up there.¡± The third person on the table emitted an intimidating aura that was hard to not notice. He should also be in the realm of Grandmaster. ¡°Official Sun, what you mean is that you don¡¯t know if the Sword God is in the forbidden area or not.¡± ¡°You could say that, but I can¡¯t guarantee it.¡± It turned out that they were the ones who sent out the men in black. From the looks of it, they had been plotting this for a long time. ¡°The most important thing now is to find out if the Ten Mile Sword God is still around.¡± No matter who it was, they were equally afraid of the Sword God. After all, he represented the supreme power in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. He alone could defend thousands of troops and most importantly, he was loyal. With him around, the current emperor need not fear anything. ¡°King Zhao, what you said makes sense. If the Sword God was still alive, why would His Majesty refuse to invite him out? In my opinion, it¡¯s very likely that he¡¯s no longer around.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s said that back then, the Sword God subdued the demon and was therefore compelled to stay on the mountaintop to guard the demon. Perhaps we¡¯re wrong. If he¡¯s still around and we act rashly, we¡¯ll be in serious trouble.¡± They discussed endlessly without coming to a conclusion. Chapter 20 - Black and White Sword, Exorcism Sword Energy! Chapter 20 Black and White Sword, Exorcism Sword Energy! If this group of people knew that the Ten Miles Sword God was no longer alive, they would probably immediately mutiny. Now, they did not dare to approach the forbidden area because they thought the Sword God was still alive. No secrets could be kept forever. Sooner or later, they would find out the truth. Moreover, looking at these people, it was obvious that they couldn¡¯t wait anymore. Unless the Sword God really showed up himself, these people wouldn¡¯t give up on their plan. ¡°I heard that a new master is residing on the mountain. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s recruited by the Ten Mile Sword God. The people I sent last time were beaten up by him.¡± ¡°He might be the disciple of the Sword God. I suppose he¡¯s just a Senior Martial Master or at most a Grandmaster. We have a Senior Grandmaster here. There is nothing to be afraid of.¡± Lin Ran listened attentively. These people seemed to be talking about him. ¡°What a bunch of cowards you are. If the Sword God is really alive, why has no one seen him all these years?¡±. These words completely hit the nail on the head, making everyone present excited. Although the Sword God was a powerful presence that they couldn¡¯t afford to challenge, their growing desires were stronger than their fear. ¡°Sect Leader Zhou, you¡¯re right!¡± King Zhao was the first to agree. On the other hand, Sun Zhanghong was cunning and did not comment immediately. ¡°We¡¯ve been planning for so long. It¡¯s time to start implementing the plan.¡± Sun Zhanghong stroked his beard. He had always been meticulous. After all, if the plan fell flat, it would be a serious crime that would result in his entire family being beheaded. ¡°That being said, we still have to consider it carefully.¡± Zhou Hao snorted. He despised Sun Zhanghong¡¯s style of doing things. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for long enough. If we wait until the emperor has a son, then it¡¯ll be ten times harder to execute the plan. My apology if I¡¯m being rude, but I think you are just scared of death. If that¡¯s the case, Official Sun, why did you get involved?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the big picture. What do you, a brainless brute, know?¡± Seeing that the two of them were about to start a quarrel, King Zhao quickly came out to smooth things over. ¡°You¡¯re both right. I have a plan that can probably work.¡± ¡°The Sword God is loyal to the royal family. If His Majesty is in danger, do you think he can still sit still¡ª¡± Before King Zhao needed to finish, the other two understood what he meant. ¡°However, Sect Master Zhou, I¡¯ll have to trouble you with this matter. Please find a position that can only be removed by people in the realm of Senior Grandmaster. This way, we can force the Sword God to show himself.¡± ¡°If the Sword God doesn¡¯t come out of the mountain, we will immediately dispatch the troops. If the Sword God does come out of the mountain, it¡¯s fine. Removing the prison will cost him a great amount of cultivation. By that time, it won¡¯t be impossible to deal with him.¡± The few of them looked at each other and smiled tacitly. ¡°King Zhao, your strategy is wise and flawless. I¡¯m impressed.¡± There was not much information after that. After returning to Mount Sword, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to be a new emperor. Not only is there internal and external trouble, but her identity is also special. If her identity was exposed, she¡¯d probably be in danger.¡± This might result in war breaking out across the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. However, it had nothing to do with Lin Ran. He was not born and raised here, so his sense of belonging to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty was naturally negligible. He was compelled to protect the empress simply because of the will of the Sword God and Daoist Li. Without hard evidence, even if he told the empress about the conspiracy, she would probably not believe him, and he might end up being accused of sowing discord. After all, one of them was a vassal king with military power, and the other was a high-ranking official of the imperial court, whereas Lin Ran was just a low-ranking official guarding the mountain. It was obvious which side the empress would stand on. ¡°Right now, I can only wait and see.¡± After the previous gathering by the conspirators, the number of people spying on Mount Sword had clearly decreased, but there were still a few keeping an eye on it. Lin Ran was not worried at all. He continued to cultivate and wipe the swords as usual. After all, nothing was more important to him than absolute strength. Over the past few days, he felt a special energy fluctuation coming from the depths of the cave. Lin Ran was immediately attracted to it. ¡°What is this.¡± There was actually a sword lying in the corner of the place where the demon was sealed, but he failed to notice it before. The sword was half black and half white. It looked extremely strange, like a Tai Chi Yin-Yang pattern. In the vast Great Dao, he seemed to see a black and a white fish slowly rising. Lin Ran subconsciously stretched out his hand, and the two fish quickly dissipated into the air. When he looked closely, he saw that the sword was standing there upright. The pattern on it was like the sun and the moon, opposing each other. He sized up the broken seal beside him. There was still an evil aura in the air. Not far away was the place where the Ten Miles Sword God cultivated and subdued the demon. Suddenly, Lin Ran was enlightened. ¡°I see.¡± He could not help but reach out to stroke the sword. As he had expected, he felt an evil aura and righteous aura intertwining. It turned out that this sword had been standing here since the beginning and had been corroded by the evil aura, causing the sword to turn black. However, it was also affected by the righteous aura coming out of the Sword God, which made it white. This led to the strange characteristic of this sword, which was that it was half black and half white. ¡°I believe you¡¯re also an extraordinary sword. Otherwise, how could you resist the corrosion of the evil aura for so long?¡± The sword gave off a cold aura and trembled slightly as a way of response. [Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in and obtaining the Exorcism Sword Energy.) Chapter 21 - Sheng Yuan Emperor Was Poisoned! Chapter 21 Sheng Yuan Emperor Was Poisoned! As soon as the system finished speaking, boundless energy surged into Lin Ran¡¯s body. Dazzling rays of light burst in all directions, purifying everything around him. Amidst the murderous sword energy, there was an indescribable mysterious energy, like a clear spring slowly flowing down a mountain, making one feel refreshed. Lin Ran slowly opened his eyes and sensed the power flowing in his body. Using his finger as a sword, sharp sword energy flew out and sped towards the black and white sword. ¡°Boom!¡± After a loud sound of explosion, the black and white sword still stood there safe and sound, as if nothing had changed. However, when Lin Ran reached out to touch it, the cold aura on the sword immediately dissipated and was replaced by an indescribable warmth. The evil aura around the sword was swept away! It had to be known that the evil aura had corroded the sword for a long time. Even with the suppression of righteousness, it could not be completely removed. Now, Lin Ran had dissipated the evil aura with just one move. It was obvious how powerful the new technique was. ¡°It actually has such a miraculous effect.¡± Even Lin Ran was surprised by the effect of the Exorcism Sword Energy. Not only could it remove the evil aura, but it could also remove all kinds of poison. With this technique, Lin Ran was practically immune to poisons. However, the sword could not return to its original state. Without the suppression of the evil aura, the sword was filled with righteousness only. After all, in the past, it was a battleground of the good and evil. Now, the good had claimed victory. It looked more like a Tai Chi Eight Trigrams pattern that fused and complemented each other. Lin Ran looked at the black and white sword in his hand and put it back where it belonged Over the past few days, Lin Ran had been practicing the Exorcism Sword Energy. His level had increased from the first level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm to the second level. Although it was only a small improvement, to others, it was more difficult to achieve than ascending to the heavens. ¡°Why haven¡¯t Zhao Wang and the other two made a move yet?¡± Lin Ran looked into the distance. He could vaguely see carved beams and painted pillars. Even from afar, the buildings looked majestic and imposing This was where the palace was. The empress did not make a move either, nor did she mention what happened that day. Occasionally, she would come to Mount Sword to practice her swordsmanship but she didn¡¯t summon Lin Ran. The two of them did not interact much. Lin Ran naturally would not take the initiative to approach the empress and seek trouble. ¡°Maybe King Zhao¡¯s plan fell flat.¡± On the other side, in the palace. In the magnificent hall, exquisite and luxurious items could be seen everywhere. The dragon-patterned incense burner was lifelike, giving off billows of smoke. It was a hundred-year-old agarwood that was worth ten thousand gold coins. It was said that this agarwood was extremely difficult to come by and preserve. It had a strange fragrance that could refresh the mind and brighten the eyes. Even though the sun was setting, Night Pearls of the East Sea was bright enough to light up the entire hall, making it look almost like daytime. Any item in the hall was worth more than what an ordinary person could earn in his entire life. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat, Your Majesty.¡± Only then did Sheng Yuan Emperor put down the scroll in his hand and said, ¡°Deliver the food then.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a large group of palace maids entered in an orderly manner. Clearly, they had been waiting outside for a long time. In just a moment, the long table was filled with delicacies. The food was delicious and appetizing, but Sheng Yuan Emperor wasn¡¯t moved. He had no appetite. ¡°The disaster in the southwest is getting worse by the day. It¡¯s making me worried sick.¡± The eunuch supervisor couldn¡¯t help but advise, ¡°Your Majesty, although state affairs are onerous, you should at least eat something to take care of your health.¡± The young eunuch at the side immediately brought over the dishes. ¡°Your Majesty, this is the latest medicinal cuisine developed by the imperial kitchen. It can nourish the spleen and body.¡± The snow-white bird¡¯s nest was piled together like a snow mountain. On it were ginseng, deer antler, and other precious herbs, making it look especially mouth-watering ¡°This dish looks quite interesting.¡± It was sweet, but there was an imperceptible bitterness. Sheng Yuan Emperor thought that it was the taste brought about by the herbs, so he did not think too much of it and ate a few more spoonfuls. No one noticed the strange expression on the young eunuch¡¯s face. Sheng Yuan Emperor felt a burning sensation in his throat. Sensing that something was wrong with the food, he immediately knocked over the bowl. In the next second, he spat out a large mouthful of blood onto the snow-white bird¡¯s nest. It immediately shocked everyone. ¡°Your Majesty, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Sheng Yuan Emperor¡¯s eyes darkened. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but blood spurted out like a fountain. The eunuchs and palace maids had never seen such a scene before. They immediately panicked. ¡°Call the imperial physician immediately!¡± At this moment, Sheng Yuan Emperor had already fainted. No one noticed that the young eunuch who recommended the dish was already nowhere to be seen. Upon hearing the news, the prime minister and a few other ministers rushed over. ¡°What happened? How is His Majesty now?¡± Sun Zhanghong took a step forward and said with a worried expression. If Lin Ran was here, he would recognize this person as the one who conspired with King Zhao that day. He would definitely sigh at the fact that this wily old fox had two faces. At this moment, he was very sincere and looked genuinely worried. Chapter 22 - Mastermind, Inviting the Sword God to Come out Chapter 22 Mastermind, Inviting the Sword God to Come out The eunuch supervisor said with a trembling voice, ¡°His Majesty vomited blood after eating the bird¡¯s nest. The imperial physician tested His Majesty and concluded that he was poisoned.¡± After hearing what happened, Prime Minister Fu Sirui¡¯s expression turned extremely twisted with anger. ¡°Who is it that dares to poison the emperor? It¡¯s simply outrageous!¡± After saying that, he looked fiercely at the eunuch supervisor and the others. ¡°You¡¯re getting better and better at your job. Did you even forget to test the food before handing it to His Majesty?¡± ¡°Where did the young eunuch go? Find him even if you have to go to the ends of the earth.¡± ¡°The eunuch¡¯s corpse was found at the back door of the imperial kitchen. He had been dead for a long time.¡± The person who reported did not dare to look at Fu Sirui. Someone must have killed the young eunuch and used his identity to get close to the emperor, poisoned him, and snuck out of the palace during the chaotic scene. ¡°It seems like it was premeditated.¡± When the imperial physician walked out, he was already covered in sweat. Looking at his face, everyone¡¯s hearts skipped a beat. ¡°Imperial Physician Zhang, how is His Majesty now?¡± Imperial Physician Zhang shook his head with a solemn expression while wiping the sweat off his forehead. ¡°Once this poison takes effect, it will quickly infect the internal organs. Even a grandmaster won¡¯t be able to survive it. I¡¯ve already used silver needles to block all the major acupoints on His Majesty, but it can only last for the time it takes to burn an incense stick. We have to find the person who poisoned His Majesty and get the antidote as soon as possible. Otherwise¡­¡± Imperial Physician Zhang didn¡¯t finish, but everyone understood what he meant and was shocked. ¡°Is there no other way?¡± Imperial Physician Zhang knelt on the ground. ¡°Please forgive me, Prime Minister. This time, I¡¯m really out of my depths.¡± The entire place fell silent, and no one dared to let out a sound. The eunuchs and palace maids were kneeling on the ground, trembling with fear. If anything happened to the emperor, they would probably be buried with him. It had to be known that Imperial Physician Zhang was the most experienced doctor in the imperial hospital. If he said so, it meant the emperor was really incurable. After all, even a Grandmaster-level figure could not survive this poison. Fu Sirui¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Have you caught the murderer yet?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of having guards like you? You can¡¯t even catch an assassin!¡± Now, the entire palace was seamlessly guarded. Not even a fly could fly out, but the assassin managed to escape. The more Fu Sirui thought about it, the more shocked he was. To be able to avoid the imperial guards and secret guards, it seemed that the mastermind was very powerful. It was very likely that he was from the imperial court. Otherwise, why was he so familiar with the palace? It was even possible that there were people among the statesmen who helped the assassin escape. He looked around the place with an indescribable coldness. If the emperor died now, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty would definitely be in turmoil. Who exactly wanted that to happen? Sun Zhanghong said coldly, ¡°If His Majesty dies, your entire imperial hospital will be buried with him.¡± Imperial Physician Zhang¡¯s back was already drenched in cold sweat. ¡°Now the only silver lining is to find a Senior Grandmaster to treat His Majesty and stop the poison from spreading to his heart. This way, there might be a chance.¡± Hearing that, not only was Fu Sirui not relieved, but he frowned even more. Across the dynasty, Senior Grandmasters were few and far between. Most of them were cultivating in seclusion in the depths of the mountains. It would be too late to send people to invite them to the palace now. Moreover, the Senior Grandmasters were mysterious. No one knew exactly where they were. At this moment, Sun Zhanghong added, ¡°Isn¡¯t there one on Mount Sword?¡± e one ¡°You mean the Sword God?¡± Fu Sirui immediately revealed a conflicted expression. ¡°But the Sword God has been in seclusion for many years and hasn¡¯t appeared in the world. Besides, the former emperor gave the order that no one was to disturb him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an emergency. Now that His Majesty is in a life-and-death situation, we have no choice. I believe the Sword God won¡¯t blame us.¡± Sun Zhanghong¡¯s suggestion was also backed up by the other ministers. Without further ado, they quickly headed to Mount Sword. As a rule set up by the former emperor that anyone entering the forbidden area on Mount Sword would be punished by death, the ministers stopped at the gate and knelt down. ¡°His Majesty is in danger of death. Sword God, please come out and save him.¡± Everyone said in unison, but unfortunately, there was no reaction. There was no movement at the forbidden area. It was so quiet that it was as if no one was there. an as one ¡°Could it be that the Sword God is not in the mountain?¡± ¡°The Sword God has been in seclusion for decades. Chances are he might already be dead.¡± Everyone whispered to each other and immediately panicked. The Sword God was their last hope. It was clearly too late to invite other grandmasters. Fu Sirui kowtowed heavily and shouted again to the mountaintop, ¡°His Majesty is in danger. Sword God, please do something to save him.¡± At this moment, they still did not know that the Sword God had died. No matter what they said and how much they kowtowed, the Sword God didn¡¯t respond. Lin Ran was cultivating in the cave when he heard the noise outside. ¡°It seems like it was done by King Zhao and the others.¡± Lin Ran decided to go out. Be it for the sake of the Sword God or Daoist Li, he had to save the empress. Moreover, if he could sign in at the throne hall, he might receive different rewards. Chapter 23 - Sword God Shows Up Chapter 23 Sword God Shows Up Seeing that there was no response from Mount Sword, Fu Sirui¡¯s eyes were filled with despair. He sat on the ground dejectedly. ¡°Is the Sword God really going to watch the emperor die?¡± Unlike him, on Su Zhanhong¡¯s face, there was a smug smile. It seemed that they had guessed it right. The Sword God was not on the mountain at all, or rather, he was already dead! Sun Zhanghong forced out tears and looked like he was in extreme grief. It had to be said that his acting skills were so excellent that even Lin Ran was amazed. ¡°Prime Minister Fu, you must have other ways.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left. If the Sword God doesn¡¯t make offer help, I¡¯m afraid His Majesty will really-¡± Fu Sirui choked with emotion. The expressions of the civil and military officials were equally solemn. They did not dare to imagine how much impact the death of the new emperor would have. Just as everyone was in despair, the situation suddenly changed. The ground shook violently. All the ministers stood up in shock and said in a panic, ¡°What happened? Is there an earthquake?¡± ¡°Run, there¡¯s going to be an earthquake.¡± The violent trembling made everyone stagger. They could barely stand firm. Just as everyone was about to scurry away, one of the ministers looked like he had seen a ghost. ¡°Look!¡± The swords on Mount Sword were jiggling violently, causing the entire mountain to shake. Clearly, it was the swords that shook the earth just now. They had never seen such a phenomenon before. Over the last century, Mount Sword had been tranquil, and nothing like that had ever happened. Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what was going on. One of the ministers couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Are these swords crazy?¡± The commotion on Mount Sword quickly attracted the attention of the guards and martial artists in the palace. They all looked towards the direction of Mount Sword. The ministers weren¡¯t cultivating the Martial Dao, so they naturally could not feel it. However, to the martial artists, even from such a long distance, they could feel a strong sword intent quickly spreading out from Mount Sword as the center. It was as if a huge mountain was pressing down on their heads. Everyone who was in the Realm of Martial Master felt the pressure and revealed a panicked look. ¡°What powerful sword Energy. Is the Sword God really coming out of seclusion?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s true. Who else in the world has such a powerful sword energy other than the Sword God.¡± Everyone in the Imperial City was inexplicably nervous. Many people revealed extremely reverent expressions. ¡°After so many years, the Sword God has finally appeared again.¡± ¡°Being able to see the Sword God in person, I have no regrets in my life.¡± After so many years, the image of the Sword God in everyone¡¯s hearts was only magnified as time flew by. They had been looking forward to seeing the Sword God descending on the mortal world again. On the other hand, those who were afraid of the Sword God could not sit still. For example, Sun Zhanghong subconsciously clenched his fists to fight back the fear that was rising in him. Fu Sirui¡¯s eyes lit up with hope again. ¡°Is the Sword God finally going to appear?¡± Ten thousand swords roared at the same time, and the sword intent that condensed seemed to be able to materialize. This magnificent scene shocked everyone. Facing the sword intent that covered the sky, they were awe-struck. People like Sun Zhanghong who had a guilty conscience were turning pale on their faces. Fortunately, in front of the imposing sword intent, it was only natural for one to get scared, so no one noticed anything strange about Sun Zhanghong. In the midst of countless sword beams, a figure slowly walked out of the forbidden area. Every step he took seemed to contain a huge force that shook everyone¡¯s hearts. ¡°What brought you all here to disturb my cultivation?¡± The ministers stared at the person who was wrapped in black clothes and could not be seen clearly. In an instant, Mount Sword regained its tranquility. The divine swords were sentient. It was as if they had seen a king, they immediately stopped being restless. Similarly, the ministers didn¡¯t dare to breathe loudly. Fu Sirui felt his heart beating like a drum. No one would suspect the man¡¯s identity, let alone think that the ¡°Sword God¡± was Lin Ran in disguise. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t possibly tell everyone that the Sword God had already died while suppressing the demon. If word got out, the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty would be in chaos. Now, he could only pretend to be the Sword God for the time being. The Sword God lived in seclusion to begin with, and very few people had seen his true appearance. Now that decades had passed, it was even more impossible for anyone to recognize him. With Lin Ran¡¯s current strength, it was easy for him to disguise as the Sword God, and no one would suspect him. ¡°Sword God, please save His Majesty.¡± Fu Sirui was about to kneel down to Lin Ran when an invisible force kept him from bending his knees. Was this the power of the Sword God? He was extremely shocked. ¡°Prime Minister Fu, there¡¯s no need to show manners. I already know.¡± O As expected, after Lin Ran showed them what he¡¯s capable of, no one doubted his identity as the ¡°Sword God¡±. Even if he had a mask on, they just thought that the Sword God liked to remain mysterious. After all, Senior Grandmasters were always a little peculiar. Perhaps Sun Zhanghong was overthinking, but he felt that the ¡°Sword God¡± was looking at him with a sharp gaze that made him shiver. It was as if all schemes and plots were laid bare in front of him. No, the Sword God had been in seclusion all this time. How could he know their plan? He was just scaring himself. Lin Ran summoned his spiritual sword, and a cold light flashed across the air. He rode on the sword and flew away. Looking at his departing figure, everyone felt like he was really a god descended from the heavens. Before anyone could react, Lin Ran was no longer in sight, leaving all of them dumbfounded on the spot. Chapter 24 - Removing the Poison, Another Side of the Empress Chapter 24 Removing the Poison, Another Side of the Empress Fu Sirui cried tears of joy. ¡°This is great. With the Sword God¡¯s help, His Majesty will definitely be saved.¡± In contrast, Sun Hongzhang gritted his teeth so hard that they were about to break. However, everyone¡¯s attention was on the Sword God, so no one noticed his abnormal behavior. Sun Hongzhang took a deep breath. So what if he was the Sword God? He was probably helpless about such a strange poison too. Even if the poison could be removed, it would at least consume half of his internal energy. When that happened, their plan could be carried out unobstructed. Thinking of this, he slowly revealed a smile and said, ¡°Yes, the Sword God is here. He must have a way to save His Majesty.¡± No one knew that under the amiable face was a wild ambition. Lin Ran rode the sword into the palace without being stopped. Besides, no one was bold enough to stop him. Imperial Physician Zhang and the other imperial physicians were still on duty. They were all helpless mortals, including the eunuchs and palace maids. Looking at the arrival of the person on a sword, their knees uncontrollably went weak and they almost fell to the ground. They did not even dare to look Lin Ran in the eye. ¡°All of you, get out. I¡¯ll treat His Majesty.¡± Everyone felt relieved and fled like they were being chased by a ferocious beast. After walking out, they could finally take in fresh air and felt like they had come back to life. ¡°The Sword God is really imposing and terrifying.¡± ¡°He is so mysterious. I wonder what he looks like.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ever think about that. We are not qualified to see him unmasked.¡± The bold palace maids began to discuss. On the other hand, Imperial Physician Zhang looked at the tightly shut door of the hall. He was still worried. After all, this was a rare poison. He wondered if the Sword God could really remove the poison. The imperial physicians beside him were also worried. ¡°According to the Sword God¡¯s current cultivation level and realm, I think removing the poison won¡¯t be an issue.¡± ¡°I hope so. Heavens, you must bless our Heavenly Saint Dynasty and keep His Majesty safe.¡± Only Lin Ran and the unconscious Sheng Yuan Emperor were left in the huge palace hall. Looking at the person lying on the bed, without the deliberate disguise, her feminine features were more obvious, and her pale face made her look especially fragile. All the silver needles on her body were turning slightly black. When the silver needles were turned completely black by the poison, even God would not be able to save her. ¡°Fortunately, I came in time. I hope you won¡¯t forget about it upon waking up.¡± Lin Ran thought of the Exorcism Sword Energy he had obtained previously. It should be effective against the strange poison in the empress¡¯ body too. He quickly pulled out the silver needles from the empress¡¯s body. At the same time, he circulated the sword energy in his body. With a slight flick of his fingertip, it was as if ten thousand swords were released at the same time, forming countless small air currents that blocked the various acupoints. When the silver needle dropped to the ground, the tip of the needle was glossy black. It went without saying how powerful the poison was. The sword energy flowed through the empress¡¯s vessels and veins. Lin Ran could clearly see a black stream flowing on her fair skin. As if it was affected by the sword energy, it kept retreating. The movement of the balck stream also affected the empress. Her entire body trembled and her face turned pale. It was obvious that she was in pain. The person who poisoned her was really vicious. If it weren¡¯t for Lin Ran, the empress would most likely end up dying. Looking at the unconscious empress, Lin Ran said, ¡°Sorry for being rude.¡± He pulled open the empress¡¯s clothes, revealing half of her shoulders. Her skin was as smooth as milk, and the scene was especially tempting. Lin Ran¡¯s eyes were fixed on the spot where the empress¡¯s heart was. His fingers inevitably touched that soft spot and sank into it like it was cotton candy. Now that the empress was in a critical condition, there was no choice but to be in physical contact with her skin for the treatment to be most effective. The light on his fingertips became even more dazzling as it shot into the empress¡¯s body. In an instant, the black stream shrunk by half. Only a small portion of the black stream was still flowing about and resisting. When it was caught by the Sword Energy, it was devoured immediately. The sword energy was still lingering in the empress¡¯s body, helping her recover better. After doing all of this, beads of sweat broke out on Lin Ran¡¯s forehead. Although he did not use much internal energy, removing poison required meticulous work and precise control of his strength. If he was not careful, the poison would spread and immediately corrode the heart. Fortunately, with Lin Ran¡¯s current cultivation, he could handle it. ¡°Cold, it¡¯s so cold¡­¡± The empress muttered unconsciously, her teeth chattering. Under the side effects of the poison, she felt abnormally cold all over her body, and she instinctively leaned towards the source of warmth beside her. It was as if there was a small stove beside her that was constantly emitting warmth. She let out a satisfied moan, but to Lin Ran, that moan sounded attractive. When the empress wrapped her arms around his waist, his hand accidentally landed on the soft spot that was slightly warm. At this moment, Lin Ran was in an extremely awkward position. If the empress found out about it, she would definitely cut him into pieces. With this thought in mind, Lin Ran slowly lowered his head and met her eyes. He stiffened and was struck dumb. Oh no! I¡¯m done for. That was the first thought that came to mind. Chapter 25 - Its Not Easy to Be an Emperor Chapter 25 It¡¯s Not Easy to Be an Emperor The empress did not make things difficult for him immediately. She just looked at him with red eyes. Coupled with her pale face, she looked like a kitten. In the next second, countless tears welled up in her beautiful eyes and streamed down her fair skin. ¡°Grandpa Sword God, I miss you so much.¡± Lin Ran was stunned and at a loss. Did she mistake him for the Sword God? He took a closer look at the empress and realized that although her eyes were open, her pupils were unfocused. Clearly, she was not completely awake. It was probably a side effect of the poison. The empress hugged Lin Ran and no longer had her high and mighty look. She was like a fragile girl who had let down her guard and was crying. At the age of 20, she was supposed to be enjoying the best days of her life. However, she had to bear the fate of the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty and disguise herself as a man to prevent others from discovering his gender. It must be very tiring to be an empress. She was the ruler of the world with absolute power. Her life was supposed to be glamorous, but not exactly so. It was more like walking on a cliff. She had to be careful with every step. Otherwise, she would end up falling into the abyss and smashed to pieces. If her true gender was exposed, not to mention protecting the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, she would probably not be able to protect her own life. Looking at the empress who was different from her usual self, Lin Ran patted her shoulder like he was putting a child to sleep. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you all these years.¡± These words were like a switch, causing the empress to cry even louder. Her face was smudged by tears as she hugged Lin Ran tightly. Lin Ran could clearly feel the pair of soft breasts. They were as soft and elastic as jelly. Fortunately, Lin Ran had given the order that no one was to disturb him. Coupled with the fact that the hall was soundproof, there was no need to worry about being discovered. ¡°Grandpa Sword God, ever since I became the emperor, there have been endless internal and external troubles. The courtiers are plotting against me, and the vassals are eyeing me covetously. The martial world is preparing to take advantage of the chaos to get a share of the pie, but around me, there is no one whom I can trust¡­¡± The empress chattered on as if she had found an outlet to express the grievance that she had accumulated for years. When Lin Ran heard this, he was slightly shocked. It turned out that the empress knew about the dangers in the imperial court all along. She was more perceptive and insightful than anyone could imagine. Even if she wanted to change, she didn¡¯t have the ability to do so. She had just ascended the throne and was surrounded by enemies. Besides, shaking up the imperial court wasn¡¯t something that could be done in a short time. To be able to make the late emperor break the tradition and make a woman the emperor, she must be truly capable. ¡°The only person I can somewhat trust is that mountain guardian.¡± The empress¡¯s voice snapped Lin Ran back to reality. ¡°But that guy is only good at dodging my attack and is too weak. However, he¡¯s quite tight-lipped and never said a word about my identity. I want to promote him and recruit him into my own forces, but I really don¡¯t know how¡­¡± Hearing the empress¡¯s opinion about him, Lin Ran did not know whether to laugh or cry. From the looks of it, the empress seemed to have a pretty decent impression of him. Perhaps it was because the empress was under tremendous pressure every day, but at this moment, she was crying like a river. There was nothing about her that looked like a high and mighty empress. Lin Ran was probably the only person in this world who could¡¯ve seen this side of her. She held Lin Ran tightly like a drowning person clutching at straws. Lin Ran felt that he couldn¡¯t continue to disguise as the Sword God because this would only cause the empress to believe she had the support of someone who had been gone for long No matter what, she was the empress and the ruler of the world, so she needed to rely on herself and be strong. Only by becoming stronger could she deal with all the internal and external difficulties. However, if Lin Ran didn¡¯t disguise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to explain himself. It was inevitable that the empress would suspect him. Suddenly, an idea truck Lin Ran. ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°My life is coming to an end. I can feel it¡¯s about time for me to go. Don¡¯t be sad. I¡¯m happy that before I go, I can still save your life. From now on, you have to walk the path alone. Perhaps it will be difficult and dangerous, but I believe in your ability. You will definitely overcome all obstacles and lead the Heavenly Saint to another glory¡­¡± Lin Ran was just making up some nonsense, but it had a huge impact on the empress and would be a turning point in her life. From then on, the legend of Empress Sheng Yuan began. Just as Lin Ran had said, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty reached an unprecedented glory. However, this was all in the future. ¡°That mountain guardian is kind and righteous. He has received my legacy and is considered my disciple. I entrusted him to protect you. If you encounter any difficulties, you can look for him. He¡¯s a trustworthy person,¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and added. This way, the empress wouldn¡¯t suspect him in the future and he would have good reasons to leave the mountain. The empress¡¯s breathing gradually became regular. Her long eyelashes were still wet with tears. They fluttered uneasily like a butterfly flapping its wings. Coupled with her messy hair and half-exposed shoulders, she was indescribably lovely. Lin Ran quickly helped tidy up her clothes. After all, should anyone see this scene, her identity would be exposed. Seeing that the empress had fallen asleep, Lin Ran did not linger, in case she suddenly woke up. In order to prevent the empress from thinking that what happened just now was an illusion, he specially left the broken sword of the Sword God under the pillow before standing up to leave. ¡°This should be foolproof.¡± When Lin Ran left, he was attracted by the throne hall. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the palace for so long, but I haven¡¯t had the chance to look around.¡± Since there was no one around, he decided to explore the palace. Chapter 26 - Multiple Layers of Meaning to His Words Chapter 26 Multiple Layers of Meaning to His Words Everyone knew that the Sword God was treating Sheng Yuan Emperor. The crowd nearby was dispersed so as to not disturb the treatment. Therefore, Lin Ran was not worried that someone would suddenly barge in. The throne hall was grand and majestic. It was decorated in gold and jade with coiling dragons sprawling out across the roof. There was a plaque hanging in the middle with the words ¡®Justice and Righteousness¡¯ engraved on it. It was written with vigorous strokes and obviously by a prestigious calligrapher. In particular, the dragon throne was made of pure gold. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°No wonder everyone wants to be the emperor and sit on the throne.¡± ¡°I wonder what kind of effect signing in here will have.¡± Lin Ran took out a sword and wiped it slowly. [Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in and obtaining the Nine Yin-Yang Swords.] As soon as the system finished speaking, golden light appeared on the throne room, forming a golden dragon that roared and surrounded Lin Ran. The more light that came out, the more corporeal the dragon. With eyes sparkling with divine light, it was no different from a real dragon. A dragon roar shook the hall, accompanied by a crisp phoenix cry. What immediately followed the cry was the appearance of a dazzling phoenix with gorgeous feather fluttering in the air. It was letting out rays of radiant lights that dimmed the throne hall. It seemed that with a gentle flap of its wings, the phoenix could send the entire world into shock. The dragon and phoenix stood by Lin Ran¡¯s side like guardians. They sang in union and danced around him, as if they were holding some kind of ritual. The others were naturally shocked by the special energy fluctuations coming from inside the hall, but they did not barge in. They thought that it was caused by the Sword God while treating Sheng Yuan Emperor. After all, when the Sword God came out of the forbidden area, the energy fluctuation he brought about was mind-blowing too. After an unknown period of time, everything finally returned to normal. Lin Ran slowly walked out of the throne hall. The ministers outside did not expect the treatment to finish so quickly. After all, this was a strange poison that even stumped the most experienced Imperial Physician. Fu Sirui quickly went forward and asked, ¡°Sword God, how is His Majesty?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll wake up after a short rest.¡± Fu Sirui immediately cried tears of joy and almost knelt down to kowtow to Lin Ran again, but Lin Ran stopped him. ¡°On behalf of the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty and His Majesty, thank you for offering help.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is what I should do.¡± Sun Zhanhong stood by the side, rooted to the ground with his eyes wide open in disbelief. Didn¡¯t they say that it would cost at least half of the Sword God¡¯s internal energy to remove the poison? It turned out removing the poison was just a piece of cake for him. To make sure the plan went smoothly and help the assassin sneak into the palace, Sun Zhanghong had risked his own life and spent a lot of effort. Much to his disappointment, the poison wasn¡¯t as powerful as it was claimed to be. Sun Zhanghong was really indignant. Perhaps because the look of disbelief on his face was too obvious, Lin Ran turned around and looked at Sun Zhanghong. He said with a faint smile, ¡®This minister doesn¡¯t seem to believe what I¡¯ve done.¡± Sun Zhanghong was shocked and quickly lowered his head. ¡°How would I dare to question you? I¡¯m just too overcome with joy. Sword God is indeed extraordinary. God bless my emperor. Under the protection of the Sword God, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty will definitely prosper.¡± The old man was quite good at bootlicking! However, Lin Ran did not buy it. Besides, he had seen the ambitious side of Sun Zhanghong before. He said meaningfully, ¡°If that¡¯s really what you think, it would be great.¡± For some reason, Sun Zhanghong felt that there were multiple layers of meaning to his words. His heart skipped a beat at the thought that the Sword God seemed to know something But how was that possible! Sun Zhanghong said awkwardly, ¡°Sword God, my loyalty to the dynasty is unquestionable.¡± Their plot could be said to be flawless, and it was very confidential. Even the Heavenly Saint Emperor did not know about it, let alone the Sword God who was in seclusion all year round. Lin Ran did not speak for a long time. He just stared at Sun Zhanghong quietly and intently, making the atmosphere especially tense. Fu Sirui also smelled something strange going on. He looked at the Sword God and then at Sun Zhanghong. Cold sweat broke out on Sun Zhanghong¡¯s back, almost drenching his clothes. He was terrified that the Sword God would unsheathe his sword and slash him in half. Fortunately, Lin Ran finally looked away and didn¡¯t say anything else, as if he was really just playing with him. Only then did Sun Zhanghong heave a sigh of relief. After the Sword God left, Fu Sirui said curiously, ¡°What the Sword God said just now was a little strange.¡± Sun Zhanghong forced a smile and changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s go and see how His Majesty is doing first.¡± Fortunately, the others did not suspect anything. After all, Sun Zhanghong had always been regarded as one of the most loyal and dedicated ministers. The empress slowly opened her eyes and looked around, but there was no one around. ¡°I think I saw Grandpa Sword God. Was everything just a dream¡­¡± At this moment, she felt that her body was unprecedentedly relaxed and her mind was clear. The sword energy not only helped her remove the poison, but it also cleansed her vessels and veins to a certain extent. The empress was about to get out of bed when she saw something sticking out from under the pillow from the corner of her eye. Her eyes widened. ¡°This is!¡± Chapter 27 - How Could Two Women Have a Son? Chapter 27 How Could Two Women Have a Son? What came into sight was a broken sword. The ruby on the hilt was like a red sun, emitting a dazzling light. Even if the sword was broken, one could tell that it had seen better days. A sharp sword intent swept past her face, telling her of its silent past. Even if it turned into ashes, the empress would still recognize that this was the Sword God¡¯s sword-Ten Miles Dragon Roar! ¡°It¡¯s Grandpa Sword God. What happened just now wasn¡¯t an illusion¡­¡± The empress stroked the dragon patterns on the sword. Tears fell from her face and dropped on the blade. The divine sword seemed to have sensed the empress¡¯s sadness and buzzed. The empress could see her teary face reflected on the shiny blade. Recalling what the Sword God had told her about his time running out, the empress choked with sobs. ¡°From now on, I¡¯m really alone in this world.¡± The mountain that she had been relying on collapsed completely. Now, she was left alone to face the dangerous world. The empress endured her grief and wiped her tears. After a moment, other than her eyes being a little red, she had already regained her usual calmness. She could not let outsiders discover anything. She had to pretend that the Ten Miles Sword God was still around. Only then could she intimidate those who had evil intentions. Otherwise, those people would pounce at her like sharks that had smelled blood. Be it her or the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, they would all be in danger. The empress¡¯s gaze was firm. She knew that there was going to be a tough battle ahead of her. She said in a low voice, ¡°Guard¡ª¡± How could she allow someone who wanted her to die in her cabinet? She had to find out who poisoned her. At the thought of this, a cold glint flashed across the empress¡¯s eyes. Even after the poison in her body was gone, her face was still a little pale. At this moment, she had to show everyone who the owner of the dynasty was. On the other hand, after knowing that Sheng Yuan Emperor had woken up, the ministers finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Fortunately, with the Sword God¡¯s help this time, His Majesty was able to survive.¡± ¡°As long as we have the protection of the Sword God, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty will prosper.¡± There were still a small number of ministers in the royal court who were loyal to the royal family and to Emperor Sheng Yuan. For example, Prime Minister Fu Sirui. They felt that as long as the Sword God was still around, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty could continue to be in peace. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the Sword God was the spiritual belief of the subjects in the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty. No wonder the empress wanted to hide the news of the Sword God¡¯s death. If word got out, it would definitely cause unrest. On the other hand, Sun Zhanghong and his faction were a little exasperated. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Did you send someone to inform them?¡± Another minister nodded. ¡°King Zhao and Sect Master Zhou are already informed of what happened. The poisoner has already successfully left the palace. Don¡¯t worry, sir.¡± Sun Zhanghong finally heaved a sigh of relief. As long as the poisoner wasn¡¯t caught, there would be no evidence pointing against him. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Sun Zhanghong sneered. ¡°What kind of trash did Zhou Hao find? He claimed to be the number one poison expert in the world. But look at what happened in the end. What a clown.¡± At this point, he was furious. ¡°I spent a lot of resources, but in the end, both the Sword God and Emperor Sheng Yuan were unscathed. It was simply a waste of my time.¡± His face was as dark as a bottomless well as he said disdainfully, ¡°That¡¯s how sects in the martial world are. They just can¡¯t do anything. All they know is to talk big.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not all in vain. At the very least, we now know that the Sword God is still around and is very powerful. It seems that the information is wrong. We need to rethink the plan.¡± Sun Zhanghong nodded. ¡°Indeed, we have to postpone the execution.¡± The ministers went in to greet Emperor Sheng Yuan one after another. One of them was the Grand Secretary, the current empress¡¯s father, Zhang Yueheng. ¡°Your Majesty, do you feel better?¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern. Fortunately, with the help of the Sword God, I was able to survive.¡± Seeing that Zhang Yueheng wanted to say something, Emperor Sheng Yuan gave the word. ¡°The rest of you all can leave. I have something to discuss with the Grand Secretary.¡± After everyone left, Emperor Sheng Yuan said, ¡°Father-in-law, we¡¯re in-laws. There are no outsiders around now. If you have something to say, just say it.¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan was so respectful to Zhang Yueheng because he had served three previous emperors in this dynasty and had accumulated great power and influence. Many ministers in the Imperial Court were once his students. He was one of the people who helped Emperor Sheng Yuan ascend the throne. If he didn¡¯t marry Zhang Yueheng¡¯s legitimate daughter, Zhang Yueheng would probably not side with him. Naturally, he had to rope in this kind of person. However, Zhang Yueheng, this old fox, didn¡¯t seem to want to invest everything he had in Emperor Sheng Yuan. He had some other plans. Facing these wily people, Emperor Sheng Yuan had to be fully prepared. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s a blessing that you can fully recover, but this matter also gives us a reminder that we are in urgent need of a crown prince. If anything happens in the future, there will be someone to take your place and keep the situation under control.¡± The smile on Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s face gradually faded. He knew that this old fox was plotting something. ¡°Grand Secretary, what exactly do you mean?¡± As expected, in the next second, Zhang Yueheng knelt on the ground. ¡°Even if what I¡¯m going to say will make you displeased, I still feel obliged to say it. I hope that Your Majesty can have a son with the Empress as soon as possible to stabilize the dynasty. That way, I can rest in peace.¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan was a little stunned. He did not expect Zhang Yueheng to bring this up. She was a woman, and so was the empress. How could two women have a son? She wanted to shut these old ministers up with a crown prince, but the thing was that she did not have that ability. Chapter 28 - Reproducing in Place of the Empress Chapter 28 Reproducing in Place of the Empress Previously, a minister had brought this up once, but Emperor Sheng Yuan used the excuse of being busy with state affairs to put off the matter. ¡°I¡ª¡± As if knowing what Emperor Sheng Yuan was going to say, Zhang Yueheng immediately interrupted, ¡°Now that Your Majesty has been on the throne for two years, logically speaking, the dynasty will be stable by now. It¡¯s time to consider the matter of having a crown prince. I know that Your Majesty is industrious and rarely goes to the harem, but this is a matter that needs resolving sooner or later.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s not just what I think. It¡¯s what the other ministers think too.¡± Zhang Yueheng gave Emperor Sheng Yuan no room for negotiation. Apparently, the old fox couldn¡¯t wait to execute his plan. If the empress gave birth to a son who was appointed as the crown prince, the next emperor would have the bloodline of the Zhang family. How glorious would that be? Having a crown prince grandson, Zhang Yueheng¡¯s power would be more stable. No one in the royal court could possibly challenge him. No wonder he was in such a hurry. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m still young. It¡¯s still too early to consider having a crown prince. There¡¯s no need for you to be so worried about me, Grand Secretary¡± No matter what, he had to put off the matter for the time being. Otherwise, he would not be able to hide his gender at all. Without that function, how could he impregnate the empress? However, it was clearly not going to be easy to get away with it this time. ¡°Your Majesty, may I ask what will happen in the future if something similar happens again?¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan was speechless. His eyes turned cold as he questioned, ¡°Are you wishing me to die?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Zhang Yueheng knelt on the ground, looking like he was scared, but his expression was very calm. ¡°I¡¯m just making a hypothesis. Besides, Your Majesty hasn¡¯t stepped into the harem for so long, so it¡¯s inevitable that people will talk about it and spread rumors. Your Majesty, this won¡¯t be good for you and the stability of the dynasty.¡± When he said the last sentence, Zhang Yueheng seemed to be threatening. Emperor Sheng Yuan clenched his fists in anger, but there was nothing he could do. ¡°In short, I¡¯m saying this for the sake of the dynasty. If Your Majesty can have a crown prince soon, I can rest in peace. I hope you can consider it carefully.¡± After Zhang Yueheng left, Emperor Sheng Yuan could no longer hold back his anger. ¡°This old fox! On the surface, he sounded like he¡¯s loyal, but in fact, he¡¯s just doing it for more power.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like Zhang Yueheng would give up on his plan until he achieved his goal. There was even a hint of threat in his words. ¡°Given how many enemies I have internally and externally, I can¡¯t afford to fall out with him now.¡± After all, Zhang Yueheng had a lot of power. If he stood against him, it would be like adding fuel to the fire and putting him in an even worse situation. However, the question was how in the world could he make the empress pregnant? Emperor Sheng Yuan felt a headache coming on and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°What should I do? If someone can disguise as me, it might work.¡± The key was that his identity was too special. Besides, this kind of thing was very risky. He had to find someone she could absolutely trust. For a moment, Emperor Sheng Yuan was in a dilemma. He stroked the broken sword in his hand and seemed to have thought of something. His eyes lit up. ¡°Perhaps he can help me¡ª¡± Lin Ran was a little confused when he saw the empress, who was supposed to be resting to recover, suddenly appear in the forbidden area of Mount Sword in a casual outfit. Why did the empress want to see him as soon as she woke up? Could it be that she knew he was disguising as the Sword God? Or was there another reason? ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± Unlike the past, the empress smiled faintly and wasn¡¯t as high and mighty as she normally looked. ¡°Please get up. I already know your identity. You are young and promising and have obtained the legacy of the Sword God. Your future will definitely be bright.¡± From the looks of it, she probably believed what the ¡°Sword God¡± said and knew that Lin Ran was a trustworthy person. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but praise himself for making a brilliant move. The empress went straight to the point. ¡°I¡¯m looking for you today because I want to entrust an important task to you.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, feel free to tell me. I¡¯ll do anything for you even if I have to go through hell.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through hell. I just need to borrow something from you¡­¡± After the empress finished speaking, Lin Ran was completely dumbfounded. He almost thought that the empress was joking with him. After transmigrating and being reborn, he had seen all kinds of mind-blowing things, but what he heard just now blew his mind more than anything else. He had never heard of such a request. He asked in disbelief, ¡°You mean you want me to have children with the empress in your place?¡± The empress nodded. Lin Ran calmed down after a moment. After all, Emperor Sheng Yuan was also a woman. The empress looked helpless. ¡°I really have no choice. The Grand Secretary is pressing me very hard. If I don¡¯t do as he says, the situation in the royal court will become even more disadvantageous for me. He might even suspect me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been married to the empress for many years, but I¡¯ve never touched her. I think the Grand Secretary has already been suspecting and wants to take this opportunity to try me. Now, you¡¯re the only one who can help me.¡± After thinking about it, the empress felt most at ease leaving this matter to Lin Ran. After all, the ¡°Sword God¡± said he could be trusted. The Sword God¡¯s judgment of people was never wrong. If Lin Ran was a greedy and evil person, the Sword God wouldn¡¯t think so highly of him. The empress didn¡¯t know that the previous ¡°Sword God¡± was just Lin Ran in disguise. Chapter 29 - A Night of Love Is Worth Ten Thousand Gold Coins Chapter 29 A Night of Love Is Worth Ten Thousand Gold Coins ¡°No, I can¡¯t agree to that.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s first reaction was to refuse. This was too ridiculous. The empress was also surprised by Lin Ran¡¯s reaction. If ordinary people knew that they were going to have children with the current empress, they would be wild with joy. However, other than a moment of shock, Lin Ran was calm and unmoved. It had to be stressed that it was a great honor to be in skin-to-skin contact with the high and mighty empress and potentially, their son could be the future crown prince. The empress was even more satisfied. As expected of someone trusted by the Sword God. His character was indeed trustworthy. Hence, she was more determined that Lin Ran was the most suitable candidate. ¡°Master Lin, I know you¡¯re in a difficult position, but please help me for the sake of the Sword God. I¡¯ll definitely repay your kindness in the future.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to see my identity exposed and the Heavenly Saint fall into chaos, right?¡± Seeing that the empress was pleading sincerely, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t bring himself to reject her. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡ª¡±. Seeing that he was budging, the empress was delighted and persuaded more enthusiastically. ¡°Master Lin, don¡¯t worry. You just have to go in and do your job and leave the rest to me. I guarantee that there won¡¯t be any danger and no one will find out about it.¡± Only then did Lin Ran agree reluctantly. ¡°Alright then.¡± If others knew this, they would definitely think Lin Ran was the luckiest man in this world. The empress was overjoyed. ¡°Then we have a deal. I¡¯ll send someone to inform you tonight. This is a human skin mask. Wear this when the time comes.¡± She did not linger and went straight back to make the arrangement. After all, this was a big matter and she could not afford to make any mistakes. There would definitely be Zhang Yueheng¡¯s spies watching her in the dark. She had to do it flawlessly. At night, the two of them secretly changed their identities. The person who entered the empress¡¯s chamber was Lin Ran, who disguised himself as Emperor Sheng Yuan. According to Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s description, the light in the empress¡¯s chamber was very dim, so it was very difficult to see the face clearly. The dark environment did not affect Lin Ran¡¯s vision. He could clearly see the beauty lying on the bed. She was exquisite and graceful. The gauze curtain was half-covered, making the vibe especially exciting. One could vaguely see the empress¡¯s exquisite facial features and small lips. They were like cherries hanging on a branch, ripe and juicy, making one want to pick them. She was undoubtedly a beauty. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± This voice was like a bird singing in the valley. It was indescribably sweet, but it also carried a hint of caution and nervousness. Lin Ran lifted the curtain. As expected, the beauty in front of him was as beautiful as a blooming rose. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, Your Majesty?¡± Perhaps because his gaze was too passionate and intent, the empress became shy. She lowered her head sheepishly, and a faint blush spread across her fair skin. Zhang Qingya was a little uneasy. After all, the emperor had never touched her since the wedding. At first, she thought that she had done something wrong and angered the emperor so that the emperor stopped coming to see her. Fortunately, the good news was that the other concubines were treated the same. Otherwise, she would be made a laughing stock in the harem. Now that the day she had been waiting finally came, she wanted to seize it and enchant this young emperor. She suppressed the shyness in her heart and slowly leaned towards him. Lin Ran did not expect the empress to take initiative. ¡°Your Majesty, let me serve you.¡± The empress wrapped her arms around him like a snake as she groped around his body with her slender hands. Looking at her clumsy movements, Lin Ran grabbed her soft hands, and his gaze gradually became dangerous. ¡°Doyou know how?¡± Zhang Qingya looked up and was instantly stunned on the spot when her gaze met that pair of mysterious and unfathomable eyes. She felt that Emperor Sheng Yuan was a little different tonight, but she couldn¡¯t tell the difference. They clearly looked the same, but their auras were different. His gaze was invasive, filled with indescribable danger as well as mystery. She could not help but be attracted to him. Lin Ran ran his hot palm over her delicate body and unleashed the snow-white dough with a red bean on it. It was so big that even Lin Ran couldn¡¯t wrap it entirely in his hand. He played with the red bean and rubbed it slowly and gently. ¡°Argh¡ª¡± Zhang Qingya had never had such an experience before. She immediately let out moans that were getting louder and louder. ¡°Your Majesty-Argh¡ª¡± All the moans were blocked from coming out as Lin Ran sealed her lips, leaving only the sound of lip-smacking. At this moment, the noble empress was controlled by Lin Ran. Her eyes were unfocused, and there was shiny saliva oozing out of the corner of her mouth. On the other hand, Lin Ran was extremely calm and unmoved, as if nothing could stir his heart. The cultivation technique of the Nine Yin-Yang Swords circulated in his body. As he entered and exited, an invisible stream of air emitted from the Empress. Her originally snow-white skin was gradually dyed with the color of lust, like a slowly blooming flower. The nectar that seeped out of her body was tempting people to explore the mysterious flower path within her. Chapter 30 - The Power of the Nine Yin-Yang Swords, Ninth Level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm! Chapter 30 The Power of the Nine Yin-Yang Swords, Ninth Level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm! The so-called Nine Yin-Yang Swords was actually a way to collect Yin to replenish Yang in order to increase Lin Ran¡¯s strength quickly without any side effects. The empress was red all over her body. She felt that her body was heating up, forcing her to find a way to quench it. The coldness ¡°Sheng Yuan Emperor¡¯ gave off was like ice in the summer, making her want to get closer to him. She was like a traveler walking in the desert who had finally found the oasis. She could not help but blush and moan. It was only until the latter half of the night did they stop. There was Yin and Yang in the world, and it was only right for Yin and Yang to intertwine. At this moment, under Lin Ran¡¯s continuous banging, the empress was completely out of her mind. She was dizzy and her jade-like body was clinging to his, swaying like a lone boat in the vast sea. If she could open her eyes, she would definitely discover that everything around her was filled with indescribable sword intent. However, at the center, they weren¡¯t affected at all. After an unknown period of time, Lin Ran finally withdrew. He looked at the empress, who was lying weakly on the bed. Her cheeks were red like ripe peaches, and the air was filled with sweetness. Before dawn, Lin Ran changed his identity back with Emperor Sheng Yuan without being noticed. The next day, the empress appeared with a radiant smile. The concubines greeted her. Looking at the empress¡¯s glowy face, they were so jealous that the handkerchief in their hands was almost torn. Why did the emperor only visit the empress? Why were they neglected? In recent years, because Emperor Sheng Yuan had never stepped into the harem, rumors had already spread that he was impotent. Now that the rumors were debunked, how could these consorts sit still? Lin Ran thought that this matter would be over. Unexpectedly, Empress Sheng Yuan came looking for him again. ¡°What? Are you saying that there are other consorts?! Do you really treat me as a stallion who can go on spreading seeds non-stop?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but complain. Good lord, if this continued, he would die of exhaustion. The empress looked helpless. ¡°Since the empress has been satisfied, the other consorts can¡¯t be neglected, right? These days, they¡¯ve been trying their best to create opportunities to see me. They¡¯ve been giving me tonic soup and singing and dancing for me. I¡¯m so annoyed.¡± After getting to know Lin Ran for the past few days, the empress did not put on any airs. She gradually opened her heart to him and complained to him about the annoying trivial stuff in her life. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh when he heard that. He teased, ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve been quite lucky with women recently.¡± The empress teased back. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who gets everything? I heard that when the empress walked out of her chamber, she had to hold the wall because her legs were trembling.¡± After saying that, she looked Lin Ran up and down and said meaningfully, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to be so good at that.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s smile immediately froze. ¡°Just help me until the end. Otherwise, I¡¯ll really be pestered to death by those consorts. Moreover, if I don¡¯t take good care of them, I¡¯m afraid the forces behind those consorts will probably be displeased at me for showing bias.¡± At that time, in order to successfully ascend the throne, Emperor Sheng Yuan took in consorts from influential families. Fortunately, she was a woman, so there were not many consorts. Otherwise, Lin Ran would die like an overworked cow.¡± Because the empress was persistent, Lin Ran had no choice but to agree. From then on, his peaceful cultivation days were disrupted. At night, Lin Ran would disguise as Emperor Sheng Yuan and have fun in the harem. During the day, he would cultivate like a conch without stopping. However, the benefits were considerable. Every time he was doing that kind of thing, Lin Ran would use the Nine Yin-Yang Swords. This method was different from those unorthodox methods. Not only could Lin Ran¡¯s strength increase, but it was also very beneficial to these consorts. These sword energies had already been transformed, so even if the consorts weren¡¯t in the Martial Dao, they wouldn¡¯t be hurt by it. On the contrary, because of Lin Ran¡¯s nourishing them, their skin became fairer and smoother, and their overall health also improved. However, this was not obvious in the short term. In the forbidden area of Mount Sword. Lin Ran sat cross-legged as he focused on cultivating, digesting the power he had obtained through the Nine Yin-Yang Swords. Over the past few days, he finally managed to give every consort the care and attention they deserved. Fortunately, Lin Ran was different from ordinary people and had the support of the Formless Sword Body. Otherwise, he would really die of exhaustion. A stream of air was slowly flowing in his veins and vessels. It was like a stone suddenly being thrown into a calm lake, causing a huge splash. A bright sun slowly rose, bringing with it a heat that could burn all living things. At this moment, Lin Ran¡¯s entire body was red through and through like a cooked prawn. Violent energy surged through his body. If not for the fact that he had the sword body, he wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand such enormous energy. n rose At the critical moment, the silver moon rose and hung high in the sky, scattering a cold light that dispelled the heat brought by the sun. The originally restless energy was also appeased. The sun and the moon, both representing the Yang and the Yin, were in front of Lin Ran. The sun and moon were close to each other, forming a strange scene. They seemed to be opposing each other, but in fact, they complemented each other. As they fused with each other, Lin Ran¡¯s level continued to rise. Fourth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm! Fifth level! Ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm! It only stopped when he reached the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm. Chapter 31 - New Commander of the Imperial Guards Chapter 31 New Commander of the Imperial Guards Lin Ran suddenly opened his eyes. One of his eyes was flickering with golden light, but the other was filled with a cold light. He was like a god born from the sun and the moon, the Yang and the Yin. His every movement carried formidable pressure. ¡°I thought that the power I accumulated over the past few days would be enough for me to break through to the Half-Saint Realm. It seems something is lacking.¡± Although there was only a difference of one level between the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm and the Half-Saint Realm, it was a huge watershed. Some people might not be able to overcome this watershed for the rest of their lives. For example, the powerful Ten Miles Sword God died on the way to becoming a Half-Saint. He was even attacked by the demon, which led to his death. From this, it could be seen that it was not easy to become a Half-Saint. If one was not careful, one would die. Lin Ran felt that it was a pity that he didn;t become a Half Saint, but if news of this advancement speed spread, it would shock the entire continent. Not long ago, he was still in the first level of the Senior Grandmaster. Even the most brilliant geniuses couldn¡¯t achieve what he¡¯d done. To him, leveling up was almost as simple as eating and drinking. In the entire continent, there were only a handful of Half-Saints. Almost all of them were in seclusion and were hundreds of years old. The fact that there was a person like Lin Ran who could reach such heights in his twenties was simply unbelievable. According to his current cultivation level, he was enough to dominate the continent. After all, there were not many Half-Saints. His ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm was already enough to make him invincible. However, Lin Ran was still not satisfied. He fell into deep thought. ¡°If I want to break through, I have to see through life and death and nurture my sword with blood.¡± Although he was now at the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm, he had never killed anyone, and the sword in his hand had never tasted blood either. However, if Lin Ran really attacked, no one would be able to withstand a single blow from him. He heard rustling sounds not far away. Someone was approaching! Lin Ran¡¯s figure blinked. He was wondering who it was, but it turned out to be the empress. Her first reaction was to say, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Under the moonlight, the empress was dressed in plain clothes. Without the disguise of the day, she looked more beautiful. When she heard this, she was stunned for a moment before letting out a chuckle, revealing a pair of dimples on her cheeks. Much to his surprise, the empress said with a mischievous tone, ¡°Alright, forget it then.¡± She waved the item in her hand. ¡°I understand that Master Lin has been working hard recently and was about to give you another job. Since you say that you are not going, forget it.¡± It was the token for the commander of the imperial guards. It was made of pure gold and carved with dragon patterns. Under the moonlight, it emitted a dazzling light and was used to command the imperial guards of the palace. That meant it was a symbol of power. In the next second, the token landed in Lin Ran¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a good thing. Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Looking at her empty hand, the empress was puzzled as to when Lin Ran made the move. She said in surprise, ¡°It seems that Master Lin¡¯s cultivation has elevated to another level.¡± If this were done by anyone else, it would definitely be considered a capital offense. However, there was no one around now. The empress and Lin Ran had a special relationship. Instead of saying that they were Emperor and courtier, it was more precise to say that they were good friends. The empress thought of something and her eyes looked mischievous. ¡°Master Lin works hard at night but also cultivates hard during the day. I really need to learn from you.¡± Lin Ran was unmoved by her tease. ¡°If the Grand Secretary makes the same request again, please do it yourself. I really have enough beauty.¡± The empress snorted. For some reason, she felt a little upset. ¡°I think Master Lin quite enjoys it. Those consorts have been giving me more soup recently.¡± The soups were all made of deer antler and tiger penis, which helped boost man¡¯s reproductivity. Lin Ran suddenly leaned over and said in a low voice, ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Looking at the handsome face in front of her, the empress¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His hot breath brushed past her ear like a feather, and she felt an itchiness surging in her heart. She pretended to be calm and said, ¡°I¡¯m the emperor. Why would I be jealous of you?¡± The empress looked calm, but the tips of her red ears betrayed her true feelings. For some reason, the atmosphere suddenly became a little quiet. The temperature in the air rose a little. Even with the cool night breeze, the empress still felt her face heat up. She quickly changed the topic. ¡°Tomorrow, you¡¯ll need to report for duty as the commander of the imperial guards.¡± After saying this, she left in a hurry, leaving Lin Ran to stand rooted on the ground. She acted like she was escaping from something. The next day, Lin Ran went to report. Coincidentally, there was an old acquaintance among the imperial guards who was in the same batch of contestants as Lin Ran. ¡°I heard that the new commander will take office today. I wonder who it is.¡± ¡°Apparently, the new commander is appointed personally by His Majesty. He seems to have a powerful background. Either he¡¯s outstanding or comes from an extraordinary family.¡± ¡°It seems like we have to build a good relationship with him. We can¡¯t afford to offend him as we¡¯ll be working for him in the future.¡± ¡°By the way, what gifts did you prepare? Don¡¯t be like that pathetic Lin Ran. Although he¡¯s the champion, he¡¯s still a low-ranking mountain guardian. He¡¯ll probably be miserable for the rest of his life.¡± ¡°The new commander is backed by His Majesty. This time, I¡¯ve put in a lot of effort and prepared a gift worth tens of thousands of gold.¡± Looking at the person walking towards them, they felt that he looked familiar. ¡°Why does it feel like I¡¯ve seen this new commander before?¡± Chapter 32 - New Scheme, Friction at the Northern Border Chapter 32 New Scheme, Friction at the Northern Border After the new commander approached in front of them, everyone was completely dumbfounded. They thought that they were hallucinating. Wasn¡¯t this the pathetic Lin Ran they were talking about just now? Perhaps they were so shocked that the gifts they had prepared fell to the ground. They picked them up in a panic, afraid that Lin Ran would blame them. Fortunately, Lin Ran didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Long time no see.¡± Looking at his clothes and the token that represented his identity as the commander, everyone understood that this was not a dream. Lin Ran really transformed from an insignificant mountain guardian to the commander of the imperial guards! They were still third-grade guards and had worked their asses off to climb up from the fifth-grade. In the end, Lin Ran overtook them and became their leader. ¡°I knew all along that Lord Lin was a promising person back then with a bright future ahead of him. As expected, you made it! I congratulate you on your promotion. This is a small gift I prepared for you. I hope you can accept it.¡± The others were dumbfounded. This bootlicking skill was simply too masterful. The others were not to be outdone and squeezed to Lin Ran¡¯s side. ¡°I knew that Lord Lin was blessed with a bright future. Now that you have become the commander of the Imperial Guards, it¡¯s really our honor to be able to work under your command.¡± ¡°Exactly! I Prayed day and night just to get the chance to work with Lord Lin. Now that I have the chance, I will be loyal and dedicate my life to my job.¡± They praised Lin Ran with nice words.. Each of them was better at making nonsense up than the other, trying their best to please Lin Ran. If not for the fact that Lin Ran was summoned by the emperor, he would probably be bootlicked by them for the entire morning. Soon, it was time for the imperial court meeting. As the commander of the imperial guard, he naturally had to stay by Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s side at all times. Lin Ran knew that the Emperor Sheng Yuan was in a difficult situation, but he did not expect the situation to be worse than he thought. Basically, the real decision-making power was in the hands of the ministers. At most, Emperor Sheng Yuan was just like a puppet and would not be able to interfere in important matters. Even if she did, her words wouldn¡¯t be taken seriously. Sun Zhanghong and his faction looked at each other. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t detect that subtle interaction, but it couldn¡¯t escape Lin Ran¡¯s sharp eyes. As a ninth level senior grandmaster, his five senses were extremely acute. No move in the imperial court could escape his eyes. What were these people plotting again? One of the ministers stepped forward and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I have something to report.¡± ¡°Lord Li, please.¡± ¡°The northern border is often harassed by the Yong army. Recently, there has been a lot of friction. Now that the Great Yong Dynasty has suddenly mobilized their troops, I¡¯m afraid they are up to no good.¡± Many people echoed, ¡°Lord Li, what you said makes sense. the Great Yong Dynasty has been eyeing our country covetously and has been making small moves. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re really conspiring something. We have to take precautions.¡± The empress pondered for a moment and said, ¡°We have signed a peace treaty with the Great Yong Dynasty, so we can¡¯t afford to fall out with them. Why don¡¯t we send an envoy to negotiate first?¡± Lord Li shook his head. ¡°This will take too long and give the Great Yong Dynasty an opportunity. Besides, people who don¡¯t know will think that we¡¯re afraid of them and take us for cowards.¡± CO The empress¡¯s gaze gradually became sharp as she asked slowly, ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°I hope that Your Majesty can send masters to suppress them. This way, we can intimidate those who have evil designs on us and also tell the world that the Heavenly Saint Dynasty is not to be trifled with.¡± As soon as he said that, many ministers agreed. ¡°What Lord Li said makes sense. The matter at the border has to be resolved as soon as possible to prevent the enemy from matching further.¡± ¡°Speaking of masters, who in the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty is qualified and capable to take on such a mission?¡± ¡°I think the Sword God is the most suitable. Didn¡¯t he just come out of seclusion? He should be able to teach the Great Yong Dynasty a lesson.¡± ¡°After all, think about it. If we sent a weak master and lost, wouldn¡¯t we be embarrassing ourselves? Only the Sword God can ensure that nothing goes wrong.¡± At the mention of the Sword God, the empress¡¯s expression changed slightly and she subconsciously grabbed the throne. ¡°The Sword God just cured my poison. He needs time to recuperate. Besides, he never interferes in secular matters. If I ask him to do that, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± ¡°But the Great Yong Dynasty is not an easy opponent. We can only ask the Sword God to scare off the enemy. Please consider it, Your Majesty.¡± Most of the courtiers knelt down and said in unison, ¡°Your Majesty, please consider it.¡± Among them were even those who supported Emperor Sheng Yuan. After all, they did not know the truth, nor did they know about Sun Zhanghong¡¯s scheme. Sun Zhanghong smiled smugly. It turned out that after the poison scheme failed, this old fox came up with another plan. He was trying to send the Sword God away. At that time, it would be easier for them to cause a stir in the palace and they would not have to worry about the threat the Sword God posed. The northern border was thousands of miles away from the Imperial City. It would not be easy for the Sword God to rush back after receiving the news. To execute his plan, all he needed to do was send some people to secretly intensify the friction between the Yong army and the Heavenly Saint army at the northern border, fan the flames, and exaggerate the matter during the imperial court meeting. By that time, Emperor Sheng Yuan would have no choice but summon the Sword God again! Chapter 33 - A Storm in the Making, Disguising As the Sword God Again Chapter 33 A Storm in the Making, Disguising As the Sword God Again Seeing that most of the courtiers were kneeling on the ground and asking the Sword God to go to the border to suppress the rebellion, Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. After all, the Sword God was no longer alive. How could he be sent to the border? Besides, it was unrealistic to find someone with a strength comparable to the Sword God to impersonate him. At this moment, she was caught between a rock and a hard place, but those people were still pressing on her. ¡°Your Majesty, this matter concerns the safety of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Please make a decision quickly!¡± Almost everyone agreed with this suggestion. They all thought that the Sword God was still alive. It had to be said that this was indeed the best solution. However, the premise of that solution happening was that the Sword God was still alive. ¡°Your Majesty, why are you so hesitant? Could it be that the Sword God is in a special situation?¡± Left with no choice, Emperor Sheng Yuan could only say, ¡°Then let¡¯s do as you suggested and let the Sword God lead the army to suppress the rebellion.¡± After the court meeting ended, Emperor Sheng Yuan was obviously exhausted. She didn¡¯t say anything to Lin Ran. It was obvious that she was worried about the matter concerning the Sword God. After a long time, she finally broke the silence. ¡°This is the only way.¡± After saying that, she stared at Lin Ran. He had a feeling that her plan had something to do with him. ¡°Do you want me to disguise again?¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan nodded and forced a smile. ¡°I know I¡¯m making things difficult for you, and the way to the north is long and strenuous, but this is the only choice I¡¯m left with.¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan had no choice. Sending anyone else to replace the Sword God would only make the situation worse. ¡°You disguised as me before and beguiled everyone. I believe you can do it again.¡± Lin Ran did not expect that he would have to disguise as the Sword God again. What was more, this time, it was the empress who requested it. So this was the plan she came up with. She originally thought that Lin Ran would reject her or take time to consider it, but he agreed without hesitation. This was out of the empress¡¯s expectations. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Have you thought it through?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve thought it through.¡± Lin Ran knew for a fact that this was a ploy by Sun Zhanghong and the others to lure him away from the Imperial City. How could it be such a coincidence? Just as the Sword God showed up again, a rebellion broke out in the north, and the Sword God was forced to go to the north to crack down on the rebellion. However, Lin Ran did not intend to expose the plan for the time being. He would take this opportunity to beat them at their own game. Perhaps, he could even get rid of all the rats in the imperial court. Looking at Lin Ran¡¯s determined gaze, Emperor Sheng Yuan felt an indescribable feeling in her heart. ¡°This is the sword of the Sword God. Although it¡¯s broken, it might be of help to you.¡± Lin Ran took the Dragon Roar Sword from her. He originally wanted to give this sword to Emperor Sheng Yuan as a token to make her believe what the ¡°Sword God¡± said. He did not expect her to return it to him in the end. ¡°I know it¡¯s a dangerous mission this time. You have to be careful with every move you make.¡± a€ At King Zhao Manor. Apart from Sun Zhanghong and the other powerful ministers, there were also forces from the martial world led by Zhou Hao. It could be said that half of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s forces were gathered here. ¡°Last time, our plan to poison him failed. The Sword God was actually able to cure the poison. Apparently, his strength has taken to another level over the years of his seclusion. This time, after sending him out of the capital, we don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡± Sun Zhanghong sneered. ¡°Sect Master Zhou, you still have the cheek to talk? What kind of trash poison was that? It was easily removed. If I¡¯d known about it, I wouldn¡¯t have put so much effort in cooperating with you.¡± Zhou Hao and the others were puzzled. ¡°Logically speaking, it shouldn¡¯t be the case. Even the people from the Drug Valley can¡¯t remove the poison. Even if it¡¯s removed, it¡¯ll at least cost the Sword God half of his internal energy.¡± ¡°Could the Sword God be pretending that he¡¯s unscathed?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of making so many excuses? You¡¯d better stop boasting in the future, Sect Master Zhou.¡± Zhou Hao was not the kind of person who would put up with insults. The two of them were on the verge of starting a quarrel. King Zhao said in a low voice, ¡°Alright, you should focus on the business at hand and put aside your personal grudge!¡± Although the two of them were still looking at each other with hatred, they didn¡¯t continue kicking up a fuss. ¡°The Sword God will set off today. Now that the situation is advantageous for us, it¡¯s time to take action.¡± ¡°The Northern Border is thousands of miles away from the Imperial City. Even if he can fly back on his sword upon receiving the tragic news, the Imperial City will already be in our control when he arrives.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be too cocky. I suggest that we stop the news from spreading out of the capital. When the situation is set in stone, no matter how capable the Sword God is, he won¡¯t be able to change it.¡± ¡°No matter what, this is the best time to execute the plan. Everyone, don¡¯t let your guard down. Life or death, wealth or poverty depends on this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our men have already disguised themselves and snuck into the capital. They¡¯re waiting for the order.¡± ¡°There are also our people among the imperial city guards. When the time comes, they will open the city gate, and it¡¯ll be a piece of cake to take down the emperor.¡± Everyone looked at each other and smiled, their eyes flashing with greed. Emperor Sheng Yuan also mobilized a portion of the Imperial Guards to go to the border with the ¡°Sword God¡± to suppress the rebellion. As she watched the troop leave, Emperor Sheng Yuan put her palms together and wished Lin Ran a safe trip. At this moment, she still didn¡¯t know that the real crisis was coming Over the past few days, many unfamiliar faces had suddenly appeared in the capital. However, no one noticed them because they were dressed plainly. Besides, life was busy. Who would pay attention to some unfamiliar faces? A storm was in the making. When it came into form, it would wreak havoc to the ostensibly peaceful Imperial City. Chapter 34 - A Great War Is Coming Chapter 34 A Great War Is Coming The Imperial City was gloomy with thick and dark clouds hanging above it. The originally majestic palace was shrouded in shadows. The palace maids and eunuchs passing by could not help but speed up. They looked at the sky and felt inexplicably depressed. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s wrong with this weather. It¡¯s been like this for a few days. Will it rain?¡± At this moment, Emperor Sheng Yuan was handling the state affairs in the throne hall. She couldn¡¯t help but think to herself that it had been ten days since Lin Ran set out. If it went smoothly, he should be arriving at the Northern Border soon. ¡°I wonder how he¡¯s doing over there¡­¡± At this moment, a eunuch ran over. ¡°Your Majesty, something bad has happened.¡± ¡°Why are you so flustered? How inappropriate!¡± The eunuch knelt on the ground and said with a pale face, ¡°Your Majesty, King Zhao and his men declared open rebellion against us! They¡¯re now heading towards Imperial City.¡± ¡°What!¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan was shocked. She knew these vassals had ambitions to replace her, so she had been wanting to summon them to the capital to seize their military power, but she did not expect them to take action so quickly and suddenly. According to her estimation, these people wouldn¡¯t choose to rebel at this time. Now that they suddenly declared war, she was simply caught off guard. Emperor Sheng Yuan rushed to the top of the city wall. Under the dark sky, she could vaguely see smoke rising not far away. The flames of war were raging, and the sound of fighting sent shivers down one¡¯s spine. ¡°Welcome, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formalities at the critical moment. How¡¯s the battle going?¡± The generals guarding the city did not look too good. ¡°General Wu has already gone to defend the rebellion, but there are people from the rebel army in the Imperial City. With them working together, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no chance of victory¡­¡±. Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s expression was extremely solemn. ¡°It seems that this group of people planned this for a long time. What a good ploy.¡± She was not a fool and quickly understood what was going on. As soon as the ¡°Sword God¡± left, these people started to rebel. It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. ¡°These vassals are really capable. It turns out that they also have accomplices in the imperial court. I wonder who is colluding with them.¡± A sharp glint flashed across Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s eyes as she recalled the scene in the imperial court meeting that day. No wonder she was asked to summon the Sword God to go to the border. It turned out that they were trying to lure the treat away. ¡°Your Majesty, terrible news! General Wu tried his best to hold back the rebels but he couldn¡¯t make it and was killed. Now that the rebel army has entered the palace gates, it¡¯s not safe here anymore. Please evacuate quickly.¡± The battle reports from the front line were extremely disadvantageous to Emperor Sheng Yuan. Her army was defeated repeatedly while the rebel army was unstoppable. There was nothing she could do. The rebels came prepared. In addition, they had the help of the people in the Imperial City to open the gates for them, so their marching speed was unbelievably fast. On the other hand, Emperor Sheng Yuan was not prepared at all. In addition, most of her imperial guards were not in the Imperial City. Not long ago, she sent a portion of them to the north to help Lin Ran, which resulted in the current situation. ¡°Are people already sent out to inform the Sword God?¡± ¡°The rebel army has sealed off the Imperial City. I¡¯m afraid it will be difficult for the news to even reach outside the city wall. Even if it does, it will be too late when the Sword God comes back to¡­¡± Before he could finish, Emperor Sheng Yuan understood what he was trying to say. The imperial guards were outnumbered and could only retreat again and again. The morale of the army was extremely low. If this continued, it was only a matter of time before the entire army was wiped out. Emperor Sheng Yuan immediately said, ¡°Bring me armor. I will be supervising the battle in person!¡± No matter what, she had to hold on until reinforcements arrived. When the people around heard that, they were stunned for a moment before immediately stopping her. ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t do that. Swords are cold-blooded. If the rebels take advantage of the chaos to attack and assassinate you, then there will be no coming back anymore.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t act rashly. As long as you are alive, there¡¯s hope. There might be other ways.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. Stop the persuasion.¡± Unfortunately, even so, the situation could not be salvaged. There were too many rebels and they had come prepared. In addition, there were too few troops in the Imperial City. ¡°Your Majesty! The rebels have reached the Black Tortoise Gate. They will arrive here in less than five minutes.¡± The empress could only give the order helplessly, ¡°Pass down my orders. All soldiers, retreat to the Upper Gate!¡± The Upper Gate was the gate closest to Mount Sword. The Ten Miles Sword God had set up an array formation there. Perhaps she could use it to resist the rebel army. Soon, they retreated to the vicinity of Mount Sword. Behind them were the ferocious rebels. ¡°Your Majesty, what should we do now? Our army can¡¯t hold on for long.¡± Only the emperors could activate the array formation on Mount Sword. Unless it was necessary, the emperor wouldn¡¯t resort to this last line of defense. ¡°Kill! If anyone can capture Emperor Sheng Yuan alive, he will be rewarded with 10,000 taels of gold and conferred the title of marquis!¡± Wealth and power were irresistible. For a moment, the rebels were filled with killing intent. Seeing that they were about to step into Mount Sword, Emperor Sheng Yuan ordered the entire army to retreat. Her gaze was cold as she looked at the rebel army like they were just dead corpses. In the next second, countless dazzling rays of lights rose. As the array formation moved, the ground shook violently. The rebels were so shocked that their formation was in a mess. Countless people fell to the ground. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is it an earthquake?¡± The rebels still did not know what was happening On Mount Sword, countless spiritual swords trembled, sounding like a humongous troop was approaching from the distance. Chapter 35 - Major Sects Besieged the Imperial City Chapter 35 Major Sects Besieged the Imperial City A dazzling light burst out. In an instant, ten thousand swords shot out at the same time, filling the air with sharp sword energy and charging at the rebel army with a destructive force. With Mount Sword as the center, a huge ripple spread out quickly, so fast that no one could react. Humans had an instinct to sense danger. Looking at the white fog in front of them, even if they did not know what was happening, they could tell it was dangerous. ¡°Retreat! There¡¯s something strange here.¡± The leading general roared, but it was too late. ¡°Swish!¡± The sound of sharp weapons piercing through the air could be heard. In the next second, the general widened his eyes as he looked down at the huge bloody hole in his chest that was pierced through by the sword energy. He fell to the ground, and at the same time, a large number of the troops fell with him. When the rebels behind saw the bloody scene, they were immediately shocked and did not dare to move forward. Emperor Sheng Yuan and her army were safe and sound on Mount Sword, and they immediately burst out cheering.. ¡°That¡¯s great. With this array formation, we will definitely be able to last until the reinforcements arrive.¡± However, after defeating this battalion of enemy troops, Emperor Sheng Yuan didn¡¯t seem to be relieved. Instead, her expression was more solemn. ¡°Do you think this arry formation can stop these rebels from marching forward? Before they take action, they definitely have thought about all the possibilities.¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan could not help but sigh with a heavy mood. The battle ahead would probably be even more difficult. Hearing Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s words, everyone¡¯s joyful smile froze. That¡¯s right. They could defeat this legion, but what about the next one? The rebels were a stupid bunch. They would definitely come up with a solution. Soon, the news of what happened on Mount Sword reached the ears of King Zhao and the others. ¡°Your Highness, Emperor Sheng Yuan and his army retreated to Mount Sword and used the array formation set up by the Sword God to defeat one of our battalions.¡± King Zhao and the others¡¯ expressions changed drastically. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Sword God to have a backup plan.¡± As if having thought of something, he snorted. ¡°So what? Does he really think a mere array formation can stop us?¡± Since they decided to rebel, they must have taken all things into consideration. Ordinary troops were naturally helpless against an array formation, but what about Martial Artists? He turned his gaze towards Zhou Hao. ¡°Sect Master Zhou, then I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± When Zhou Hao heard that, he immediately revealed a smug smile. ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted a few old friends of mine who are willing to help you overthrow the emperor.¡± Soon, Zhou Hao began to gather large sects in the Martial World. On the surface, the Martial World and the Imperial Court minded their own business and never had anything to do with each other, but in fact, underneath the calm surface, it was not peaceful at all. After all, how could this group of Martial Artists with extraordinary ability be willing to let someone who was far inferior to them in terms of cultivation be their emperor? At the same time, the imperial court was also quite troubled by these people from the Martial World. They were a rebellious bunch and hard to govern. Previously, with the Sword God guarding the Imperial City, these people were well-behaved. Now that they knew that the Sword God had gone to the Northern Border, they started to have evil designs. Although some neutral sects or sects that did not like to get involved in secular affairs rejected Zhou Hao¡¯s invitation, some sects chose to participate. After all, should this rebellion succeed, they would benefit tremendously. At Lightning Mountain Villa. ¡°That¡¯s great. If the Sword God is really dispatched to the Northern Border, it will be our best chance to participate. If King Zhao succeeds, we will be the founding sect. You can imagine the honor.¡± ¡°If the Sword God settles the score after he returns, I¡¯m afraid we¡­¡± ¡°So what? The Sword God can¡¯t change the situation alone.¡± The Heavenly Dipper Sect. ¡°Disciples, listen up. Follow me to the Imperial City to join the great cause!¡± ¡°A brand new dynasty will be established with our help. For our Heavenly Dipper Sect, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We have to seize it well.¡± ¡°King Zhao has already promised that if we make a great contribution, he will give us great power.¡± Firmament Sect. ¡°The Heavenly Saint Dynasty is at a disadvantage and is surrounded by King Zhao and his army. If the reinforcements don¡¯t arrive, it¡¯ll be just a matter of time before the imperial guards are all eliminated. The Sword God can¡¯t return either. It seems like King Zhao is even favored by the heavens.¡± ¡°A wise man submits to circumstances. Now that King Zhao has made the invitation for us to join the great cause, if we can contribute to it, we will bring endless glory to our sect.¡± Faced with the generous offer by the rebels, even these unworldly martial artists could not help but be tempted. The Blood Sword Pavilion, the Golden Yang Sect, and a few other large sects quickly gathered near Mount Sword. Every sect in the martial world all had their own martial artists, martial masters, and senior martial masters. Now that the Sword God was not present and the other reinforcements could not arrive in time, the Imperial City was like a lone island with no chance of winning. With Zhou Hao as the leader, the second legion could be said to be a martial artist army. Be it cultivation level or overall quality, it was not something the first legion could compare to. ¡°Everyone, listen to my orders. We¡¯ll attack the array formation together and break it jointly.¡± With Zhou Hao¡¯s order, countless energies spread out from their bodies and charged at the array formation. ¡°Boom!¡± The loud bang that shook the mountain attracted the attention of Emperor Sheng Yuan and the others. ¡°Your Majesty! Now, the rebels are actually colluding with martial artists. There is a legion of martial artists outside, and they are attacking us.¡± re Emperor Sheng Yuan was pale on the face. Apparently, the rebels weren¡¯t going to give her even the time to breathe. Even the array formation set up by the Sword God could not stop so many people. Chapter 36 - The Fall of the Sword God? The Rebel Army Is Excited! Chapter 36 The Fall of the Sword God? The Rebel Army Is Excited! Under the bombardment of the various large sects, the array formation that was originally emitting a dazzling white light gradually dimmed, as if it was covered in a shadow. ¡°As expected of the number one Martial Artist in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. The array formation set up by the Sword God is indeed powerful. Even with so many of us, we can¡¯t break it completely.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time. The energy of this array formation has been exhausted and can no longer resist our attack. Soon, we¡¯ll catch Emperor Sheng Yuan.¡± ¡°Everyone, come with me. If we made it, we¡¯d be rewarded handsomely!¡± Zhou Hao and the others looked determined as they increased the output of their energy. The energy in their palms became stronger and stronger, and the array formation became weaker and weaker. Once the array formation was broken, the rebels would march straight in, and there was almost no chance of Emperor Sheng Yuan surviving. The deafening sound was like a hammer smashing into her heart. Seeing that the array formation had become weaker, she felt helpless. ¡°Am I destined to die today?¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan said solemnly, ¡°How long can this array formation last?¡±. With a terrified look on his face, one of the generals answered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid the array formation can only last a few more hours at most.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please retreat further back! We are willing to protect you with our lives!¡± tas If waiting was not the way out, they might as well fight a way out. The other imperial guards also knelt on the ground and said firmly, ¡°We will protect Your Majesty with our lives!¡± Looking at the energy fluctuations at the foot of the mountain, Emperor Sheng Yuan revealed a bitter expression. ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no hope even if we fight our way out.¡± With so many martial artists joining forces, how could she possibly escape? ¡°Then what should we do now?¡± Many ministers looked desperate. ¡°Is this calamity really going to end the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± ¡°If we can get someone to break out of the encirclement with His Majesty¡¯s token to bring reinforcements, we might still have a chance of surviving.¡± The rebel army would definitely not allow Emperor Sheng Yuan to escape. However, if it were anyone else, there was still some chance. Emperor Sheng Yuan could not help but sigh. ¡°I have no reinforcements now.¡± The East Sea Division was currently supporting the neighboring country. The Southern Division was defending the foreign forces and could not leave for the time being. The Western Division was idle, but it was the weakest troop and would be useless even if it came. The Northern Division couldn¡¯t possibly get back in time. In short, time was needed for reinforcements to march back. ¡°If only the Sword God could rush back at this moment. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to fight 10,000 enemies alone. Unfortunately, he¡¯s far away on the Northern Border now.¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan wanted to say something but hesitated. The Sword God was long gone. The person who went to the Northern Border was Lin Ran in disguise, and most likely, he was in danger too. King Zhao had prepared this for a long time, so he must have set up a trap on the Northern Border too. ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± Everyone¡¯s faces were ashen, as if the end of the world had arrived. Emperor Sheng Yuan seemed to have thought of something. Her expression was solemn as she said hesitantly, ¡°It¡¯s not that there aren¡¯t any, but¡ª¡± In the rebel camp. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± King Zhao slammed the table and stood up. He, who usually kept a straight face, was extremely excited at this moment. The others couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Your Highness, what exactly happened?¡± ¡°There¡¯s news from the northern border saying that the Ten Miles Sword God is nowhere to be seen.¡± Hearing that, some people were stunned. ¡°If the Ten Miles Sword God is not in the Northern Border, is he still on Mount Sword then? Or is he already on his way back?¡± Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room became intense, and everyone felt a chill running down their spines. If the Sword God really managed to rush back¡­ King Zhao laughed out loud and broke the silence. ¡°You¡¯re all thinking too much. They didn¡¯t see the Sword God, but someone saw his broken sword!¡± To a sword cultivator, the sword was equivalent to life. If the sword was intact, and so would the sword cultivator be. Everyone looked incredulous. ¡°Is that sword called Ten Miles Dragon Roar?¡± When the Sword God made a name for himself, his sword, Dragon Roar, also became famous. They knew the meaning of a broken sword. Either the Sword God was already dead or he was seriously injured. Otherwise, the sword wouldn¡¯t be broken and he wouldn¡¯t abandon it. ¡°That¡¯s right. The spies I planted in the north saw everything clearly. There¡¯s no way it¡¯s fake.¡± ¡°But when the Sword God came out of seclusion and treated Emperor Sheng Yuan, there was clearly nothing wrong with him.¡± ¡°Perhaps we were all deceived. Perhaps, in fact, the Sword God was greatly injured after removing the poison. He was just pretending to be fine to fool us.¡± Everyone thought this explanation made sense. Otherwise, why did the Sword God not show up after he set out to the border? And why was his sword broken and in the hands of others? There must be something going on. King Zhao and the others were greatly encouraged by this news. Initially, they were still fearful of being retaliated by the Sword God, but at this moment, they were completely relieved. At this moment, Zhou Hao also received a message from his sect. ¡°Congratulations, Your Highness. A message from my sect said that the First Sect Elder has already broken through to the Grandmaster Realm and is on his way here. I believe that in less than two hours, he will be able to break the array formation and capture the emperor!¡± Everyone quickly congratulated Zhou Hao. ¡°Now that the Sword God is gone and your sect¡¯s elder has broken through to the Grandmaster Realm, I believe victory is close at hand.¡± ¡°I will reward Sect Master Zhou most handsomely after the new dynasty is established.¡± King Zhao couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°Even the heavens are on my side. Emperor Sheng Yuan, you are doomed.¡± Chapter 37 - The Pride of the Emperor, I Use My Blood to Change the Course of Events Chapter 37 The Pride of the Emperor, I Use My Blood to Change the Course of Events Outside Mount Sword. A powerful pressure was approaching, and many people from the Martial World were stunned on the spot. It was as if the pressure was so heavy that they could barely raise their heads. Everyone was terrified. ¡°This powerful aura¡­ Is the Sword God back?¡± Then, he added, ¡°It can¡¯t be the Sword God. Otherwise, we would have been dead already.¡± They could not even withstand one shock wave of sword energy from the Sword God. Someone from the Dao Seeking Sect, which was also Zhou Hao¡¯s sect, reacted immediately and said with excitement, ¡°It¡¯s Elder Xie! Elder Xie has broken through to the Grandmaster Realm!¡± It had to be noted that in the past few hundred years, there had been no Half-Saints. There were only a handful of Senior Grandmasters who were all in seclusion. The Grandmasters in this world were already unparalleled With a grandmaster backing up the rebel army, the battle became one-sided. ¡°Welcome, Elder Xie. Congratulations on advancing to the Grandmaster Realm!¡± Everyone said in unison. Even the other sects were full of respect. After all, they could not afford to offend a Grandmaster. As soon as they finished speaking, a powerful airflow surged, forcing them to close their eyes. In an instant, the sky darkened. The air in the surrounding condensed and formed a huge hand that was reaching towards Mount Sword. ¡°Boom!¡± With a loud bang, the ground shook violently. A small crack actually appeared on the originally indestructible array formation that everyone had been unable to break through for a long time. The white light also became noticeably dim, flickering like a candle in the wind, as if it would be blown out in the next second. Everyone couldn¡¯t help but gasp. They had been attacking for an hour and only managed to dim the array formation. Now, with one move, Elder Xie actually managed to crack a hole in it. Was this the power of a grandmaster? With the help of such a power, what was there to be afraid of? ¡°Everyone, join me.¡± With the help from Elder Xie, the array formation dimed faster and faster. Everyone was excited and seemed to be on steroids, as if they could already see the demise of Emperor Sheng Yuan. On the other side, Emperor Sheng Yuan and the others also felt a strong commotion outside the array formation. ¡°This is the aura of a grandmaster. A grandmaster has joined the rebel army!¡± This news made things worse. It was as if her chest was grabbed by something heavy, she said with difficulty, ¡°If a grandmaster joins, the array formation will probably collapse soon.¡± Everyone panicked when they heard that. ¡°Then we¡¯re completely doomed. There¡¯s no hope at all.¡± It was impossible to fetch reinforcements now. Initially, they wanted to fight a way out and help Emperor Shen Yuan escape. As long as the emperor was alive, there was still hope of coming back, but in the blink of an eye, all the hopes were dashed. They were no match for the Martial Artists outside to begin with. Now that there was a grandmaster, their chance of winning was grim even if the army doubled in size. Everyone seemed to have heard the sound of death knell as the morale plummeted. Someone suggested, ¡°It seems that surrendering is the only way out.¡± Actually, some people had such thoughts before. However, when the royalists heard this, they were furious. ¡°How can we surrender to that group of traitors? How will history talk about us in the future and how will the future generations think of us? Wouldn¡¯t we be notorious?¡± ¡°History has always been written by the victors. We can just pretend to surrender to save our lives first. As long as we can make a comeback, what¡¯s wrong with that? Don¡¯t be so stubborn.¡± ¡°No, I firmly disagree! If you¡¯re afraid of death, you can surrender, you coward!¡± ¡°You¡¯re lofty! You¡¯re dignified! If everyone dies, who will be there to rebuild the dynasty again? Surrendering is just a temporary measure!¡± One group wanted to surrender while another group insisted on holding on. No one noticed Emperor Sheng Yuan had returned to the tent alone with a solemn expression. Emperor Sheng Yuan smiled sadly. ¡°If Father knew in the underworld that the Heavenly Saint Dynasty would become like this in my hands, he would definitely scold me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guilty. I¡¯ve let down my ancestors and my father. As the ruler of a country, how can I surrender to the enemy? I¡¯d rather die than live like a coward!¡± Perhaps pretending to surrender to the enemy was indeed a good idea. In order to rightfully obtain the throne, King Zhao still needed her decree. Otherwise, no matter how nice his cause sounded, he would still be considered a traitor. In order to shut up the world, he would definitely keep her alive. He might even make her a king of some sort. However, Emperor Sheng Yuan was dignified and wouldn¡¯t allow herself to live such a lowly life! ¡°I¡¯d rather die than live like a coward!¡± This was the pride of an emperor! She recalled what his father had said before he died. Emperor Sheng Yuan could not help but sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that I would end up like this.¡± After making up her mind, Emperor Sheng Yuan took out the ruby necklace she was wearing. She bit open her finger and dripped the blood into the middle of the gem while muttering something that sounded like an ancient incantation. ¡°I¡¯ll use my blood to change the course of events!¡± Chapter 38 - Hes Back! Chapter 38 He¡¯s Back! Emperor Sheng Yuan shouted. The blood instantly disappeared, as if it was absorbed by something. In an instant, a red light shot out from the gem and surrounded her. A huge force surged out of the ruby and entered Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s body. Her face was pale and filled with pain. With her current cultivation, she could not withstand so much force. The power rampaged through her body and continuously absorbed everything. Emperor Sheng Yuan could clearly feel her life force quickly being consumed. In the blink of an eye, half of her black hair turned into white, making her look somehow like a demon. It turned out that this ruby carried an enormous secret force. It was said that the founding emperor gathered powerful martial artists and blacksmiths to create this ruby to ensure that the dynasty would be passed down forever. Sealed in it was a powerful artifact called ¡°Heaven and Earth¡±. It had the power to reverse anything. This artifact was extremely lethal and could be said to be a divine artifact that had kept the dynasty safe for centuries. In order to prevent it falling into the hands of those with ill intentions, only the emperor knew the secret and method of activation. Once this artifact was activated, it would cost the user a lot of lifespan, and it was almost irreversible and the activation unstoppable. This was Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s trump card. At this point, there was nothing else she could do. In order to resist the rebels, she could only activate ¡°Heaven and Earth¡±, even if she had to sacrifice her lifespan. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The sudden voice shocked Emperor Sheng Yuan. She did not notice that there were others around her. She said warily, ¡°Who is it?¡± A tall figure slowly came out of the shadow. It was Lin Ran, who had disguised herself as the Sword God and gone to the north! ¡°Why are you here?¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan was both surprised and happy. Seeing that Lin Ran was still alive and safe, for some reason, she felt relieved, even though she had many questions. Why wasn¡¯t Lin Ran on the Northern Border? Why was he able to rush back so quickly? Why was he able to break through the encirclement of the rebels? However, these questions were not important. Only she wanted to say was. ¡°Thank God, you¡¯re safe.¡± Although Emperor Sheng Yuan had a lot to say, this was not a good time to talk. The rays of light emitted by the ruby connected to Emperor Sheng Yuan like a huge net. Her vitality was draining rapidly. If this went on, she would probably be severely injured and her life would be in danger. Lin Ran¡¯s gaze landed on the necklace in Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be an artifact. Interesting.¡± It was not surprising that he did not notice it. After all, this ruby could only be activated with the current emperor¡¯s blood and when it wasn¡¯t activated, it was nothing more than an ordinary gem. Lin Ran waved his hand, and the ruby light quickly dimmed down. A sharp sword energy shot out from his fingertips, turning into thousands of sword beams that cut off the connection between Emperor Sheng Yuan and the ruby. Fortunately, Emperor Sheng Yuan was not injured at all, and all the life force that was absorbed returned to her body. Emperor Sheng Yuan did not know what had just happened. The fatigue and weakness she felt previously were gone, replaced by a refreshness that felt like she had just come out of a nice bath. Her hair also turned back to black. She looked at Lin Ran in disbelief and was dumbfounded. ¡°What just happened?¡± The ruby necklace had already returned to its original dormant state. It was as if what happened just now was just her illusion. Since childhood, she had been told repeatedly that once ¡®Heaven and Earth¡¯ was activated, it could not be stopped. His father would never lie to her. Therefore, unless it was a must, she wouldn¡¯t resort to the ruby. However, Lin Han, with a light wave of his hand, could tame the ruby and cancel the activation. Was this so-called divine artifact a fake? Looking at Lin Ran¡¯s calm face, Emperor Sheng Yuan had a complicated feeling. She stammered, ¡°This is a divine artifact. It can¡¯t be stopped once it is activated¡­¡± To others, it was impossible, but to Lin Ran, it was easy. He was now a ninth-level senior grandmaster, but Emperor Sheng Yuan did not know about it. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows. ¡°A divine artifact?¡± His tone was calm and flat, and Emperor Sheng Yuan was struck by the ridiculous thought that this divine artifact might be fake. However, the powerful energy that came out of it just now could not be faked. Moreover, her vitality and life force were being drained. Not only was Lin Ran able to stop the activation, but he was also able to reverse the situation. How terrifying was his cultivation and strength? Emperor Sheng Yuan quickly realized that it was not that the divine artifact was fake, but that the person in front of her was powerful! The huge amount of information stunned Emperor Sheng Yuan for a long time. Lin Ran still had the same face, but she suddenly found him unrecognizable. She pursed her lips and wanted to say something. ¡°I already know about the rebels. With me here, you need not worry.¡± He could tell that Emperor Sheng Yuan was packed with questions, but the most important thing now was to deal with the group of people outside. Lin Ran already knew everything about the rebels. Seeing that Lin Ran was about to go out, Emperor Sheng Yuan stopped him. ¡°There are many people outside, and there is even a grandmaster among them. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be in danger if you go alone.¡± Facing Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s worried gaze, Lin Ran gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°Just wait for me here.¡± Chapter 39 - Those Who Are Not Loyal and Righteous Will Be Punished Chapter 39 Those Who Are Not Loyal and Righteous Will Be Punished Emperor Sheng Yuan was in a daze that she didn¡¯t even know when Lin Ran left. It was obvious that Lin Ran was more sophisticated than he appeared. In fact, his true strength and cultivation might be greater than one could ever imagine. Perhaps he had already obtained everything from the Sword God. If Emperor Sheng Yuan knew that Lin Ran had already surpassed the Sword God, she would probably be even more shocked. ¡°Your Majesty, what happened just now? I felt a terrifying force!¡± The martial artists who were attracted by the strange force rushed over, but they didn¡¯t find anything abnormal. No one could discern what just took place. However, the lingering pressure in the atmosphere frightened everyone, making them feel awed. Emperor Sheng Yuan slowly revealed a smile, no longer as depressed and solemn as before. ¡°The Heavenly Saint Dynasty is still salvageable.¡± Lin Ran could stop the activation of Heaven and Earth with ease, which was enough to show how powerful he actually was. Moreover, since he had the confidence to say he could defeat the rebels, then he must have a way. For some reason, Emperor Sheng Yuan had endless faith in him. Everyone was puzzled by what Emperor Shen Yuan said and could not help but ask why. Emperor Sheng Yuan didn¡¯t explain further. At this moment, the rebel camp was filled with joy. Probably because they were confident that they would win and that it was only a matter of time before they could claim victory, they weren¡¯t in a hurry to break through Mount Sword. Instead, they had already set up a celebration party. Those who did not know would think that they had already occupied the Imperial City. ¡°Let¡¯s toast to Elder Xie¡¯s advancement to Grandmaster Realm as well as our victory. When we capture Emperor Sheng Yuan, I will hold a three-day banquet to celebrate!¡± From King Zhao¡¯s tone, it was as if he was already the next emperor. ¡°Here¡¯s a toast to Elder Xie.¡± With that, he drained his glass. If nothing went wrong, King Zhao should be the next emperor. Everyone started to say nice things to please him. ¡°Your highness, congratulations on your becoming the next emperor. Long live the emperor.¡± ¡°I knew all along that Your Highness would become the emperor. It is just a matter of time.¡± These nice words pleased King Zhao very much, and the smile on his face widened radiantly. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to everyone present that I have what I have today. If I become an emperor one day, I will definitely not forget your contributions and reward you!¡± After congratulating King Zhao, everyone did not forget another important person. ¡°Now that the Sword God is dead, Elder Xie has to be the strongest Martial Artist in the world. You are undoubtedly our role model!¡± ¡°Elder Xie is only a hundred years old. There¡¯s still a long way to go. It¡¯s very likely that he can surpass the Sword God in the future.¡± Elder Xie smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m flattered. The Sword God is brilliant and talented. How can I compare to him?¡± Although he said it humbly, his face revealed smugness. Under everyone¡¯s compliments, he was probably feeling complacent and did not even take the Sword God seriously. ¡°Elder Xie, you¡¯re too humble. Of course you can compare to him.¡± ¡°I believe Elder Xie will break through to the Realm of Senior Grandmaster, or even Half-Saint. At that time, Elder Xie will be recorded in history and worshiped by many generations to come.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Sword God is the past while Elder Xie is the future.¡± King Zhao even said, ¡°Elder Xie deserves to be called the best in the world. When I become the emperor, I will definitely confer you the title of the Grand Preceptor! The Dao Seeking Sect will be the orthodox sect!¡± This was a great honor! Everyone from the Dao Seeking Sect was overjoyed. The congratulatory words from the other sects made them even more wild with joy. Amidst this happy scene, a soldier rushed in. ¡°Reporting! Your Highness, something bad has happened!¡± King Zhao¡¯s face immediately darkened as he smashed the wine glass in his hand at the soldier. ¡°Watch your mouth!¡± The soldier did not dare to dodge. He said in fear, ¡°Some, someone is attacking us, and this person is now at the camp gate!¡± The crowd was in an uproar. At this juncture, who would dare to openly provoke King Zhao? They must be courting death. ¡°Could it be that Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s reinforcements have arrived?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. We¡¯ve blocked every entrance and exit in the Imperial City. There is no way they can send someone out.¡± ¡°Could it be that another sect wants to interfere?¡± This was not realistic. After all, even if the number one sect in the world was here, they would not be able to turn the situation around. King Zhao sneered. ¡°Let me go and see who is courting death!¡± The others also followed out with curiosity. They originally thought that it was reinforcements or a sect, but it turned out that it was not. Looking at the unfamiliar person in front of them, everyone was a little surprised. King Zhao asked suspiciously, ¡°Just you?¡± He thought that Lin Ran had set up a trap and some kind of array formations. Unexpectedly, Lin Ran nodded. ¡°Just me.¡± Everyone burst into laughter. After all, not only were there thousands of troops here, but there was also a Grandmaster backing them up. At this moment, Lin Ran¡¯s cultivation was not revealed, and he looked no different from an ordinary person. Those who did not know better would think that he was here to make a fool of himself. King Zhao suppressed his laughter. ¡°Did Emperor Sheng Yuan send you here?¡± Lin Ran did not answer directly and only said, ¡°I¡¯m sent here by the people of the dynasty.¡± His words confused King Zhao and the others. ¡°The new emperor ascended to the throne not long ago, and he has been diligent in taking care of the dynasty and his subjects. He has never made a mistake and is kind to people. However, you, on the other hand, incited a rebellion without a justifiable cause. You are traitors and will not be forgiven.¡± Hearing that, the smile on King Zhao¡¯s face gradually faded. Although he knew that his actions were treacherous, he felt a little embarrassed to be criticized in front of so many people by someone who came out of nowhere. Chapter 40 - The Standard of the Strongest Is Too Low Chapter 40 The Standard of the Strongest Is Too Low King Zhao said angrily, ¡°Brat, who are you? How dare you talk to me like that? Tell me your name!¡± ¡°Lin Ran.¡± Everyone looked at each other in puzzlement. This name didn¡¯t ring a bell. ¡°Who is Lin Ran? I¡¯ve never heard of such a person.¡± After a while, someone said with uncertainty, ¡°He seems to be the champion of the Martial Arts Competition. After the new emperor ascended the throne, he was sent to Mount Sword to be a mountain guardian¡­¡± Initially, everyone was vigilant. After all, der such tight security, this person could actually sneak in without anyone knowing and even dared to provoke King Zhao. It seemed like he had some ability. At this moment, when they learned of Lin Ran¡¯s identity and background, they were immediately full of disdain and mockery. ¡°I was wondering who it was. It turns out that he¡¯s just a small official guarding the mountain.¡± ¡°Emperor Sheng Yuan is apparently at his wit¡¯s end. He actually sent someone like you to try to convince us. Do you really think we¡¯re three years old?¡± Everyone looked down on Lin Ran even more and thought that he must have snuck in through a secret passage. His strength was nothing to be afraid of. ¡°If you go back now and tell Emperor Sheng Yuan to surrender and stop resisting, we might consider sparing your life.¡± Lin Ran remained perfectly collected and calm even if everyone was looking at him with mockery and sneer. ¡°Instead of living your life in this peaceful era, you chose to start a war and cause the innocent subjects to suffer. I advise you to give up while it¡¯s not too late.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t want to make a move. It was naturally best if no one got hurt. Unfortunately, the group of people in front of him did not think so. King Zhao and the others immediately burst into laughter. ¡°Did I hear that right? What did this kid say? He really thinks he¡¯s the savior and wants us to give up. Who do you think you are?¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the Sword God who can make us stop? You are just an insignificant mountain guardian. Stop embarrassing yourself.¡± m Elder Xie sized up Lin Ran. The news of the Sword God¡¯s death and the compliments of everyone made his ambitions soar. He sneered. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re really full of nonsense. Do you know that in this world where the strong prey on the weak, strength is everything? Whoever is stronger has the final say. You have no right to speak here.¡± Lin Ran only glanced at him indifferently. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re very powerful.¡± When he met that dark gaze, Elder Xie felt a chill run down his spine, as if he was being stared at by a ferocious monster. Before he could react, someone else spoke for him. ¡°You ignorant thing. Without the Sword God, Elder Xie is now considered the strongest in the world.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s tone immediately became playful as he said, ¡°Are the standards of the strongest in the world so low now? A grandmaster can actually be the strongest. Even if the Sword God dies, this position of the strongest is not something you people can dream of.¡± Everyone was stunned by his arrogant attitude, not knowing what to say. With no Half-Saints currently known to the world and most Senior Grandmasters in seclusion, a Grandmaster could naturally be considered the strongest. Elder Xie¡¯s face turned livid when he was looked down upon by a nobody. Before he broke through, he was already powerful and no one dared to provoke him. After he broke through, he was more respected by everyone. Even King Zhao treated him with respect. It was the first time he was insulted like that. He said through gritted teeth, ¡°How dare you!¡± If not for his pride, he would have already made a move. After all, he was a grandmaster and it was naturally not right for him to deal with someone who had no cultivation. King Zhao¡¯s face darkened as he gave the word. ¡°Instead of living your life, you came to seek death. Soldiers, take him down!¡± The surrounding soldiers immediately swarmed forward. However, in the next second. ¡°Boom!¡± A powerful force swept out from Lin Ran as the center like a violent wind, sending all the soldiers flying away. ¡°This kid is probably hiding his strength!¡± Seeing this, Elder Xie no longer cared about his pride and made a move. He slashed in the air, and a huge palm appeared in midair. It was like a mountain that carried a terrifying pressure. Under the huge palm, Lin Ran was as small as an ant, and it looked like he could easily be crushed to death. The sound of the Heavenly rang, releasing extremely powerful and formidable energy. ¡°Crush him!¡± Even the onlookers were in awe, let alone Lin Ran, who was in the center. He stood rooted to the ground and did not even have the intention to dodge. Everyone mocked, ¡°Is this kid scared silly? He can¡¯t even move now.¡± ¡°It seems like it. He¡¯s doomed today. Even if he runs, the palm will still crush him.¡± Seeing that the giant palm was about to land, Lin Ran finally made a move. Without warning, a sharp sword energy soared into the sky. Everyone shuddered. They did not even see it clearly. They only saw a dazzling ray of light flashing by. ¡°Boom!¡± The huge palm was split into two. When they looked up, the sky was already shrouded by countless sword intent, making one feel like they were in a different world. For a moment, they were shocked. Elder Xie took half a step back and fought back the blood that was surging up in his throat. His face revealed an expression of disbelief as he said with his eyes wide open, ¡°How can this be?!¡± Chapter 41 - Breaking Through to the Half After seeing the weapon Lin Ran was using, they realized that it was a dead branch that he had picked up from somewhere. Everyone was shocked. In just one move, he could actually break Elder Xie¡¯s famous ultimate technique. Where did this monster come from? Was he still human? This was what everyone thought. King Zhao and the others were dumbfounded. They couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing. What kind of a figure was Elder Xie? Moreover, Elder Xie used his famous ultimate technique, but he couldn¡¯t even last a round and was instantly defeated. ¡°What are you waiting for? Go and get him!¡± Lin Ran sighed faintly. ¡°I just wanted to persuade you not to use force. You chose this yourself.¡± He took out a sword that was emitting cold light and the aura around him changed drastically. His black eyes were terrifying and he looked at everyone like they were already dead. If Lin Ran was taken as nobody before, at this moment, he was like a sharp sword unsheathed, dazzling everyone. For some reason, King Zhao felt an unprecedented fear in his heart, as if something bad was about to happen. He pretended to be calm. ¡°You¡¯re just bluffing. No matter how powerful you are, can you compare to an army of thousands?¡± ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t be fooled by this kid. He¡¯s just acting. There are so many masters present. Why should we be afraid of him?¡± Although he said that, the cold sweat on his forehead betrayed King Zhao¡¯s true feelings. For some reason, the fear in his heart became greater and greater. Elder Xie felt the same way as King Zhao. They didn¡¯t know that this was the power of a senior grandmaster. ¡°If anyone can bring me his skull, I¡¯ll confer him the title of State General!¡± King Zhao suppressed the fear in his heart and spoke. The other masters also joined the battle, showing all the abilities they had. ¡°Charge!¡± Countless people swarmed towards Lin Ran. His expression was calm, and his cold face was reflected by the sword light. Every sword beam was accompanied by countless sword energy that attacked with a thunderous force. Before those people could get close, the sword energy swept across, causing blood to splash everywhere. It was done within a matter of seconds. As if he was cutting grass, the sword wave rippled out. Wherever it passed, no one survived. Before those masters could react, they were already beheaded. Their eyes widened with fear written all across their faces. The remaining people who had yet to attack were so frightened that they broke out in cold sweat. Their legs were extremely weak and they could not even hold the weapons in their hands as they fell to the ground with a clang. This person was probably a demon! Everyone was so shocked that they did not even dare to breathe loudly, afraid that they would further provoke the person in front of them. No matter how tempting an offer King Zhao gave, no one dared to act rashly. The scene in front of them was too terrifying, and the air was filled with the smell of blood. Even if everyone liked fame and fortune, they liked their lives above everything else. Corpses were everywhere, and blood was flowing on the ground until it formed a stream. At this moment, it was slowly flowing towards Lin Ran, as if it had been summoned. A bright red color was condensing on the tip of the sword and immediately shone forth. The sword absorbed the blood of countless people to nourish itself. The color was even more dazzling as the blood thickened, making it look especially evil. The powerful pressure almost made everyone stop breathing. The sword energy and blood energy intertwined, forming two strong auras that soared into the sky. From afar, the red light was visible. He was not an ordinary person! His strength had long surpassed that of a Grandmaster! Only then did King Zhao and Elder Xie realize that they had offended someone they shouldn¡¯t. However, it was too late. Lin Ran seemed to have sensed something and looked up at the sky. A crack appeared in the sky like a huge eye, watching everything on the ground. ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too terrifying! I¡¯ve never felt such an aura before.¡± Everyone was terrified. They looked at the sky above them as if they were in another world. A blood moon slowly appeared and enveloped Lin Ran. At this moment, he was transforming. Inside his black pupils, a blood moon gradually appeared, as if a true demon god had descended! As time passed, the crescent moon gradually became rounder. At the same time, the pressure emitted by Lin Ran became even more terrifying. What would happen when the moon became full? No one dared to imagine it. ¡°No! We can¡¯t let him¡ª¡± Elder Xie¡¯s pupils constricted as if he had realized something. His face was filled with fear, and his facial features twisted. He suddenly attacked with all his might, wanting to catch Lin Ran off guard. An unprecedented force gathered in his hand. The destructive force seemed to be able to destroy everything. It was so fast that no one could see Elder Xie¡¯s movements clearly. Seeing that he was about to succeed, Elder Xie revealed a sinister smile. ¡°Go to hell!¡± However, Lin Ran suddenly turned around and gazed at him faintly. With that, the world fell into silence. Elder Xie was immediately sent flying a hundred meters away, drew a parabola in the air, and fell heavily to the ground. Then, he suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood, his face as pale as paper. At this moment, Elder Xie¡¯s meridians were completely severed. Even if he could recover in the future, most of his foundation would probably be gone. Chapter 42 - Everyone Below the Half ¡°He, he¡¯s about to break through to the Half-Saint Realm!¡± Elder Xie spoke with a trembling voice as if his tongue was twisted. After saying this, he seemed to have no strength left. King Zhao and the others¡¯ faces contorted. It was as if an invisible hand was gripping their hearts tightly, making them stop breathing. Half-Saint? What kind of a figure was that? Anyone below the Half-Saint Realm was but a nobody. Their lives were at Lin Ran¡¯s mercy! No wonder he dared to come alone. No wonder a grandmaster was nothing in his eyes. It was too late for everyone to realize this now. At this moment, no one could stop Lin Ran. After all, even Elder Xie, who was the most powerful among them all, was already on the verge of death, let alone them. When the others saw this, they trembled in fear. They were no longer as arrogant as before. They had provoked someone they shouldn¡¯t have! Looking at the unconscious Elder Xie, Zhou Hao made a prompt decision. ¡°Sect disciples, listen up. Retreat immediately!¡± There was an indescribable panic in his tone. He looked in Lin Ran¡¯s direction with an unprecedented solemn expression and had a hunch. Perhaps this would be an unprecedented calamity for the Dao-Seeking Sect! This time, the Dao-Seeking Sect had suffered a great loss. They had initially thought that they would be able to take advantage of this opportunity to obtain the glory of being the number one sect in the world. Whether it was recruiting disciples or expanding their influence in the future, it was very beneficial. Who would have thought that this would be the outcome? According to Elder Xie¡¯s current state, he would probably be crippled if not dead. They had lost a grandmaster-level figure and other powerful disciples. It could be said that the casualties were heavy. Zhou Hao was filled with regret, but it was too late now. In the blink of an eye, the disciples of Dao-Seeking Sect had disappeared without a trace. The speed at which they disappeared left the cultivators of the other sects dumbfounded. ¡°Let¡¯s leave too. We can¡¯t stay here for long¡­¡± ¡°Even a large sect like the Dao Seeking Sect is like fleeing. What are we waiting for?¡± The people from the other sects also hurriedly fled. After all, even Elder Xie, who had the highest cultivation, had ended up in such a state. There was no one more powerful than Elder Xie among them. As martial artists, they knew better than anyone how terrifying the power Half-Saint possessed. With Lin Ran¡¯s involvement, the table was turned completely and the situation became one-sided. Lin Ran¡¯s gaze landed on the others. ¡°I don¡¯t want to start a massacre. You know what to do next.¡± The other vassals were like frightened quails. They kept nodding, afraid that this demon god would use them as blood sacrifices. Soon, the empress received the report. ¡°Your Majesty, something seems to have happened to the rebels. Those cultivators are no longer attacking the array formation.¡± The empress didn¡¯t expect Lin Ran to be so fast and was in disbelief. ¡°Could it be him?¡± ¡°Who is His Majesty talking about?¡± Facing countless confused gazes, the empress shook her head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and see what¡¯s going on.¡± When everyone walked out of the array formation, they realized what a tragic scene it was outside. There were mounds of corpses, all of which were rebels. It could be seen how intense the battle was just now. Everyone was stunned on the spot. Then, they were overjoyed. ¡°Could it be that reinforcements are here!?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t we hear anything if the battle was so intense just now?¡± Then, everyone was puzzled. While everyone was discussing, the empress was experiencing a complicated feeling. She had guessed that Lin Ran must be hiding his real strength, but she did not expect his strength to be so almighty. The empress still didn¡¯t know that Lin Ran had already broken through to the Half-Saint Realm. The remaining rebels were also in a state of disunity. Hurried footsteps came from not far away. There seemed to be a lot of people approaching. ¡°Your Majesty, be careful!¡± Everyone carefully protected Emperor Sheng Yuan in the center and stared at the approaching group of people warily. It was the vassals, led by King Zhao. Unexpectedly, they had tied up a bunch of martial artists and brought them over. However, at this moment, King Zhao was in an extremely sorry state. He no longer looked as high-spirited as before. ¡°Please forgive us for failing to come in time to save you, Your Majesty.¡± The vassals all knelt on the ground and said indignantly, ¡°We received news that someone colluded with the martial artists to plot a rebellion. Fortunately, His Majesty was not injured. Otherwise, we will forever be condemned by the people.¡± Those who did not know the truth would think that these people were loyal to their emperor. The people around Emperor Sheng Yuan were dumbfounded. A few ministers looked at each other, their faces as pale as paper. What turned out was completely different from what they had planned! Initially, they planned to work with the rebels from inside to take down the city together. Emperor Sheng Yuan was not a fool. For the rebels to be able to take down the city gate so quickly, there must be their collaborators inside. When they returned to the Imperial City, they would definitely die! Sun Zhanghong and the others were sweating profusely as they looked around. It was almost impossible for them to escape. The empress did not expose these vassals. After all, it was not beneficial for her to fall out with them now. ¡°Alright! I will definitely reward you.¡± The empress said the last few words meaningfully. After all, there was still a long way to go. It was not too late to settle the score later. The vassals could not help but heave a sigh of relief. At least for the time being, Emperor Sheng Yuan would not find trouble with them. Soon, all the martial artists who did not manage to escape in time were killed, including King Zhao¡¯s army. Countless people died, and the rest disarmed and surrendered. Lin Ran had long left without saying a word. The statesmen thought that they were rescued by a mysterious reinforcement, so they did not ask too much. Chapter 43 - : Cleaning the Imperial Court The Imperial City quickly returned to its usual order. However, after being washed for a long time, the blood stains on the limestone bricks still left dark red marks, as if they were trying to remind people of something. This coup came and went quickly. Looking at the dignified Emperor Sheng Yuan sitting on the dragon throne, no one in the royal court dared to breathe loudly. ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯ve killed about 10,000 rebels this time. The troops led by King Zhao have all been sent to prison. How should Your Majesty deal with them?¡± ¡°Good. Kill anyone who is King Zhao¡¯s trusted aide without mercy. The rest of the people who surrender can be dealt with leniently. The men will be executed together with King Zhao, and the women will be sent to the border¡­ Does anyone have any objections?¡± Those ministers who used to be full of opinions in the past did not dare to have any objections at this moment. All the courtiers knelt on the ground. ¡°Your Majesty is wise.¡± The empress nodded. ¡°The fact that King Zhao could¡¯ve advanced to the imperial city so smoothly meant that there must be his collaborators within the walls.¡± The moment Emperor Sheng Yuan finished speaking, Sun Zhanghong¡¯s heart skipped a beat and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He had expected this day to come since King Zhao failed. However, he still had some hope. Even if he was collaborating with King Zhao and the others, it was done very secretly. ¡°Sun Zhanghong, do you admit your crime?¡± In the next second, Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s voice sent a shudder down his spine. Sun Zhanghong knelt on the ground in shock and said with a trembling voice, ¡°I, I don¡¯t know what crime I committed.¡± ¡°You colluded with King Zhao to rebel and intend to overthrow the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Your crimes are unforgivable!¡± Oh no! This was the first thought in the minds of Sun Zhanghong and the others. ¡°Your Majesty, please spare me. There must be a misunderstanding. I¡¯m loyal and devoted to Your Majesty. I definitely won¡¯t do such a treasonous thing.¡± Sun Zhanghong and the others still wanted to defend themselves, but when the empress threw the evidence in their faces, they were instantly speechless. ¡°This¡­¡± None of the officials who were on good terms with Sun Zhanghong in the past dared to stand up and plead for mercy for him. After all, this was a serious crime of treason. If they were not careful, they would be implicated. However, the empress did not intend to let them off easily. ¡°I heard that Lord Zhang, Lord Li, and the others are on good terms with Sun Zhanghong. Why didn¡¯t you all discover the plot he¡¯s planning.¡± The face of the officials who were called out immediately turned pale. They said in fear, ¡°Your Majesty, Sun Zhanghong is cunning and ambitious. We were deceived too. We definitely won¡¯t collude with such a traitor.¡± The empress said meaningfully, ¡°Is that so¡ª¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please spare us! We know our mistake.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please spare me!¡± A few more important ministers of the imperial court were dragged out. The empress was furious and ordered a thorough investigation of this rebellion. She took this opportunity to gather power and get rid of those who were disloyal. The empress also used this opportunity to take back most of the power she¡¯d lost in the imperial court, laying the foundation for future prosperity. This incident was later regarded as the ¡°Heavenly Saint Incident¡±. These days, the empress had been busy dealing with the rebellion from morning to night and had never stopped. Finally, she found an opportunity to come to Mount Sword. Lin Ran seemed to know that she was coming. The empress placed her left hand on her chest and bowed respectfully. This was the highest etiquette of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, and it was personally given by the current emperor. ¡°I really have to thank you this time. If not for you, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive this calamity. The Heavenly Saint would have fallen into chaos again.¡± The empress had many questions, such as why did Lin Ran hide his cultivation level previously? He could have done something great, but he chose to stay in Mount Sword. In the end, she didn¡¯t ask. ¡°What do you want? Gold, silver, treasure, or fame and fortune. As long as I can give you, I will. I can even confer you the title of a king.¡± After experiencing the rebellion, the empress could still be so generous. It was obvious how much she trusted Lin Ran. It was not an exaggeration to say that Lin Ran was her most trusted aide as of now. He had saved the country! No one knew better than the empress about Lin Ran¡¯s contribution in this rebellion. It could be said that without Lin Ran, no one would know who would currently be sitting on the throne. The emperor promised to give him priceless treasure, but Lin Ran was not moved at all. ¡°I¡¯m used to being free and unrestrained. I think the position of the guard commander suits me quite well. There¡¯s no need to change anything.¡± Seeing that Lin Ran was calm and unmoved, the empress admired him even more. ¡°Although the Sword God is not around now, I believe that with you around, no one will dare to invade the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. No matter what, what I said today will still count in the future. If you change your mind, you can come to me.¡± The empress seemed to have thought of something. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with most of the people in the imperial court, but I don¡¯t have enough army at my disposal to deal with the rebels in the martial world for the time being. However, they participated in the rebellion after all and shouldn¡¯t get away with it unpunished.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. Leave them to me.¡± Those martial artists thought that they could rest easy after escaping, but they didn¡¯t expect Lin Ran to have no intention of letting them off. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for your good news.¡± Chapter 44 - Within One Move, the World Was in an uproar After resolving the crisis of the dynasty, Lin Ran returned to Mount Sword to stabilize his Half-Saint cultivation. Three days later. A terrifying sword intent spread out from Lin Ran¡¯s body, and sword marks were suddenly engraved on the surrounding stone walls. Lin Ran slowly opened his eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°Everyone below the Half-Saint Realm is just an ant to me. Now that my Sword Heart has been completely stabilized, sitting here brooding over cultivation won¡¯t do me any good. It¡¯s time for me to go into the secular world and take a look.¡± With that, Lin Ran stood up and arrived at the peak of Mount Sword with a sway of his body. ¡°Metal!¡± As Lin Ran shouted, golden sword intent soared into the sky from all over Mount Sword. Roara€| A huge white tiger formed by golden sword intent roared at the sky, looking like a majestic king. ¡°Wood!¡± With another shout, countless green sword intent filled with Life quickly gathered, and a green dragon gradually condensed. Roara€| The Azure Dragon roared at the white tiger in the distance with a hint of fear in its eyes. ¡°Earth!¡± Lin Ran ignored the two divine beasts formed by sword intent in the sky. As soon as he finished speaking, a divine beast Kylin condensed from earthen sword intent slowly rose. ¡°Water!¡± The divine beast, the Black Tortoise, floated up. ¡°Fire!¡± The divine bird, Vermillion Bird, cried and flew into the sky. The moment the divine beasts that represented the power of the five elements gathered in the sky, the sky above the entire dynasty changed drastically. From the nobles to the peddlers, they stopped what they were doing and looked up at Mount Sword. Many of the weak-willed people even bowed and said in awe, ¡°Long live the Sword God!¡± Among these people, only Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Only she knew that Grandpa Sword God had already died. Now, the only one guarding Mount Sword was her imperial guard commander, Lin Ran. Emperor Sheng Yuan muttered, ¡°Is a Half-Saint so powerful? How did he become so powerful in just a few years?¡± At this moment, Emperor Sheng Yuan was alone. If anyone else was around, they would definitely realize that he was no longer as decisive as when he was in the court. Instead, he was like a girl who was infatuated. Lin Ran, who had summoned the power of the five elements to form divine beasts, was sweating profusely. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and smiled bitterly. He just wanted to test his current cultivation level. On a whim, he thought of the five divine beasts that represented the power of the five elements in his previous life. Therefore, he condensed the sword intent into the image of a divine beast according to his memory. Unexpectedly, the moment the White Tiger Divine Beast condensed, a trace of the will of the world with metal attributes landed on the White Tiger Divine Beast. As a Half-Saint, he had already seen through the will of heaven and earth. He naturally knew that this trace of will was not something a cultivator at the initial stage of the Saint Realm could resist. At that moment, he even felt that the sword intent that filled the sky seemed to have escaped his control! If not for the fact that he had already consolidated his Half-Saint cultivation, he would probably have completely messed up his sword heart. At that time, the sword intent that filled the sky would definitely go out of control and the surroundings of Mount Sword would definitely be turned into hell! Looking at the five divine beasts roaring and confronting each other above his head, Lin Ran felt a headache coming on. Although he could barely suppress the Five Elements Divine Beasts with his own will, he could still feel the resistance of the Five Elements Divine Beasts against him. Moreover, this resistance was becoming stronger and stronger! ¡°What should I do?!¡± Just as Lin Ran was in a terrible fix, a black and a white light suddenly spread out from his body. Two rays of light flashed into the air and formed a Taiji pattern. It seemed to be devouring each other, but also seemed to be slowly rotating. The power of Yin and Yang kept fusing, and a peaceful aura spread. The surrounding Five Elements Divine Beasts immediately calmed down and looked up at the Taiji pattern. The ruthlessness in their eyes dissipated in the blink of an eye. Lin Ran frowned and looked at the sky. Although he didn¡¯t understand what was going on, the dangerous aura in the air had already dissipated. The trace of the will of heaven and earth returned to the world, and the majestic sword intent that formed the Five Elements Divine Beast returned to Lin Ran¡¯s control. Seeing this, Lin Ran had no time to think too much about it. With a wave of his hand, the Five Elements Divine Beasts dissipated with the sword intent. The Taiji pattern that was slowly rotating in the air also dimmed out and was absorbed into Lin Ran¡¯s body. ¡°Phewa€|¡± After the chaos was resolved, Lin Ran let out a long breath, but there was a hint of confusion in his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Exorcism Sword Energy to be summoned on its own and take the initiative to attack. Could it be that that trace of the will of the world is not righteous?¡± When the sword intent went out of his control, Lin Ran did feel a ruthless aura. It was definitely not his own sword intent. However, that feeling only lasted for a moment. Now that he thought about it, it was so short that it seemed like an illusion. Lin Ran frowned and fell into deep thought. He did not know that the situation over Mount Sword had caused a huge commotion in the world. In the imperial court. The civil and military officials lined up neatly and congratulated the emperor in unison. ¡°Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Ten Miles Sword God has advanced to another realm again. Our Heavenly Saint Dynasty will definitely be prosperous for generations to come!¡± In the market. Whether it was the rich merchants or the commoners, they were all discussing the Five Elements Divine Beasts on Mount Sword and the Yin-Yang Image that covered the sky. Some people said that the Sword God was eliminating demons, while others said that the Sword God was intimidating the enemy. In short, the Sword God had been in seclusion for decades. Even though he was still famous, his influence had reduced greatly in the passage of time. Lin Ran¡¯s act today caused an uproar across the dynasty and aroused the reverence of the people for the Ten Miles Sword God! At this moment, Lin Ran, who was looked up to by thousands upon thousands, was sitting on the mountaintop and scratching his head. If he wanted to figure out if that trace of the will of the world was evil or not, the only way was to summon the Five Elements Divine Beasts again and force that trace of the will to show up. However, the feeling of losing control of the sword intent just now really frightened Lin Ran. Even though he had the Exorcism Sword Energy in his body, he could not guarantee that he could still control it this time. In the end, Lin Ran shook his head and stood up. In any case, as long as he didn¡¯t trigger that will of the world, he would be fine. Why should he worry? It wouldn¡¯t be too late to study the will of the world when he entered the Saint Realm in the future! After returning to his residence, Lin Ran washed up, changed into black clothes, and rode his sword towards the palace. He had once promised to help the empress deal with those martial artists who had participated in the rebellion. Now that he was about to go down the mountain to do it, it was only right for him to go and bid farewell to her. In the imperial court. The empress was sitting on the dragon throne in a dragon robe. Although she looked solemn, there was a hint of anxiety in her eyes. Others thought that the phenomenon was caused by the Sword God, but she clearly felt a trace of ruthlessness in the majestic sword intent just now! The empress knew Lin Ran very well. It was impossible for him to have such a ruthless sword intent. She couldn¡¯t wait to go to Mount Sword to investigate, but the ministers kept on saying that it was an auspicious sign from the heavens and a banquet should be held to celebrate it. Seeing that the new minister was still talking non-stop, the empress was about to leave when she suddenly heard a eunuch outside the hall shout, ¡°Your Majesty! The Ten Miles Sword God is here to see you!¡± Before the eunuch could finish speaking, a black figure wrapped in endless sword intent had already appeared in the imperial court! Chapter 45 - Sword God Comes Out of Seclusion, Jade Token Message The black-robed man appeared out of thin air. Although his face could not be seen clearly, the majestic sword intent lingering around him made his identity obvious. The civil and military officials immediately bowed. ¡°Welcome, Sword God!¡± When the empress heard this, an imperceptible smile flashed across her eyes. Then, she ordered with a dignified expression, ¡°I have something to discuss with Sword God. Everyone, leave first!¡± ¡°Yes, your Majesty!¡± The civil and military officials left the hall. The empress waved her hand and dismissed the palace maids and eunuchs around her. In the huge palace, only the empress and the ¡°Ten Mile Sword God¡± were left. ¡°Phew! I¡¯m really suffocating!¡± Lin Ran took off his mask and took a long breath. Then, he smiled and cupped his hands at the empress. ¡°I¡¯m the commander of the imperial guards. My greetings, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°No need for formalities!¡± The empress raised her hand gently and stared at Lin Ran with a frown for a long time. After confirming that there was nothing unusual, the worry in her eyes dissipated. She chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a few days since we last met. Lord Lin, your cultivation has really improved.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please don¡¯t tease me.¡± Lin Ran smiled and replied, ¡°I just consolidated my Half-Saint cultivation. What¡¯s there to shout about?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that something worth shouting about?¡± The smile on the empress¡¯s beautiful face deepened. ¡°If I remember correctly, when Lord Lin came to the palace to meet me back then, you hadn¡¯t even touched the threshold of a Martial Master. In just a few years, you stepped into the Half-Saint Realm. This speed of advancement is unprecedented!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lin Ran stopped in mid-sentence. If they continued to chat, they would probably touch on his biggest secret. He changed the topic and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m here today to bid you farewell.¡± ¡°Farewell?¡± The empress was stunned for a moment before realization dawned on her. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Lin Ran nodded. The empress asked again, ¡°When King Zhao rebelled, most of the martial artists who participated in the rebellion were just hooligans. When they saw that the situation was bad, they fled immediately¡­ Do you have any clues?¡± ¡°Back then, the Dao Seeking Sect was in charge of gathering and leading the martial artists. As for the scattered bandits, I¡¯ll find out after I capture the Dao Seeking Sect¡¯s sect master.¡± Lin Ran replied without thinking. His tone was so relaxed that it was as if he was saying, ¡°I¡¯m going home to get something.¡± The empress could not help but feel a little surprised when she heard this. Although the Dao Seeking Sect was not the number one sect in the world, its strength was not to be underestimated since it was chosen by King Zhao to help. However, seeing Lin Ran¡¯s indifferent expression, the empress was relieved. With Lin Ran¡¯s current strength, the Dao Seeking Sect was indeed nothing to him. After thinking for a moment, the empress said, ¡°Since you already have a plan, I won¡¯t stop you. However¡­ Can you stay in the palace for a few more days?¡± ¡°Stay a few more days?¡± Lin Ran was puzzled. Seeing that the empress was about to say something, he suddenly had an ominous feeling. ¡°Did you take in another concubine?¡± ¡°What are you thinking!¡± The empress slapped the dragon throne, and her pretty face turned red from embarrassment. She pretended to be calm and said, ¡°Just now, you caused a commotion in Mount Sword. Rumor has it that the Sword God is about to come out of seclusion. If you leave in such a hurry, people will think that I sent you to defeat the enemy because the dynasty is under threat.¡± Only then did Lin Ran understand what the empress meant. He couldn¡¯t help but blush and cough awkwardly. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll stay in the palace for a few more days. However, the rumors about the Sword God coming out of his seclusion have already spread. I¡¯m afraid the Dao Seeking Sect won¡¯t sit back and do nothing.¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran took out the jade token that Daoist Li had given him. He left a wisp of sword intent in it. Then, he threw it gently, and the jade token turned into a stream of light and disappeared into the sky. When the empress saw how powerful Lin Ran was, her eyes lit up. She paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Later, I¡¯ll arrange a quiet place for you to cultivate in peace. However, I hope that you can come out occasionally as the Ten Miles Sword God.¡± ¡°Now that the rebels have not been eliminated, you want the presence of the Sword God to intimidate them, right?¡± Lin Ran guessed what the empress was thinking and cupped his hands with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss! I will do what you said.¡± The empress frowned slightly, not understanding what ¡°Boss¡± meant. However, she had known Lin Ran for a long time and knew that he often said strange things, so she didn¡¯t mind. After gesturing for Lin Ran to cover his face with a mask, the empress called over the chief eunuch, Li Tianyi, and instructed, ¡°Sword God will stay in Mingzhao Hall for a few more days. Pass down my order that Sword God can come and go as he pleases. No one is to stop him!¡± Li Tianyi bowed and accepted the decree. Facing the ¡°Ten Mile Sword God¡±, his attitude became much more respectful. He bowed and invited Lin Ran out of the hall. The empress looked at the empty imperial court, but she was no longer as confused as before. Now that Lin Ran was already a Half-Saint, he was undoubtedly her greatest aid. What she had always wanted to do could finally begin. ¡°Father, Grandpa Sword God, just watch. I will definitely bring our Heavenly Saint Dynasty to its former glory!¡± The empress looked somewhere and muttered to herself. Her beautiful eyes were filled with determination. ¡­ Seventy miles north of the capital, at the top of Tianjue Peak, the Dao Seeking Sect. Sect Master Zhou sat cross-legged in the stone room and looked at the word ¡°Calmness¡± carved on the wall. However, he could not calm down no matter what. It had been a few days since the battle in the imperial city, but the heavily injured Elder Xie showed no signs of waking up. Not to mention the countless disciples of the Dao-Seeking Sect who had died, it could be said that the Dao-Seeking Sect¡¯s hundred-year-old foundation had been destroyed! Boom! Sect Master Zhou shattered the stone wall in front of him with a punch, his eyes filled with ruthlessness. ¡°Damn King Zhao! He said that he would definitely be able to overthrow the new emperor, but in the end, a mountain guard caused my sect to suffer heavy casualties! As for seeing the Sword God¡¯s broken sword, I¡¯m afraid he was just spouting nonsense!¡± The True Qi in his body surged. Sect Master Zhou could no longer hold it in and simply stood up to leave the stone room. As soon as he left, a sect disciple ran over anxiously. ¡°Sect Master! Something bad has happened!¡± The disciple came close and knelt down. He pointed at Mount Sword and said with a trembling voice, ¡°When you were cultivating just now, divine beasts appeared above Mount Sword. Rumor has it that the Ten Miles Sword God has come out of seclusion!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Sect Master Zhou was shocked when he heard this. A mere mountain guardian was able to beat up an elder of his sect to the point of being unable to fight back. If the Sword God personally took action, his Dao Seeking Sect would probably disappear from the world! Without wasting any time to think, Sect Master Zhou hurriedly ordered, ¡°Pass down my orders! Everyone, pack your things immediately. Before noon today, everyone will retreat from Tianjue Peak! Meet at the border in ten days!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Just as the disciple opened his mouth to say, ¡°Yes.¡± Another disciple ran over in a panic with a jade token in his hand. Before he got close, he shouted anxiously, ¡°Sect Master! Just now, a sword energy broke through the mountain gate and turned into a jade token when it landed. Please take a look!¡± Chapter 46 - An Unexpected Turn of Attitude Sect Master Zhou raised his hand and grabbed the jade token. The quality and workmanship were only average. On the front were the words ¡°Mount Sword Token¡±. ¡°It¡¯s from Mount Sword?¡± Sect Master Zhou frowned slightly and subconsciously looked intently at the jade token. In an instant, his expression changed drastically, as if his entire body was being pointed at by countless sharp blades. If he moved slightly, he would be cut into minced meat! At the same time, an extremely dignified voice sounded in his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll visit you soon. Sect Master Zhou, please wait. If you dare to run away, there will be no place for you in the world!¡± The sword intent dissipated in an instant, but Sect Master Zhou¡¯s clothes were already drenched in cold sweat. His face was pale and he was trembling as if he had just experienced a life-and-death battle! ¡°Sect Master! Are you alright?¡± The disciple hurriedly went forward to ask, but Sect Master Zhou was in no mood to answer. The dignified voice seemed to still echo in his ears. He could not help but think of the terrifying scene of a young man defeating the entire army with a tree branch and severely injuring Elder Xie with a single strike! ¡°It¡¯s Lin Ran! It¡¯s that mountain guard!¡± Sect Master Zhou muttered to himself with lingering fear, his eyes filled with deep despair. Without a doubt, this jade token was sent by Lin Ran! The two disciples looked at each other, completely unaware of what had happened. One of them took the jade token and examined it carefully, but the sword intent in it had already dissipated. Naturally, they could not find any clues. They only knew that their sect master was frightened out of his wits by a Mount Sword Token. Many years later, this matter was still a laughing stock circulating among the martial artists. As the sender of this token, Lin Ran did not know what an impact the token had left. At this moment, he was eating the delicacies sent by the imperial kitchen in Mingzhao Hall. After eating half the table of delicacies, Lin Ran burped with satisfaction. In fact, with Lin Ran¡¯s current realm, he could already abstain from eating. However, the delicacies in the palace were too tempting. Compared to the simple meals in Mount Sword, they were simply irresistible! After eating and drinking his fill, Lin Ran changed into the clothes of the guard commander and prepared to go out for a walk. After all, in the disguise of the Sword God, he had to maintain the surging sword intent at all times. It was too tiring. Lin Ran was already familiar with the palace. After strolling for a while, he suddenly encountered a group of guards walking towards him. The leader wore a purple-gold crown and a red-toothed sea python robe. He looked extraordinary and dignified. Seeing Lin Ran walking over from afar, the man¡¯s eyes lit up. He immediately rushed forward and knelt on the ground. ¡°Greetings, Commander Lin! I¡¯m Zhou Hao.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Lin Ran recognized the person. It was Zhou Hao, who was ranked second in the martial arts examination with him. He couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. The last time the two of them met, Zhou Hao looked down at him. The sudden change of attitude made Lin Ran confused. The accompanying guards with Zhou Hao were also puzzled. They didn¡¯t know Lin Ran¡¯s strength yet and thought that he didn¡¯t deserve the title of the commander of imperial guards. Seeing this, they couldn¡¯t help but tease him. ¡°Yo! Isn¡¯t this the commander of the guards, Lord Lin? You must be happy to have Lord Zhou bow to you, right?¡± ¡°I guess so! Look at how smug he is!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be arrogant! You were lucky to become the commander of the guards. When His Majesty finds out that you¡¯re not qualified, you will be severely punished.¡± Hearing them ridiculing Lin Ran, Zhou Hao¡¯s face turned pale as he knelt on the ground. He hurriedly turned around and shouted sternly, ¡°How dare you! Not only did you not greet Lord Lin, but you¡¯re even behaving so impudently. Slap yourself 20 times!¡± The guards thought that Zhou Hao was mocking Lin Ran, so no one took it seriously and was still jeering. Seeing this, Zhou Hao became even angrier. He stood up and walked to them. He raised his hand and knocked one of them to the ground! ¡°I asked you to slap yourself twenty times! Didn¡¯t you hear me?!¡± Only then did the guards realize that he was serious. They immediately panicked and looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Seeing that everyone was disobeying, Zhou Hao felt embarrassed. His eyes turned cold and he was about to do it himself when he heard Lin Ran ask in a low voice, ¡°Lord Zhou, what is this show you put on about?¡± ¡°Lord Lin, I¡¯m teaching them to show respect to you!¡± Zhou Hao hurriedly turned around and replied with a flattering smile. ¡°These guys are insensible. I didn¡¯t teach them well. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll teach them a lesson later!¡± Lin Ran was no longer the same as before, but when he saw Zhou Hao¡¯s attitude, he couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°What I mean is, why did you do this?¡± ¡°Lord Lin! Because I sincerely admire your strength!¡± Zhou Hao cupped his hands and replied with a serious expression, ¡°I was lucky enough to participate in the same examination with you last time and learned a lot. It also made me realize that your strength is beyond my reach! Therefore, after I returned, I told myself that you were the role model from whom I should learn for the rest of my life.¡± After hearing his speech, Lin Ran interpreted it as Zhou Hao was scared out of his wits. He could not help but find it funny. He did not expect Zhou Hao to be a sensible person even though he looked arrogant. After figuring out the reason, Lin Ran was no longer in the mood to stay. He chuckled and turned to leave. Unexpectedly, Zhou Hao followed him again. Lin Ran frowned and asked coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhou Hao smiled obsequiously and said, ¡°Lord Lin, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not familiar with the palace. Where are you going? I can lead the way for you!¡± Lin Ran had a strange expression on his face. He thought to himself, ¡®I know the palace better than you!¡¯ However, he could not say this out loud. After all, in the eyes of others, he took office only a few days ago. If he showed that he was familiar with the palace, it might arouse suspicion. Thinking of this, Lin Ran¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Thank you then, Lord Zhou.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Lord Lin? It¡¯s my great fortune to be able to serve you!¡± Without another word, Zhou Hao knelt down again with a pious attitude, making his subordinates dumbfounded. Actually, Lin Ran came out because he wanted to take a walk after a big meal. He didn¡¯t have any special purpose, so he asked Zhou Hao to show him around. Unknowingly, they arrived near the imperial garden. This was the garden for the royal family. Even with Lin Ran¡¯s official status, he was not allowed to enter unless summoned. After introducing the garden briefly, Zhou Hao was about to lead Lin Ran away when a purple-robed figure walked out of the garden. It was the head eunuch, Li Tianyi. ¡°Greetings, Enunch Li!¡± Zhou Hao hurriedly knelt down. The guards he brought also knelt down. In this way, Lin Ran, who was still standing on the spot, was especially conspicuous. Li Tianyi naturally knew Lin Ran. It was his idea to let Lin Ran go to Mount Sword. Although Lin Ran had been transferred back to the palace, he was only a commander of the guards. Seeing that he did not kneel, Li Tianyi was immediately displeased. He made up his mind to teach this arrogant kid a lesson! Chapter 47 - The Unexpected Effect of the Nine Yin As he thought about it, Li Tianyi approached and narrowed his eyes at Lin Ran. He sneered and said, ¡°Lord Lin, why didn¡¯t you greet me when you saw me? Do you think your status is above me?¡± Hearing displeasure in Li Tianyi¡¯s tone, Zhou Hao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly tugged at Lin Ran¡¯s clothes, indicating for him to quickly bow. However, Lin Ran didn¡¯t seem to notice. He looked at Li Tianyi and said calmly, ¡°Eunuch Li, you¡¯re really humorous. You¡¯re just a fourth-grade official, and I¡¯m the commander of the imperial guards. You should be the one bowing to me, right?¡± Zhou Hao cursed in his heart. Although Lin Ran was right, this was not how things worked in the palace. Although Li Tianyi was only a fourth-grade eunuch, he was the one with the emperor most of the time. Even the first-grade officials in the imperial court had to greet him when they saw Li Tianyi. Lin Jiu was clearly trying to give Li Tianyi a hard time by bringing up official rank! As expected, when Zhou Hao raised his head, he saw that Li Tianyi¡¯s expression was as dark as an inkpot. His mind raced as he hurriedly explained, ¡°Eunuch Li! Commander Lin is new to the palace and is not familiar with these rules. Please don¡¯t take offense! Lord Lin, quickly greet Eunuch Li.¡± As he spoke, he tried to pull Lin Ran to the ground, but no matter how hard he tried, Lin Ran stood there like a mountain. Seeing that Li Tianyi¡¯s expression was getting uglier and uglier, Zhou Hao was so anxious that he was about to sweat. At this moment, Lin Ran said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re also third-grade guards. You¡¯re not supposed to bend your knees to him.¡± Before he could finish speaking, Lin Ran quietly released a wisp of sword intent, causing a strong vortex to rise on the ground. Zhou Hao and the guards were forcefully helped up! Li Tianyi couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He pointed at Lin Ran and shouted, ¡°Lin Ran! How dare you!¡± Lin Ran sneered and didn¡¯t care. He looked at Li Tianyi and asked calmly, ¡°I still have to patrol the palace. If there is nothing, I¡¯ll take my leave!¡± With that, Lin Ran turned around and left. Li Tianyi gritted his teeth and was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Lord Lin, please wait! His Majesty summons you to the imperial garden. Please follow me!¡± Hearing that the empress was looking for him, Lin Ran stopped in his tracks. He turned around and gestured to Li Tianyi. ¡°Please lead the way, Eunuch Li.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Li Tianyi nodded with a faint smile. Anyone could tell that he was up to no good. Seeing this, Zhou Hao couldn¡¯t help but worry. He brushed the dust off his clothes and was about to follow when Li Tianyi glared at him. ¡°His Majesty only summons Commander Lin. The rest of you can go back.¡± With that, Li Tianyi went straight into the imperial garden. Lin Ran followed him without hesitation. In order to ¡°help¡± the empress, Lin Ran had stayed in the palace for a period of time, but this was the first time he had come to the imperial garden. Lin Ran, who was used to seeing strange rocks on Mount Sword, felt that his mind was blown away when he saw the endless exotic flowers. After walking for a while and passing by an empty path, Li Tianyi, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped. Lin Ran felt that something was wrong, but he asked despite knowing the answer, ¡°Why did you stop, Eunuch Li? It doesn¡¯t look like the emperor is here.¡± ¡°Lord Lin, you must be joking. His Majesty is still far ahead.¡± Li Tianyi pointed ahead and glanced at Lin Ran with a smile. ¡°Back then, Lord Lin came out first in the examination but was sent to be a mountain guardian by me. I wonder if you resent me for doing that?¡± ¡°Eunuch Li, you must be joking. If you didn¡¯t let me go to Mount Sword back then, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t be where I am today. Speaking of which, I have to thank you!¡± Lin Ran smiled sincerely. Although he didn¡¯t have a good impression of Li Tianyi, he was sincerely grateful to this damn eunuch for sending him to Mount Sword. Li Tianyi let out some strange laughter. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t believe Lin Ran, but he still said, ¡°Actually, I did it on purpose back then for your own good. Commander Lin, you won the examination at such a young age. If you got too high an official position, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d be too cocky. It was beneficial for you to train yourself for a few years on Mount Sword.¡± Lin Ran laughed in his heart, but he looked like he was grateful. He said bitterly, ¡°So what Eunuch Li did back then was actually so meaningful! I thought it was because I didn¡¯t give you a gift so you deliberately made things difficult for me. I misunderstood!¡± Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s words of gratitude, Li Tianyi didn¡¯t know whether he should feel relieved or not. After taking a few breaths, Li Tianyi continued with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the past. Since you¡¯ve been transferred back to the palace, it¡¯s best for you to learn the ways of the palace. Being an official here is not that easy. If you don¡¯t have a backer, you might offend someone you shouldn¡¯t and lose your head!¡± Given how smart Lin Ran was, he could naturally tell that Li Tianyi was asking for benefits. He reached out and took off the commander¡¯s token on his waist. He said seriously, ¡°I understand. It¡¯s just that I came out in a hurry today and didn¡¯t bring anything valuable. This thing was given to me by His Majesty. Please take it.¡± ¡°What a blockhead.¡± Li Tianyi cursed in his mind. Looking at the pure gold waist token of the ¡°Commander of the Imperial Guards¡±, he gritted his teeth so hard that they were about to shatter! ¡°Commander Lin, you must be joking. That was just a kind reminder from me. I didn¡¯t mean anything. Let¡¯s continue walking and not make His Majesty wait!¡± Li Tianyi forced a smile and left in a hurry. He was greedy, but he did not dare to take the waist token given to Lin Ran by the emperor! If it was found out that the token was in his possession, even if he had a thousand heads, it wouldn¡¯t be enough. Looking at Li Tianyi walking in front hurriedly, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but smile. With such a clown around, it seemed that he would not be too bored in the palace these few days! Lin Ran put back the token and followed Li Tianyi. They walked around a goldfish pond and finally saw the empress in an exquisite octagonal pavilion. Accompanying her was a concubine. Lin Ran recognized her as Consort Rong of the Cloud Prayer Palace, the daughter of General Guo Fuzhen. It had only been a few days since they last met, but Consort Rong seemed to have become bustier. ¡°Good lord¡­ Hers is almost as good as Consort Jin of the Lotus Palace. I didn¡¯t know that the Nine Yin-Yang Swords had this utility.¡± Lin Ran was so lost in thought that his gaze continued to linger on Consort Rong. When the empress saw this, she couldn¡¯t help but look down on him in her heart. She thought to herself that all the men in the world were the same. Back then, Lin Ran was full of righteousness and morality, but now that he saw the consort, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of her. Chapter 48 - A Mission at Night However, they were in public after all. The empress did not show disdain on her face. She cleared her throat and asked, ¡°Lord Lin, how have you been doing in the palace for the past few days?¡± Hearing the empress¡¯s voice, Lin Ran came back to his senses and knelt on one knee. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I¡¯m doing very well in the palace!¡± ¡°Stand up.¡± The empress waved her hand and said with a faint smile, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll arrange an errand for you.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, at your service!¡± ¡°Recently, I heard from Consort Rong that she¡¯s been hearing some strange sounds in the Cloud Prayer Palace every midnight. Consort Rong was so scared that she couldn¡¯t eat or sleep well. She also lost a lot of weight, so I decided to accompany Consort Rong tonight. Lord Lin, you are very capable, so I¡¯ll let you patrol the area around the Cloud Prayer Palace!¡± When others heard this, they would not think too much about it, but Lin Ran instantly understood that Consort Rong was not pregnant yet. The empress asked him to continue working hard at night! Lin Ran didn¡¯t want to agree. If he had the time, he would rather find somewhere quiet to cultivate. However, since the empress had given the order, Lin Ran¡¯s refusal was equivalent to an offense punishable by death. Helpless, Lin Ran could only reply, ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll definitely patrol the area well. I won¡¯t let anyone get close to the Cloud Prayer Palace!¡± What Lin Ran meant was that he would not get close to the Cloud Prayer Palace too. It was unknown if the empress understood what he meant, but she changed the topic and said, ¡°Sword God is staying in the palace these days. He might take a walk in the palace at night. Pass down the order to let the guards not to stop Sword God when they see him.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Lin Ran cupped his hands and accepted the order, but he was cursing the empress in his mind. Not only did he have to work hard at the Cloud Prayer Palace tonight, but he also had to take the time to pretend to be the Sword God. Even the donkeys in the production team were not used like this! As if having guessed what Lin Ran was thinking, the empress¡¯s smile deepened. She waved her hand and said calmly, ¡°Alright, if there¡¯s nothing else, you can leave first. Don¡¯t forget to patrol the Cloud Prayer Palace tonight!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave first!¡± Lin Ran agreed and stood up to leave. Before he left, he subconsciously looked at Consort Rong again. It was not that he was addicted to sex, but the change in her was a little shocking. At this moment, Consort Rong also looked at Lin Ran. Their eyes met, and a strange look suddenly flashed across Consort Rong¡¯s eyes. Seeing this, Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that she recognized him as the one who slept with her? The lights in the bedroom were dim, and the human skin mask given by the empress was of excellent quality. There was definitely no flaw with the disguise. However, no matter how good the human skin mask was, it could not hide the eyes. At that time, the distance between the two of them was extremely close¡­ Thinking of this, Lin Ran didn¡¯t dare to stay any longer. He hurriedly lowered his head to avoid Consort Rong¡¯s gaze and quickly left. After leaving the imperial garden, Zhou Hao and the others were still waiting outside. Seeing Lin Ran come out, Zhou Hao hurriedly went forward and smiled obsequiously. ¡°Lord Lin, why did His Majesty summon you?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m asked by His Majesty to patrol the Cloud Prayer Palace tonight.¡± Lin Ran replied casually. Unexpectedly, when Zhou Hao heard this, he suddenly revealed a happy expression. ¡°Congratulations, sir!¡± Lin Ran frowned in confusion. Zhou Hao explained in a low voice, ¡°Sir, you might not know this, but I heard that His Majesty is going to the Cloud Prayer Palace to sleep tonight. Now, he wants you to patrol the area. Doesn¡¯t it mean that His Majesty values you very much?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lin Ran smiled lightly. He instructed Zhou Hao to continue patrolling and returned to Mingzhao Hall alone. After changing into black clothes, Lin Ran went out again and rode sword straight to the imperial study. When the guard outside the door saw that someone had barged in, he immediately drew his saber and blocked the door of the imperial study. After realizing that the person was the ¡°Ten Miles Sword God¡±, he sheathed his saber and continued to guard. Lin Ran pushed open the door and walked into the imperial study. The empress was dealing with some state affairs. When she saw Lin Ran enter, she couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly. ¡°You came too early. I will only depart for the Cloud Prayer Palace two hours later.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to talk about this.¡± Lin Ran took off his mask and smiled bitterly. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to rely on yourself tonight.¡± The empress stopped what she was doing. ¡°Rely on myself?¡± Lin Ran nodded. Although he was certain that no one was eavesdropping outside, he still subconsciously lowered his voice. ¡°When we were in the imperial garden today, Consort Rong seemed to have recognized me.¡± ¡°What?!¡± The empress was also shocked when she heard this, but then she looked puzzled. ¡°But how is that possible? The human skin mask I gave you was flawless. How could Consort Rong easily recognize you?¡± ¡°You might not believe it, but I feel that she recognized my gaze.¡± Lin Ran said with a strange expression. Then, he recounted how he and Consort Rong looked at each other. The empress nodded slightly. ¡°In that case, it¡¯s indeed possible for Consort Rong to discover something, but you want me to go and do¡­ that?¡± Lin Ran looked helpless. ¡°I know you can¡¯t, but if I¡¯m really recognized by Consort Rong, the consequences will be unimaginable!¡± The empress frowned and pondered for a moment. Suddenly, she chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s easy. When you arrive at the Cloud Prayer Palace tonight, tell her that you¡¯re tired from dealing with state affairs and want to rest early. No matter how suspicious Consort Rong is, she can¡¯t force your eyes open, can she?¡± Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. Although this tactic could work, if Consort Rong touched something that she should not touch on Lin Ran, he would probably have to kill her to protect the empress¡¯s secret! In the blink of an eye, the sky darkened. Li Tianyi¡¯s voice came from outside the imperial study. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s getting late. You should go to the Cloud Prayer Palace to rest.¡± ¡°I know. Prepare the dragon carriage!¡± The empress replied loudly. Then, she looked at Lin Ran, who was disguised as her. ¡°Believe in yourself. You can do it!¡± Lin Ran smiled bitterly. However, the moment he stepped out of the imperial study, his aura changed. His face was solemn, and his eyes were deep. He exuded the faint dignity of an emperor! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With Li Tianyi¡¯s shout, Lin Ran was carried by more than ten palace servants towards the direction of the Cloud Prayer Palace. In less than half an hour, he stood in front of the door. When he entered the room, the palace maids and eunuchs had already been dismissed. Consort Rong stood by the bed in a pink gauze robe. Her fair skin was faintly visible under the light, and there was a hint of shyness in her eyes. She had both the charm of a married woman and an innocent girl. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ll help you change.¡± Consort Rong spoke softly like a bird. As she spoke, she walked behind Lin Ran and reached out to touch the jade belt on Lin Ran¡¯s waist. Just as Lin Ran was about to tell her he was tired, he suddenly felt a strong killing intent. Then, he tightened his waist and a cold glint flashed across his eyes! A cold voice shouted behind him, ¡°Useless emperor! Go to hell!¡± Chapter 49 - Unlucky Assassin A cold dagger quickly appeared in Lin Ran¡¯s vision. The long and narrow blade was about a foot long. The back of the blade had teeth, and the blade had a slot. The entire blade emitted a blue luster under the dim light. It was obvious that it had been coated with poison. In addition, Consort Rong had been hiding very well and only attacked at the last moment. If the empress was standing here, death was surely unavoidable. Unfortunately, the person standing here was Lin Ran. He did not know why Consort Rong wanted to assassinate the empress, but with his current cultivation level, Consort Rong¡¯s ¡°all-out attack¡± was almost as slow as a nail. Seeing the saber beam coming at him, Lin Ran even had time to lean back. Feeling the soft touch on his back, he couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised by how busty she was. There was indeed something wrong with Consort Rong. ¡°Looks like this ¡°Consort Rong¡± came prepared.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. At the same time, the sharp tip of the knife was about to touch his neck. Only until this moment did Lin Ran snap his fingers and shout, ¡°Divine Sword Technique Manual!¡± Clang! A long sword appeared in Lin Ran¡¯s hand. The sword was divided into black and white. It was the Yin-Yang Sword he found near Mount Sword¡¯s seal! ¡°Medal!¡± Endless sharp golden sword energy penetrated the short saber and a destructive aura instantly turned it into powder! ¡°Earth!¡± A powerful sword energy with earth attribute shot out from the ground like an invisible python and climbed up Consort Rong¡¯s body. In an instant, it formed a sword cage and imprisoned Consort Rong. All of this happened within a matter of seconds. Lin Ran turned his body slightly and broke free from Consort Rong¡¯s arm. Looking at Consort Rong, who couldn¡¯t move, Lin Ran first sized her up carefully. Then, he reached out and touched the back of Consort Rong¡¯s ear. Then, he looked surprised. ¡°You¡¯re not wearing a human skin mask?!¡± Seeing that her intentions had been exposed, Consort Rong no longer hid it. She stared at Lin Ran with hatred in her eyes and sneered. ¡°Although the human skin mask is useful, there are subtle flaws when you look closely. Of course, I can¡¯t allow any flaws for such a big assassination¡­ How did you discover it?¡± Lin Ran smiled and looked down from Consort Rong¡¯s face. ¡°Because I have a photographic memory of women¡¯s figures¡­ Tell me, who sent you?¡± As he spoke, the powerful earth attribute sword energy transformed into sharp metal sword energy according to the five elements. ¡°Consort Rong¡± was imprisoned by the sword energy cage. She felt countless cold swords stuck to her body, instantly scaring her until her face turned pale. Even so, ¡°Consort Rong¡± still pretended to be calm and replied, ¡°No one sent me here to do this. I just want to kill you, you useless emperor!¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Lin Ran sneered and looked at ¡°Consort Rong¡± as if he was looking at an idiot. ¡°Consort Rong is the daughter of General Guo Fuzhen, who is in charge of the northern border. Previously, when the war in the north was lost, General Guo couldn¡¯t absolve himself from the blame. Fortunately, His Majesty was lenient enough to not kill him and asked him to stay in the north to kill the enemy and redeem himself.¡± ¡°Consort Rong¡± frowned at Lin Ran, her eyes filled with fear and confusion. She knew about this information, but she didn¡¯t know why Lin Ran mentioned this. Seeing that ¡°Consort Rong¡± didn¡¯t understand, Lin Ran could only explain, ¡°Outsiders only thought that General Guo was grateful to His Majesty so he left his only daughter here in the palace, but they don¡¯t know that it was Consort Rong who took the initiative to ask to stay in the palace.¡± ¡°In other words, among all the consorts in the harem, Consort Rong is the last person who would want to kill His Majesty¡­ You¡¯re unlucky.¡± After hearing Lin Ran¡¯s explanation, Consort Rong¡¯s expression immediately became complicated. After a moment, she suddenly thought of something and narrowed her eyes. ¡°You kept saying ¡®His Majesty¡¯ just now. Are you not¡­¡± ¡°Aiya!¡± When Lin Ran realized the mistake he¡¯d made, he slapped his forehead, but then he looked relieved. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ll die sooner or later anyway. It doesn¡¯t matter if I let you know.¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran grabbed the edge of the human skin mask and tore it open, revealing his original appearance. Although he was not as good-looking as the empress, he was still considered handsome. ¡°Consort Rong¡± was stunned for a moment before she smiled sadly. ¡°So the rumors are true. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the chance to spread the news.¡± Lin Ran looked puzzled. ¡°What rumor?¡± ¡°Consort Rong¡± looked at Lin Ran and smiled without saying anything. Lin Ran was a little anxious and tried to persuade her patiently. ¡°If you cooperate and tell me who¡¯s behind this, I can plead with His Majesty and spare you¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Consort Rong¡¯s face suddenly jerked. Then, dark red blood seeped out of the corner of her mouth, and her eyes became frighteningly wide-open. Lin Ran quickly retracted his sword energy to save her. However, he did not expect the poison to be so strong that in the blink of an eye, Consort Rong was already dead! As the corpse fell to the ground, Lin Ran immediately felt a headache coming on. Now that ¡°Consort Rong¡± had died, although she was fake, this face was flawless. Moreover, it was impossible for a person to disappear into thin air for no reason. If the fake Consort Rong died here, where was the real Consort Rong? Lin Ran had no idea what to do, so he could only go and inform the empress of this matter first. However, Li Tianyi was guarding outside with a group of eunuchs. It was definitely impossible for him to go out like this. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran gently took off his dragon robe and chanted, ¡°Five Elements Sword Technique¡ªWater!¡± Outside the Cloud Prayer Palace. Li Tianyi was sitting on a rattan chair and drinking tea when he suddenly heard the sound of rain. The originally bright night sky was suddenly filled with dark clouds. Large raindrops fell from the sky, and in an instant, heavy rain poured down. ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­ Didn¡¯t the Imperial Astronomer say that it won¡¯t rain this month?¡± Li Tianyi held his teacup and muttered to himself. He did not notice that a drop of water had seeped out of the door and disappeared into the heavy rain. In imperial study. After the empress finished dealing with the last state affair, she put down the brush and gently pinched the space between her eyebrows. Just as she was about to go to the dragon bed to rest for a moment, she accidentally saw a water droplet seeping in through the crack in the door. Then, it slowly twisted and turned into a human form in front of her eyes! ¡°Guard¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t shout! It¡¯s me!¡± Just as the empress was about to call for the guards to protect her, the water man actually spoke! Moreover, his voice was very familiar. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Lin Ran?¡± Before she could finish speaking, the ¡°water man¡± quickly took shape. It was Lin Ran, who was wearing a yellow robe. Seeing this, the empress heaved a sigh of relief. She frowned slightly and asked softly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in the Cloud Prayer Palace in the middle of the night? What are you doing here? Where¡¯s your mask?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± Lin Ran sighed and looked at the empress seriously. ¡°Someone wants you dead.¡± Chapter 50 - Life Is Unpredictable Lin Ran roughly explained what happened in the Cloud Prayer Palace. Seeing that the empress was confused, Lin Ran said helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can explain it clearly. You should go take a look yourself.¡± ¡°You want me to go?¡± The empress frowned slightly. ¡°Logically speaking, I indeed should go, but I don¡¯t have the ability to travel in the form of water like you! Now that the servants think that I¡¯m in the Cloud Prayer Palace, how can I explain myself if I show up outside the door?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a problem¡­¡± Lin Ran rubbed his chin and fell into deep thought. He accidentally saw the scrolls stacked on the desk and suddenly had an idea. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Lin Ran smiled evilly. ¡°I just thought of a brilliant idea!¡± ¡­ Outside the Cloud Prayer Palace. Li Tianyi looked at the pouring rain worriedly, afraid that this sound would disturb the emperor. Li Tianyi¡¯s expression changed drastically when he saw water seeping into the door. He quickly called the young eunuch over and whispered, ¡°Hurry up and fill up the crack! If His Majesty is disturbed, your head will not be on your body!¡± A few eunuchs nodded. Some ran to get the tools, while others were afraid that it would be too late. They actually lay on the ground at the door and used their bodies to block the rainwater from seeping in. Unexpectedly, the rain came and went quickly. Before the eunuch who went to get the tools returned, the rain had already stopped. Li Tianyi heaved a sigh of relief when he saw this. Just as he was about to return to the rattan chair to rest, he saw a figure carrying a lantern pass through the door and walk over. ¡°Hey! How dare you come near this place!¡± Li Tianyi shouted and immediately went to confront the figure. Only then did he see that it was the commander of the imperial guards, Lin Ran. Seeing Lin Ran, Li Tianyi¡¯s face darkened. He had been angered by this guy in the imperial garden during the day. He was just worrying about how to deal with this blockhead when he came. Li Tianyi stopped in front of Lin Ran and asked with a faint smile, ¡°Lord Lin, why are you in such a hurry?¡± ¡°An urgent report from the border. I have to send it to His Majesty as soon as possible. Please make way!¡± Lin Ran raised a scroll and wanted to move forward, but he realized that Li Tianyi had no intention of making way for him. ¡°Lord Lin, you came at the wrong time. His Majesty is already resting.¡± Li Tianyi smiled faintly. ¡°His Majesty has been busy with state affairs for the past few days. He¡¯s really tired. Now that the war in the north is stable, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything important to be reported. Lord Lin, come back tomorrow morning.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and exuded a faint aura of an emperor. ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to decide if there¡¯s anything urgent in the north.¡± Intimidated by the regal aura, in a daze, Li Tianyi seemed to have seen the emperor standing in front of him. He was so frightened that his legs went weak and he knelt on the ground! Lin Ran snorted and walked past him. Only then did Li Tianyi react and quickly get up from the ground. Thinking that he had been frightened by Lin Ran and embarrassed himself in public, Li Tianyi couldn¡¯t help but burn with anger. His face darkened as he turned around and shouted, ¡°Stop him! Don¡¯t let him disturb His Majesty!¡± The eunuchs hurriedly went forward, but before they could touch Lin Ran, Lin Ran knocked on the door without hesitation. ¡°Your Majesty! An urgent report from the border!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the door was opened from the inside. The empress stood in the door in a yellow robe. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Lord Lin. Come in and talk.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± Lin Ran walked in and then closed the door. Li Tianyi looked at this scene and had a hard time processing it. After all, this was Consort Rong¡¯s bedroom! According to the rules of the palace, other than the eunuchs serving the consorts, even he, the head of eunuchs, was not allowed to enter. Otherwise, it would be a crime punishable by death. Li Tianyi was puzzled outside the hall. In the Cloud Prayer Palace, ¡°Lin Ran¡±, who had just entered, raised his hand to touch his face, revealing a handsome face. ¡°Lord Lin, let me see that assassin.¡± The two of them walked up to the corpse. In no time, the empress understood the whole story. She frowned and asked softly, ¡°So today, in the imperial garden, you realized that Consort Rong¡¯s gaze was strange. It¡¯s not that she recognized you, but she heard that I sent you here to patrol and was worried that you would get in her way? When did she sneak into the palace?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it should have been a long time.¡± Lin Ran replied seriously, ¡°Consort Rong said that she can always hear strange sounds in the middle of the night and asked you to come to the Cloud Prayer Palace tonight. From the looks of it, this is also part of the assassin¡¯s plan. Think about it carefully. When did she say it the first time?¡± The empress recalled for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. However, since this person can disguise as Consort Rong, she must have a collaborator in the palace. Could they be with King Zhao too?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Lin Ran immediately shook his head. ¡°You killed King Zhao and the men in his mansion. The women were all sent to the border. Even if his subordinates don¡¯t want to give up, it¡¯s useless even if they kill you now.¡± ¡°You are right¡­ Is she a martial artist then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible too.¡± Lin Ran shook his head again and pointed at the corpse on the ground with his chin. ¡°This face is not a disguise, but plastic surgery. It will take at least a few years to prepare before the plastic surgery can be done so flawlessly. Those mob martial artists can¡¯t be so far-sighted.¡± The empress¡¯s face immediately turned pale. Both her guesses were rejected. She really had no clue. At this moment, Lin Ran suddenly thought of something. ¡°By the way, when she tried to assassinate me, the weapon she used was very special. Perhaps it can give us some clues!¡± The empress¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Quick, show it to me!¡± ¡°This¡­ I accidentally broke the weapon¡­¡± Lin Ran replied awkwardly. Actually, he wasn¡¯t careless. He just felt that he could get some clues from the assassin, so he didn¡¯t care about the short saber. However, he did not expect the assassin to be so decisive. She took the poison immediately after the assassination failed without any hesitation! However, this was not a problem. Lin Ran found a brush and ink and sketched out the short saber with a few strokes. Although the lines were a little simple, with his supreme comprehension of sword intent, he managed to draw a pretty identical saber. The empress took the paper and her expression changed. ¡°It¡¯s actually him!¡± Chapter 51 - A Strange Sound in the Night, Cloud Prayer Palace Is Not Clean? Seeing the empress¡¯s reaction, Lin Ran¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Do you know this saber?¡± The empress nodded subconsciously. Then, as if she had suddenly woken up, she adjusted her expression and said softly, ¡°I roughly know what¡¯s going on. I will continue to investigate this matter. You stay out of it.¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes. ¡°What do you mean? If I was weaker, I would be the one lying here now. You want me to stay out of it?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re unwilling, but this matter can¡¯t be rushed.¡± The empress looked straight at Lin Ran with an unprecedented solemn expression. ¡°Currently, King Zhao¡¯s accomplices are still out there in the world. This matter must not be spread. Do your job first.¡± Lin Ran looked at the empress¡¯s serious expression and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little strange. Even when King Zhao rebelled and the empress was in danger, she did not look so serious. What could be more serious than King Zhao¡¯s rebellion? Lin Ran quickly recalled what the empress had said and suddenly had a guess. Then, he smiled. ¡°I already know who the mastermind is!¡± The empress narrowed her eyes. ¡°How did you know?¡± Lin Ran revealed a faint smile, but he did not answer the empress¡¯s question directly. Instead, he analyzed, ¡°This assassin sneaked into the palace and disguised as your consort. She definitely needs someone from the palace to cooperate with her. Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible for her to have come thus far.¡± ¡°Previously, when you were searching for King Zhao¡¯s collaborators in the palace, you didn¡¯t find anyone related to this assassin. This means that the other party has been hiding for a long time. Perhaps even King Zhao doesn¡¯t know. Am I right?¡± The empress¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Continue.¡± Lin Ran continued to analyze, ¡°To be able to spend a few years nurturing such an assassin and set up this trap, be it manpower, material resources, or financial resources, it¡¯s not something an ordinary person can do. In the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty, only a few vassals have the ability.¡± ¡°And you just said that ¡®internal affairs must be taken care of before taking care of the external affairs¡¯. If I¡¯m not wrong, this ¡®internal affairs¡¯ doesn¡¯t refer to the palace or the capital.¡± The empress looked at Lin Ran with a faint smile. ¡°So you¡¯re guessing that some vassals set all of this up?¡± ¡°If not for this saber, I might really think that it was done by a vassal.¡± Lin Ran chuckled and pointed at the drawing of the saber. ¡°The Heavenly Saint Dynasty advocates the Sword Dao. There are very few martial artists who use sabers. The style of this saber is strange. If it¡¯s really a weapon of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, I must have heard of it since I¡¯ve been guarding Mount Sword for so many years.¡± The empress lowered her eyes and Lin Ran knew that he had guessed correctly. He took a deep breath and said firmly, ¡°The mastermind behind this assassination is the Great Yong Dynasty!¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ you¡¯re indeed smarter than I thought.¡± Lin Ran looked not particularly surprised. Although this answer was a little shocking, it was the most reasonable answer. The war between the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and the Great Yong Dynasty had been going on for a long time. Sending a few assassins and spies to each other was not uncommon. Moreover, the timing of this assassination was very ingenious. Right now, King Zhao¡¯s rebellion had just been suppressed. To the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, it was a critical period for them to rest and recover. If the empress was assassinated at this moment, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty would be leaderless. If the Great Yong Dynasty sent troops south, it would definitely be effortless to take down the dynasty. ¡°The Great Yong Dynasty is really sinister!¡± Lin Ran sneered, and a trace of killing intent flashed across his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go to the north now and bring back the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty!¡± ¡°No!¡± The empress hurriedly stopped Lin Ran and said with a serious expression, ¡°There¡¯s an agreement between the dynasties that those above the Grandmaster Realm are not allowed to participate in the war!¡± Lin Ran was speechless. ¡°This kind of agreement is to fool children. When the country is on the verge of destruction, who cares about such things?¡± ¡°I care!¡± The empress said in a low voice with a dignified expression, ¡°No matter what, those who break the agreement will become the target of public criticism. At that time, many foreign powers will send their masters to attack us with righteous cause.¡± Lin Ran nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Got it. Whoever makes the first move is not in the right.¡± The empress rolled her eyes. ¡°This is not a matter of being right or not. Once a war starts, the people will die first. So what if we win?¡± Only then did Lin Ran completely understand. He looked at the empress with heartache. ¡°So you have to think about this every day. It seems that it¡¯s not easy for you to be the emperor.¡± ¡°As the emperor, I have to be responsible for the people of the world!¡± The empress let out a long sigh. Her gaze landed on the assassin¡¯s corpse and she could not help but look worried. ¡°We¡¯ve found this assassin, but where did the real Consort Rong go? Could it be that this assassin has been Consort Rong all along?¡± Lin Ran said firmly without hesitation, ¡°She and Consort Rong are two different people.¡± The empress raised her eyebrows. ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lin Ran hesitated for a long time and didn¡¯t know how to put it. He only raised his hand and pointed at his chest. The empress instantly understood and a blush appeared on her face. She cleared her throat and pretended to be calm. ¡°The most important thing now is to find Consort Rong. If anything happens to her, I¡¯m afraid it will affect General Guo, who is still in the north.¡± Lin Ran nodded in agreement. ¡°They are probably afraid of General Guo and wanted to use this to dishearten him and bring him down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, General Guo¡­¡± Just as the empress was about to say something, a rustling sound suddenly came from somewhere. The voice sounded like nails scratching on a wooden board. If one listened carefully, it sounded like a person talking, but they could not tell what it was. Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly. He swallowed and asked softly, ¡°Your Majesty, didn¡¯t you say that the noise in the Cloud Prayer Palace was just an excuse for Consort Rong to get you to come over?¡± The empress¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°I was just guessing! Ever since Consort Rong entered the palace, this is the first time I¡¯ve come to the Cloud Prayer Palace. Didn¡¯t you hear the noise last time you came?¡± ¡°I was too busy to care about it.¡± As soon as Lin Ran finished speaking, he felt that something was wrong. He turned around and realized that the empress was indeed staring at him strangely. At this moment, the strange sound was heard again. Lin Ran listened carefully and pointed at the bed. ¡°Over there!¡± Before he could finish speaking, Lin Ran had already flashed to the bed like a ghost. The Yin Yang Sword flashed in his hand and slashed out sword energy. In the blink of an eye, the carved wooden bed was cut into pieces. All the cuts were extremely clean! The wood was scattered, but there was nothing under the bed. Just as Lin Ran was feeling strange, the noise sounded again! Chapter 52 - Hidden Sword Pavilion Seeing that Lin Ran had cut open the bed, the empress came closer and realized that there was nothing under the bed. She couldn¡¯t help but look puzzled. ¡°It ran away?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Although Lin Ran did not use his full strength in that strike just now, it was still extremely fast. Even a grandmaster would not be able to dodge it easily. Just as the empress was about to say something, the strange sound was heard again. The two of them looked at each other. Lin Ran pointed at the floor under the bed, indicating that the sound was coming from below. The empress nodded and took a few steps back. Lin Ran slashed out his sword energy again and cut open the floor. Only then did he realize that there was a secret compartment below. A woman in pink was tied up and hidden inside. It was Consort Rong, who had been missing for a long time! At this moment, Consort Rong¡¯s face was pale and her breathing was weak. Even if the wooden board in front of her was cut open by the sword energy, she did not react at all. She only kept scratching the surrounding wooden board with her nails. It was obvious that she was already unconscious. Lin Ran jumped down into the secret compartment and checked her pulse. He turned around and said to the empress, ¡°She¡¯s fine. She was just drugged.¡± The empress nodded and was about to call for help when Lin Ran stopped her in a low voice. Before she could ask, she saw Lin Ran take off his yellow robe, revealing his well-defined muscles. The empress immediately felt her face heat up. She hurriedly looked away and asked in a low voice, ¡°What do you want to do? Now is not the time to do that kind of thing!¡± ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and said angrily, ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to explain if others see us dressed like this. Put on your robe. After you change, give me my clothes!¡± With that, Lin Ran hid behind the screen, clearly indicating that he wouldn¡¯t peep. The empress picked up the yellow robe hesitantly. She could still smell Lin Ran¡¯s scent on it. It was like grass mixed with dew and smelled very fresh. However, this was the robe that the man had just worn! However, the empress also knew that Lin Ran was right. She was wearing the uniform of a guard commander. If outsiders saw her, she would be put in a difficult position. Thinking of this, the empress no longer hesitated. She glanced at the screen and made sure that Lin Ran was not peeping at her before she slowly untied her clothes, but she did not notice a puddle of water slowly flowing out from under the screen. When the empress took off her clothes, the water on the ground suddenly rippled. ¡°I thought that Consort Jin of He Shang Palace was unmatched. I didn¡¯t expect her to be even more busty than her¡­ As expected, one shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself and looked at her critically for a while. Only when the empress put on the yellow robe did he reluctantly retreat behind the screen. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± The empress said softly with a hint of shyness in her voice. At the same time, a few pieces of clothes were placed on the screen. Lin Ran put on his clothes and walked out of the screen. Suddenly, a few sword energies shot out and disfigured the assassin. ¡°Lin Ran! What are you doing?!¡± When the empress saw this scene, she couldn¡¯t help but reveal a sullen expression. ¡°She¡¯s already dead! Even if she¡¯s an assassin, you can¡¯t treat her like this!¡± Lin Ran glanced at the empress and said helplessly, ¡°Do you think I want to? She looks like Consort Rong. If I don¡¯t ruin her face, how will you explain it later?¡± Only then did the empress react and stop blaming him. Then, Lin Ran rescued Consort Rong from the secret compartment, untied her, and placed her aside. He then dragged the assassin¡¯s corpse to the outer hall and gestured for the empress to call for help. ¡°Assassin! Guard, where is the guard!¡± With that, several guards immediately barged in, followed by Li Tianyi with a few eunuchs. However, when everyone entered, they saw the empress being protected by Lin Ran. There was only an unrecognizable corpse on the ground. Li Tianyi was stunned for a moment before he hurriedly went forward and asked, ¡°Your Majesty! Are you harmed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± The empress waved her hand and pointed at the corpse on the ground. ¡°Just now, this person took advantage of my carelessness and appeared from under the bed to assassinate me. Fortunately, Lord Lin reacted quickly and killed the assassin. However, Consort Rong was drugged by the assassin and fainted. Quick, go and summon the imperial physician to treat her!¡± Li Tianyi immediately went to fetch the imperial physician. Lin Ran secretly gave the empress a look and snuck out unnoticed. By the next morning, the news of the emperor¡¯s assassination had already spread throughout the palace. The civil and military officials waiting in the hall discussed animatedly. However, the empress had no intention of hiding anything. In the morning court assembly, she briefly explained this matter and rewarded Lin Ran with some gold, silver, and jewelry. The ministers in the hall couldn¡¯t help but flatter Lin Ran. Similar assassinations happened a few times a year. The empress did not seem to mind, so the others were used to it. Just like that, this ¡°assassination incident¡± was forgotten after the morning court assembly. As for how dangerous it was, only Lin Ran and the empress knew. In the blink of an eye, two days passed. During this period of time, Lin Ran changed into Sword God¡¯s attire and appeared in the palace a few times. The rest of the time, he had been cultivating in Mingzhao Hall. The empress summoned him but he turned it down with the excuse that he had suffered internal injuries from fighting the assassin. The empress knew that he was avoiding her, but she couldn¡¯t do anything. It was strange that Lin Ran¡¯s cultivation speed had slowed down after entering the Half-Saint realm. No matter how hard he cultivated, he could not sense any improvement. Even the sign-in system went dormant. It seemed that the system had classified the palace as a ¡°location¡±. He had previously signed in the throne room, so this location was already expired. This morning, Lin Ran was meditating in Mingzhao Hall when he suddenly sensed someone approaching the door. He thought that it should be the young eunuch who came to deliver food, so Lin Ran didn¡¯t mind and continued cultivating. In fact, given his current cultivation level, he no longer needed to eat or drink. However, since he lived in the palace, he was naturally given the best treatment. Therefore, even if he never ate the food, the food would still be delivered to him. But after half an hour, Lin Ran felt that something was wrong. In the past, this young eunuch would leave after delivering food. Why was he still here today? Puzzled, Lin Ran stopped cultivating and got up. He put on his Sword God outfit and prepared to go out to take a look. Lin Ran activated endless sword intents to protect himself. He waved his hand and opened the door with sword energy. Only then did he realize that it was not a eunuch outside at all, but Zhou Hao, who was ranked second in the martial arts examination. Zhou Hao stood at the door with a hesitant expression. The sudden appearance of the Ten Miles Sword God shocked him. He hurriedly knelt on the ground and said, ¡°Greetings, Ten Miles Sword God!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lin Ran subconsciously wanted to ask, ¡°Why are you here?¡± But just as he opened his mouth, he immediately changed his words. ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡± Zhou Hao did not suspect anything. He knelt on the ground and explained, ¡°I¡¯m the imperial guard, Zhou Hao! A few days ago, an assassination was attempted on His Majesty, so His Majesty wanted to strengthen the security. The Hidden Sword Pavilion will be opened today to provide the guards with new sets of armors and weapons. I took the liberty to come here to ask you if you¡¯re interested in visiting the Sword Pavilion.¡± ¡°Hidden Sword Pavilion?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. He had once heard from Daoist Li that Mount Sword wasn¡¯t the only place where swords were collected and stored in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. The other place was the Hidden Sword Pavilion in the palace! Chapter 53 - Heavenly Saint Dynastys Hidden Sword Pavilion According to Daoist Li, on the surface, the Hidden Sword Pavilion was the armory for the palace guards. In fact, there was a secret room inside. Most of the divine artifacts stored there were used by famous generals. After the generals died on the battlefield or retired to the countryside, they would keep the weapons they used in the Hidden Sword Pavilion. When the generals in the future made extraordinary contributions, the royal family would reward them with this. It was considered a supreme honor for the soldiers! Therefore, compared to the divine weapons of Mount Sword, the divine weapons in the Hidden Sword Pavilion not only had incomparable power, but they were also passed down from generation to generation. When Lin Ran first arrived in the palace, he had also wanted to go to the Hidden Sword Pavilion to ¡°expand his knowledge¡±, but he had never found a good cause to do so. Now that the empress was preparing to open the Hidden Sword Pavilion, wasn¡¯t this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? If he could obtain the inheritance of a famous general in the Hidden Sword Pavilion, his cultivation might advance further! Thinking of this, Lin Ran immediately became excited, but he still pretended to be calm. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to join in the fun, but since you¡¯re sincere in inviting me, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sword God!¡± Zhou Hao was overjoyed. Then, he took out a wooden box from his pocket. After opening it, he carefully took out an incomplete manual. ¡°Sword God, this is the sword manual that has been passed down in the Zhou family for generations. Unfortunately, it¡¯s incomplete. Although it¡¯s nothing to you, it¡¯s the most precious gift I can give!¡± Lin Ran looked puzzled. ¡°What is this all about, Imperial Guard Zhou?¡± Zhou Hao replied in a low voice in embarrassment, ¡°To be honest, I have my own selfish motives for inviting you today¡­ I¡¯ve long heard that the Ten Miles Sword God has a pair of discerning eyes that can distinguish the divine weapons in the world, so I want you to choose a suitable weapon for me. Please fulfill my wish!¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Lin Ran nodded without hesitation and put away the sword manual. As for choosing a weapon for Zhou Hao, he did not take it to heart at all. Zhou Hao was just an ordinary guard. There were thousands of such guards in the palace. Even if the guards were going to get new weapons, they couldn¡¯t possibly be allowed to use divine weapons. If he agreed, he would get a sword manual for nothing. Why would Lin Ran say no? Unfortunately, Zhou Hao did not know he was being fooled. Seeing that the Sword God agreed so readily, Zhou Hao was so happy that the corners of his mouth were about to reach the back of his head. He lay on the ground and kowtowed to thank him. Lin Ran was worried that he would have a concussion from kowtowing like that. After Zhou Hao was done kowtowing, he added, ¡°Sword God, I still have to inform the commander of the guards, Lin Ran. Please wait here for a moment!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Lin Ran hurriedly called out to stop Zhou Hao. ¡°I heard that His Majesty was assassinated a few days ago and Commander Lin was injured while protecting him. Let him rest and recover.¡± When Zhou Hao heard this, he cupped his hands and said in admiration, ¡°Sword God, although you¡¯ve been staying in Mingzhao Hall all this while, you know everything in the palace like the back of your hand. I simply can¡¯t express how much I admire you.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and said indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t waste time. Lead the way.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Under Zhou Hao¡¯s lead, the two of them left Mingzhao Hall and arrived at the Hidden Sword Pavilion in the northeast corner of the palace. When Lin Ran arrived, the place was already filled with people lining up to receive their new weapons. Fortunately, these guards were well-trained. They lined up in small groups and handed over their swords one after another. Then, the officials of the Hidden Sword Pavilion distributed new swords to them. The entire process was orderly. Although there were many people, it was not messy at all. Lin Ran nodded in approval. The empress really had a way of managing such a big palace. However, Zhou Hao couldn¡¯t stay calm. He thought that he could enter the Hidden Sword Pavilion to choose a weapon of his choice, so he gave his precious manual to Ten Miles Sword God. He didn¡¯t expect the process would be done in this way. Then wouldn¡¯t his sword manual be given away for nothing? Thinking of this, Zhou Hao immediately felt his blood boil. Lin Ran, who was standing at the side, sensed something wrong. Before Zhou Hao could speak, he took the initiative to speak first, ¡°Guard Zhou, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do what you wanted me to. This sword manual¡­¡± ¡°You, you can keep it. Take it as a gift from me.¡± Zhou Hao replied with a pained expression. In fact, he had stolen this sword manual from his family. He thought that he would be able to choose a divine weapon. He did not expect to end up with nothing. However, if he could use this sword manual to get close to the Ten Miles Sword God, Zhou Hao thought it was worth it. At the very least, his father wouldn¡¯t beat him to death for the sake of the Ten Miles Sword God. Lin Ran didn¡¯t care. He nodded and walked straight to the Hidden Sword Pavilion. When the guards saw a black-clothed figure walking over with endless sword intent, they immediately knelt down. Even the officials of the Hidden Sword Pavilion hurriedly stood up from their seats and knelt down to welcome the Sword God. The empress had long ordered that the Ten Miles Sword God could go where he wished in the palace and no one was to stop him. Lin Ran took advantage of this privilege today. He raised his hand and gestured for everyone to stand up before walking into the Hidden Sword Pavilion. As soon as he stepped across the threshold, a familiar voice sounded in Lin Ran¡¯s mind. [Ding!] [Special location detected. The host is in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s Hidden Sword Pavilion.] [Host, do you want to sign in?] Lin Ran was delighted. His previous guess was right. A location with divine weapons was a special location! At the same time, Lin Ran also noticed that the location detected by the system was the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s Hidden Sword Pavilion. In other words, there were also ¡°Hidden Sword Pavilion¡± in other dynasties. If he had the chance to visit the Hidden Sword Pavilion of other dynasties, who knew how many rewards he would receive! After being excited for a while, Lin Ran calmed down and began to size up the Hidden Sword Pavilion. The first thing he saw was rows of weapon racks made of ebony. Standard longswords were placed neatly in the rack. Just by standing in front of them, one could feel the sharp sword intent contained in them. However, Lin Ran¡¯s goal this time was the secret room in the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Even if he wiped these weapons and signed in, he probably wouldn¡¯t get anything good. Thinking of this, Lin Ran continued walking. He quickly passed through the rows of weapon racks and walked straight to the secret room in the depths. Lin Ran remembered that Daoist Li had said that the secret room in the Hidden Sword Pavilion was surrounded by layers of weapon racks, which was the center of the Hidden Sword Pavilion. However, Lin Ran walked all the way to the end of the Hidden Sword Pavilion and didn¡¯t see anything that looked like a room. ¡°Could it be that the secret room has been moved away?¡± Chapter 54 - The Truth About the Hidden Sword Pavilion With doubts in his heart, Lin Ran turned around and walked towards the door. This time, Lin Ran walked very slowly. Along the way, he kept looking around and even used his spiritual energy to investigate. However, even when he reached the door, he still did not find any traces of the secret room. Just as Lin Ran was feeling puzzled, an official from the Hidden Sword Pavilion walked in and bowed with his left hand on his chest. ¡°Greetings, Ten Miles Sword God.¡± Lin Ran retracted his thoughts. Looking at Liu Tao¡¯s imperial attire, he knew that he was a fourth-grade official. He asked, ¡°Lord Liu, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Liu Tao smiled and probed, ¡°I noticed just now that you seem to be looking for something in the Hidden Sword Pavilion. I¡¯ve been staying here for a long time. Perhaps I can be of service to you.¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he felt that it was a good idea, so he pretended to be calm and said, ¡°I¡¯m not looking for anything in particular. I just heard that the Hidden Sword Pavilion has a collection of many famous generals¡¯ weapons, so I wanted to see them for myself.¡± ¡°Famous generals¡¯ weapons?¡± When Liu Tao heard this, he looked confused. ¡°Sword God, where did you hear the rumors? I¡¯ve been in the Hidden Sword Pavilion for seven years and have never heard of any weapons from famous generals.¡± ¡°No?¡± This time, Lin Ran was completely stunned. Had he been deceived by Daoist Li? However, if there were no famous general weapons here, why would the system ring? Could it be that it was a special location without weapons? As soon as this thought appeared, Lin Ran immediately denied it. Ever since he awakened the system, Lin Ran had only signed in at Mount Sword. The great opportunities he obtained were also related to the divine weapons in Mount Sword. Therefore, there was no doubt that the system and divine weapons were inextricably linked. At that time, Lin Ran was just a mountain guard. Daoist Li had no reason to lie to him, so there must be a secret room here. It was just that he had yet to find the right way to find it. Thinking of this, Lin Ran waved at Liu Tao. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can leave first. I¡¯ll look around.¡± Liu Tao nodded and walked away, and Lin Ran returned to the center of the Hidden Sword Pavilion. The exterior of the Hidden Sword Pavilion was an octagonal building, and the weapons racks were arranged according to the Eight Trigrams. In the middle of the Hidden Sword Pavilion was the Eight Trigrams. Logically speaking, if there was a secret treasure room hidden here, it was most likely in the center. Lin Ran found the center and sat down cross-legged. He looked around and suddenly felt a little strange. Logically speaking, for the sake of convenience, these weapon racks should be arranged in a straight line, but in reality, all the weapon racks were placed in a staggered manner. From Lin Ran¡¯s point of view, there seemed to be endless weapons racks in all directions. Lin Ran closed his eyes and fell into deep thought. A thought flashed through his mind. He knew what he had thought of, but he just couldn¡¯t grasp the message of it. Just as Lin Ran was feeling anxious, a few officials who came in to get swords saw him sitting there cross-legged. They did not dare to disturb him and quietly took the swords and left. When one of them passed by Lin Ran, he couldn¡¯t help but stagger and a long sword fell from his arms. The hilt of the sword hit the ground and slipped out of the scabbard with a clang. The snow-white sword drew an arc in the air and landed in Lin Ran¡¯s palm! ¡°Oh no!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed drastically and he hurriedly withdrew his palm, but it was too late. [Ding!] [Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in and obtaining the Qimen Sword Technique.] A golden light that ordinary people could not see entered his glabella. After signing in a few times, Lin Ran already had a preliminary understanding of the mechanism of this system. Although he could sign in at the same location repeatedly, the rewards he obtained the first time were the best. For example, the [Formless Sword Body] he obtained in Mount Sword and the [Nine Yin-Yang Swords] he obtained in the throne room. At the same time, the value of the system reward was also related to the sword Lin Ran had wiped when he signed in. When he wiped those divine weapons on Mount Sword, the rewards he obtained were all extremely difficult to obtain just by cultivating like sword bodies and sword intent. When he wiped ordinary swords, he could only obtain cultivation techniques and sword techniques. Therefore, before coming to the Hidden Sword Pavilion, Lin Ran had made up his mind to find a divine weapon. He did not expect this standard longsword to find its way to touch him. The ancient manual slowly unfolded in his mind. Lin Ran was surprised to find that although this reward was called a sword technique, it was actually more like a movement technique. However, the content of the manual was too obscure. Lin Ran, who was feeling frustrated, was really not in the mood to study it. He only read it briefly before throwing it to the back of his mind. At this moment, when the low-ranking official saw that the sword had actually fallen into the hands of the Sword God, his face instantly turned pale. He hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly. ¡°Sword God, please forgive me! Please forgive me! I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! Please forgive me!¡± The other low-ranking officials also knelt down like a group of frightened quails, trembling and not daring to speak. ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s all fate.¡± Lin Ran waved and dismissed them, sounding indescribably frustrated. After being disturbed by this low-ranking official, Lin Ran no longer had the mood to continue searching for the secret room. Since he had already obtained the reward for signing in today, he planned to go back and study the manual before coming back tomorrow. After making up his mind, Lin Ran walked out absent-mindedly. However, as he walked, he realized that something was wrong. He seemed to have arrived at a place he had never been to before. He was surrounded by weapons racks made of ebony. The longswords on the racks were arranged exactly the same, but he felt that he had never been to this place before. Lin Ran stood on his tiptoes and could see that the door of the Hidden Sword Pavilion was not far to the right. However, a thought suddenly occurred to him that drove him to walk to the left. This thought appeared for no reason, but the driving force was very strong. It was as if there was a pair of invisible hands pushing him from behind, making Lin Ran feel that he had to go left! ¡°Qimen Technique¡­ Qimen¡­ Qimen!¡± Lin Ran suddenly felt enlightened. No wonder the weapon racks here were placed like this. It turned out that someone had done it on purpose. The few officials just now were the best example! Logically speaking, when they saw Lin Ran sitting there, they would definitely take a detour. However, they still walked past him. There must be a reason why they did that. In other words, their path in the Hidden Sword Pavilion was fixed. Once they deviated from the path, something bad would happen. They would be lost in the Qimen array! This also explained why Liu Tao did not know about the existence of the secret room. The technique of the Mystic Sect was obscure and mysterious. Even Lin Ran was tricked when he entered. Even if Liu Tao and the others guarded here until they died, they would not know the truth of the Hidden Sword Pavilion! After figuring this out, Lin Ran immediately moved between the weapons racks. Soon, a black boulder appeared out of thin air in front of him. Chapter 55 - The Key to Open the Treasure Vault The huge boulder was about the height of a person. Because it was blocked by many weapon racks, its size could not be seen. It was pitch-black, but its surface emitted a grayish-white luster. With just a glance, Lin Ran confirmed that this boulder was the same thing as the material on Mount Sword. Daoist Li had once told Lin Ran that Mount Sword was formed by a very special mineral. Not only could this mineral nurture the sword intent in the divine weapon, but it could also form a natural barrier and keep these sword intents within the mountain range. That was why the outside world did not know much about the situation of Mount Sword. The appearance of the boulder here explained why Lin Ran could not sense any sword intent previously. While he was thinking, Lin Ran had already arrived in front of the huge boulder. It was about the width of six people standing side by side, but Lin Ran could only see a portion of it. It was unknown what was hidden underneath it. At the same time, Lin Ran sensed a faint and sharp sword intent. This wisp of sword intent was hidden among the tens of thousands of standard swords in the Hidden Sword Pavilion. It was as inconspicuous as a red leaf in the pine forest. The Qimen array hid the treasure vault, and tens of thousands of standard swords covered the sword intent. With just two simple arrangements, the treasure vault disappeared from the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Lin Ran placed his hand on the boulder and touched the material that he was familiar with. He couldn¡¯t help but look nostalgic. Now that he was a master of the Half-Saint Realm, it was hard to find a match for him in the world. However, his happiest time was actually when he was guarding Mount Sword. After reminiscing for a while, Lin Ran got down to business. He first walked around the boulder but could not find any clues to the entrance. There were no flaws or cracks on the surface, except for a sword mark on the northeast side of it. The sword mark was about three fingers long. Lin Ran tried to use his spiritual energy to feel it, but just as he injected his spiritual energy into the sword mark, he heard a loud clanging sound. The surging sword intent surged out and forced him back a few steps! ¡°What a domineering sword intent!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed drastically as he exclaimed. Ever since he stepped into the Martial Dao, he had never felt such a sharp sword intent. Even the Ten Miles Dragon Roar that contained the sword intent of the Sword God was probably only a tenth of this sword intent! One had to know that the Ten Miles Sword God was already at the peak of the Senior Grandmaster Realm at that time. Even if only a portion of his sword intent was left in the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, it was enough to shake the world. How could anyone¡¯s sword intent be more powerful than the Ten Miles Sword God¡¯s? After the shock, Lin Ran felt puzzled. He frowned and pondered. Soon, he realized something strange. Although the sword intent just now was surging and fierce, it did not contain any hostility. Compared to an attack, it was more like a respected senior demonstrating to a junior. Most importantly, Lin Ran seemed to feel a sense of familiarity and closeness from the sword intent. ¡°Could it be because of this huge rock boulder from Mount Sword?¡± Lin Ran guessed and shook his head. ¡°No, no. Daoist Li said that this boulder can only nurture and contain sword intent, but it won¡¯t affect the essence of the sword intent.¡± Lin Ran fell into deep thought again. His gaze subconsciously landed on the sword mark. The more he looked at it, the more familiar it looked, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen it before. ¡°What exactly is this?¡± Lin Ran stroked the sword mark and muttered to himself. This time, he did not try to test it, so the sword intent was not triggered. At the same time, the familiar and intimate feeling became stronger. Looking into the deep crack of the sword mark, Lin Ran seemed to see another world in it. There was a figure in black walking among tenths of thousands of soldiers with a sword in his hand. With just a light wave of his sword, a surging sword intent filled the world. The enemy fell to the ground like wheat being cut, but the black-robed figure remained calm. He was like a graceful dragon amidst the lights and sword shadows¡­ ¡°Ten Miles Dragon Roar!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes lit up, and the battlefield in front of him disappeared. At this moment, he was enlightened! No wonder this sword mark was so familiar. This was the sword mark left behind by the Ten Mile Sword God. The sword of the Sword God, Ten Mile Dragon Roar, was the key to opening this divine sword treasure vault! Without needing to confirm it, Lin Ran knew that he was right. What he had to do next was very simple. He had to obtain the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, open the treasure vault, and use the famous divine weapon inside to sign in for the reward! The only problem was that in order to reassure the empress, Lin Ran had left the Ten Miles Dragon Roar under her pillow. This broken sword was of great significance to the empress. If he asked for it, she might not give it back, and there was nothing he could do about it. The safest way was to sneak into her bedroom at night and steal it. At most, he would send it back after using it. After making up his mind, Lin Ran took one last look at the sword mark and left the Hidden Sword Pavilion. After returning to Mingzhao Hall, Lin Ran changed into the uniform of the guard commander and went out again. Changing weaponry was a big thing for the palace guards. Although Lin Ran didn¡¯t care about those standard swords, he was the commander of the imperial guards after all. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to not show up. Lin Ran returned to the Hidden Sword Pavilion as if nothing had happened. At this moment, most of the guards had received their new swords, and only a hundred or so people were still waiting in line. Lin Ran waited quietly at the back of the line while thinking about his plan to sneak into the empress¡¯s bedroom tonight. At this moment, a group of eunuchs in palace clothes walked into the courtyard. The person in the lead was wearing a purple robe and a jade belt. He held a tai chi whisk in his hand. It was Li Tianyi, the head eunuch. A few eunuchs followed behind with a big brass lock. The lock was three feet square, and there was a bent copper rod protruding from each corner. It was completely different from the shape of an ordinary copper lock. Lin Ran could recognize it as a lock thanks to the pentagonal keyhole on the front. Looking at the exhausted expressions of the eunuchs, Lin Ran knew that the weight of this lock was definitely not light. It was probably used to lock the Sword Pavilion. ¡°It seems that other than the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, I have to think of a way to steal the key for this lock.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. At this moment, Li Tianyi had already entered the courtyard. He ignored the guards in line and walked straight towards the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Liu Tao was supervising the procedure when he saw Li Tianyi suddenly show up. He hurriedly walked up and greeted, ¡°Greetings, Eunuch Li!¡± Liu Tao¡¯s attitude was very humble. Although the two of them were both fourth-grade officials, one was the head of all eunuchs in the imperial palace who was with the emperor all the time, and the other was a military official who was not even qualified to attend the court meeting. Their status in the palace was naturally incomparable. Li Tianyi waved his hand and asked absent-mindedly, ¡°His Majesty sent me to ask you how the matter of changing the sword is going.¡± ¡°Eunuch Li, most of the guards in the palace have already upgraded their swords. There are only a hundred people left in line.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Li Tianyi nodded and waved his tai chi whisk impatiently. ¡°Let them go back¡­ Someone! Lock the door!¡± Chapter 56 - Dilemma As soon as Li Tianyi finished speaking, a few eunuchs carried the brass lock over. The expressions of the hundred guards who had yet to change their swords turned ugly. However, when they saw that it was Li Tianyi who gave the order, they held back their anger. Only Lin Ran¡¯s eyes darkened as if he was thinking about something. Liu Tao hurriedly stopped the young eunuch and asked with a smile, ¡°Eunuch Li, these people have yet to change their swords. If His Majesty finds out and blames me, I won¡¯t be able to bear the responsibility!¡± Li Tianyi¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What? You¡¯re being inefficient, so naturally you are to blame. Do you want me to wait for you here?¡± Liu Tao hurriedly shook his head. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not what I mean! But Eunuch Li, changing the sword is His Majesty¡¯s order¡­¡± ¡°Locking down the Hidden Sword Pavilion is also His Majesty¡¯s order!¡± Li Tianyi reprimanded coldly. Liu Tao immediately lowered his head, not daring to talk back. Li Tianyi snorted and waved his tai chi whisk at the eunuches. ¡°Lock it!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Someone sounded. Li Tianyi was furious. His face turned cold as he wanted to see who was so bold as to stop him. He turned around and saw Lin Ran walking out of the line. Seeing that face, Li Tianyi immediately recalled the night the assassination was attempted on the emperor. He was so frightened by Lin Ran that he knelt down uncontrollably and made a fool of himself. The anger in his heart immediately rose! When everyone saw this, they couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled, not knowing why Li Tianyi got so angry just because he was interrupted. Naturally, they didn¡¯t know about the grudge between Lin Ran and Li Tianyi. Besides, although Lin Ran had saved the emperor a few days ago, he had just entered the palace, so very few people knew him. However, when the guards saw that someone was standing up for them, they couldn¡¯t help but look happy. They looked at Lin Ran with admiration and gratitude, but when they thought about how he interrupted Li Tianyi, worry appeared on their faces. Liu Tao sensed that Li Tian was angry and quickly went forward to stop Lin Ran. He pretended to be angry and said, ¡°Who are you?! How dare you shout?¡± Lin Ran stood still and cupped his hands. ¡°Greetings, Lord Liu! I¡¯m the new commander of imperial guards, Lin Ran.¡± ¡°Who is Lin Ran? That name sounds familiar!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? A few days ago, he saved His Majesty. Now, he¡¯s highly valued and trusted by His Majesty!¡± ¡°I remember now! No wonder he dared to talk back to Eunuch Li. It turns out that he has the emperor¡¯s support!¡± ¡­ After Lin Ran introduced himself, the guards in the courtyard immediately started discussing. Liu Tao was delighted inwardly. The commander of the imperial guards was a third-grade official, one grade higher than him. From Lin Ran¡¯s attitude, it was obvious that he was here to go against Eunuch Li. ¡°So it¡¯s Commander Lin. It¡¯s an honor to meet you!¡± Just as Liu Tao was thinking about how to complement Lin Ran, he suddenly felt that something was wrong. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I met Commander Lin. How did Commander Lin know my name?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression froze. He couldn¡¯t possibly say that he was here just now, right? Fortunately, Lin Ran was quick-witted. He smiled calmly. ¡°Lord Liu is the deputy commander of the palace arsenal and controls all the weapons in the palace. As the commander of the guards, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, but I¡¯ve been too busy with work to visit you.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s flattery was just right. Not only did he praise Liu Tao, but he also did not degrade himself. Liu Tao naturally did not suspect anything else. He waved his hand and said politely, ¡°Lord Lin, you¡¯re being too serious. I¡¯m just a fourth-grade official. I should be the one visiting you!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Li Tianyong coughed a few times to interrupt the two of them. He asked coldly with an unfriendly expression, ¡°Lord Liu, Commander Lin, if the two of you want to chat, please find another place. Don¡¯t delay my task of closing the Hidden Sword Pavilion!¡± Only then did Liu Tao remember Eunuch Li was also here. He looked down and realized that Lin Ran was using an old sword. He immediately had an idea. ¡°Eunuch Li.¡± Liu Tao bowed with a smile and continued, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to waste your time, but Commander Lin is still using an old sword. Can you wait for a moment?¡± Li Tianyi glanced at Lin Ran coldly. ¡°I¡¯m in charge of the palace affairs every day. How can I waste time here? Lock the door!¡± ¡°You can try!¡± Lin Ran took a step forward and asked without looking back, ¡°Lord Liu, what did His Majesty say?¡± ¡°Commander Lin, previously, His Majesty issued an order to upgrade the swords for the palace guards. Before noon, the guards have to have their new swords.¡± ¡°Midnight?¡± Lin Ran muttered softly and looked up at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s about seven in the morning. It¡¯s not time to lock the door yet. Lord Liu, continue with your task!¡± Hearing this, Liu Tao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Although there was no sundial here, he had been delayed by the Ten Miles Sword God for a while. He knew that it was definitely past noon, so he did not disobey Eunuch Li. He did not expect Lin Ran to mention the time! As expected, as soon as Lin Ran finished speaking, Li Tianyi scolded angrily, ¡°Nonsense! It¡¯s clearly past noon.¡± Lin Ran ignored him and continued to look at the sky. He said indifferently, ¡°Is that so? I think it¡¯s seven in the morning! Isn¡¯t that so, Lord Liu?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Liu Tao stood rooted to the ground and did not dare to speak. If he said yes, he would inevitably offend Li Tianyi, but if he said no, he would offend Lin Ran. This was really a dilemma. Fortunately, the two of them were already in a confrontation, so no one cared about Liu Tao¡¯s answer. Li Tian¡¯s expression darkened. Although he wanted to cut Lin Ran into pieces, he didn¡¯t dare to do so in public. After a short moment of thought, Li Tianyi said, ¡°Commander Lin, I¡¯m under orders. If you¡¯re displeased, I can get Lord Liu to change your sword. However, it¡¯s already late. I hope Commander Lin won¡¯t continue to stop me from locking the door.¡± Everyone present could tell that Li Tianyi was using the emperor to suppress Lin Ran. Lin Ran smiled and didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he asked politely, ¡°After hearing what Eunuch Li said, I just remembered that I haven¡¯t paid my respects to His Majesty today. Where is His Majesty now?¡± Li Tianyi didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran wanted to do. He hesitated for a moment before replying, ¡°His Majesty just had lunch and should be resting.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Lin Ran bowed and looked at Liu Tao. ¡°Lord Liu, wait here for a moment.¡± With that, Lin Ran turned around and left. Everyone was confused. They didn¡¯t understand why Lin Ran suddenly backed down. Li Tianyi was also puzzled, but he did not waste his time dwelling on it. His intuition told him that he could not let Lin Ran see the emperor. Otherwise, he would definitely be in trouble! Chapter 57 - Its a Blessing in Disguise After instructing his eunuchs to close the Hidden Sword Pavilion, Li Tianyi immediately rushed to the Hall of Mental Cultivation where the emperor was resting. After rushing to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he saw Lin Ran standing outside the door with the palace guards. His hand was on the hilt of his sword, and his expression was cold. He looked majestic. Seeing this, Li Tian was puzzled. He thought that Lin Ran was here to complain to the emperor. Why was he standing at the door? At this moment, Lin Ran also saw Li Tianyi. He chuckled and went forward to ask, ¡°Eunuch Li, you¡¯re so fast! Has the Hidden Sword Pavilion been closed?¡± Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s calm attitude, Li Tianyi couldn¡¯t help but be vigilant. He nodded and replied, ¡°Thank you for asking, Commander Lin. What are you doing here?¡± Lin Ran smiled and returned to his post silently. The ominous feeling in Li Tianyi¡¯s heart intensified. Just as he was thinking about how to find out, he heard the empress¡¯s voice coming from inside. ¡°Someone! Prepare the carriage. I¡¯m going to the imperial study!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Li Tianyi replied loudly. Then, he hurriedly entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation to help the empress out. Seeing the empress come out, the palace guards hurriedly knelt down and greeted. Only one person remained standing. It was the commander of the imperial guards, Lin Ran. The empress had just taken a nap and was still a little sleepy. For a moment, she did not recognize Lin Ran. When she saw that someone was not kneeling, she immediately looked displeased. ¡°How dare you! Why aren¡¯t you kneeling when you see me?!¡± Lin Ran calmly took off the sword belt and held it in his hand. ¡°Your Majesty! My sword has been in poor condition for a long time. Just now, the sword belt suddenly fell off. I was in panic and forgot to kneel. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!¡± Only then did the empress recognize Lin Ran. She didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°So it¡¯s Lord Lin¡­ This morning, I gave the order for every palace guard to upgrade their sword. Why haven¡¯t you got your new sword yet?¡± ¡°Your Majesty! I went late due to some official affairs. The Hidden Sword Pavilion has already closed. The same goes for the hundred or so guards!¡± Hearing this, Li Tianyi¡¯s expression changed. He thought to himself, ¡°You little bastard, so this is what you are trying to do.¡± As expected, the empress¡¯s expression instantly darkened. She pondered for a moment and shouted, ¡°Guards! Summon the deputy commander of the palace arsenal!¡± Soon, Liu Tao was brought over from the Hidden Sword Pavilion. He was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and did not dare to move. The empress frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, ¡°Lord Liu, changing swords is a huge matter. Even if some guards are late, they should still be allowed to upgrade their swords. How can you make the decision on your own to close the Hidden Sword Pavilion?¡± ¡°Your Majesty! I¡¯m innocent! I¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty! I want to say something!¡± Liu Tao¡¯s eyes turned red and he was about to defend himself when Li Tianyi suddenly interrupted. Li Tianyi knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to let Lin Ran be a few moves ahead of him anymore. Without waiting for Liu Tao to continue, Li Tianyi told the empress what had happened ¡°truthfully¡± and repeatedly emphasized that Lin Ran and the others had missed the time and that he was just following orders. Lin Ran listened silently and did not interrupt. When Li Tianyi finished speaking, Lin Ran took a step forward and said, ¡°Your Majesty, may I ask when assassins usually assassinate?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone present changed drastically. Li Tianyi took a few steps forward and pointed at Lin Ran. ¡°How dare you bring up this question! Are you colluding with those assassins?¡± Lin Ran only looked at the empress without saying anything. A moment later, the empress suddenly chuckled. ¡°Lord Lin is right. The assassins will try to carry out their mission whenever possible. Naturally, the palace guards can¡¯t relax for a moment. It¡¯s understandable that they are late.¡± Hearing that, Li Tianyi¡¯s expression turned ugly. The empress ignored that. After thinking for a moment, she ordered, ¡°Eunuch Li, you¡¯re just following orders. There¡¯s naturally nothing wrong with that. However, you have to follow Lord Liu to the Hidden Sword Pavilion again and change the swords for the remaining guards.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± Lin Ran and Liu Tao bowed in unison, and Li Tianyi also did so reluctantly. After settling this conflict, the empress went straight to the imperial study. Lin Ran and the others went to the Hidden Sword Pavilion again. They walked side by side and looked harmonious, but what was on their minds was very different. Anyone could tell that the empress was biased towards Lin Ran this time. Li Tianyi, as an eunuch who had served three previous emperors, was very sensitive to this subtle change of attitude in the emperors. Lin Ran was thinking about how to steal the key to the Hidden Sword Pavilion at night. Liu Tao turned to look at him every few steps, clearly very curious about this new guard commander. Li Tianyi, on the other hand, gritted his teeth. He couldn¡¯t remember how many times he had been made a fool by Lin Ran. From this moment on, he finally decided to take the initiative to strike back! ¡°Just you wait. You¡¯re not the first person to talk back to me in the palace, but you¡¯ll definitely be the most miserable one!¡± Li Tianyi looked at Lin Ran coldly and thought to himself. At this moment, he did not realize how much danger this decision would bring him. In the end, he became Lin Ran¡¯s stepping stone in the palace. After the three of them returned to the Hidden Sword Pavilion, Li Tianyi opened the bronze lock and asked Liu Tao to change the swords for the remaining guards. Lin Ran also took the opportunity to see the appearance of the key and secretly attached a wisp of sword energy to it. If not for this, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. When the Hidden Sword Pavilion closed again, all the guards had gotten their new swords. Li Tianyi said a few sarcastic words and left in a hurry with the eunuchs. Lin Ran also returned to Mingzhao Hall and waited quietly for the night to make a move. Seeing that there was still some time before the sky turned dark, Lin Ran took out the new Qimen Sword Technique. This sword technique was difficult to understand at first glance, but with Lin Ran¡¯s Half-Saint comprehension of the martial Dao, it only took him an hour to master the essence. With a thought, the Yin Yang Sword appeared in his hand. Lin Ran turned his wrist and shot out a sword light. In the next second, he appeared outside the door. Sword light flashed again, and Lin Ran appeared in the corner of the courtyard. He did not leave any trace at all, as if he had been standing there since the beginning. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing in disguise¡­ I¡¯ve picked up a treasure this time!¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. With the Qimen Sword Technique and Graceful Sword Moves, he could tour the palace without alerting anyone. It was simply tailor-made for his actions tonight! Chapter 58 - : Opening the Treasure Vault As the sky darkened, Lin Ran changed into his Sword God attire and flashed outside the door. The Mystic Sword Technique could enable him to pass through walls, so he did not steal the key anymore and went straight to the empress¡¯s chamber. After finding the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, he went straight to the Hidden Sword Pavilion to open the treasure vault. At the same time, groups of eunuchs holding lanterns were walking in the palace. In a daze, they saw a figure flashing by, but when they looked closely, there was nothing. The thing was that even the guards had encountered such a strange situation. For a long time after that, there were rumors about the ¡°Night Ghost¡± circulating in the palace. At this moment, Lin Ran still didn¡¯t know that he had become the protagonist of the rumors. With the convenience of the ¡°Unique Sword Technique¡±, he quickly arrived at the empress¡¯s bedroom. At this moment, the sky had just turned dark. The empress should still be dealing with state affairs in the imperial study. Therefore, Lin Ran was not being overly cautious. After successfully sneaking into the bedroom, he revealed himself and went to the inner room to look for the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. With his ability to sense divine swords, Lin Ran quickly found a brocade box under the bed. Just as he was about to open the brocade box, he heard the sound of a door opening. Lin Ran thought that the empress had returned and hurriedly hid under the bed. However, a moment later, he saw a purple-robed figure walking in quietly. ¡°Li Tianyi?¡± Lin Ran recognized the person and couldn¡¯t help but frown in confusion. Why did this eunuch sneak into the empress¡¯s bedroom instead of guarding her? Lin Ran was puzzled, but he did not alert Li Tianyi. He silently watched as Li Tianyi opened a cabinet and crawled in. After a moment, he climbed out, tidied his clothes, and pretended to be calm as he left the bedroom. Lin Ran was confused. After Li Tianyi left, he flashed out and went to the cabinet. This cabinet was about half the height of a person and was made of camphor wood. It was used to temporarily store dragon robes and other outerwear when the empress went to bed. Now that the empress was still in the imperial study, the cabinet was naturally empty. However, when Lin Ran opened it, he saw an old standard sword inside. There was a pair of footprints on the bottom of the cabinet. It looked like someone was hiding inside with a weapon but had forgotten to take it with him when he left. ¡°What is this damn eunuch trying to do?¡± Lin Ran was puzzled. He accidentally saw the hilt and his eyes narrowed. There was no sword tassel on this standard sword! As a rule, all the swords in the palace had to have a yellow tassel attached to it. However, there was nothing on this sword. It had to be noted that according to the rules, it was not a serious crime for a guard to lose his sword tassel, but he would still be flogged 30 times. Therefore, the guards were very careful not to lose it. There was probably only one standard sword in the palace without a sword tassel, and that was the one used by Lin Ran. Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he had torn the tassel off in front of the empress and Eunuch Li. In an instant, Lin Ran understood everything. It was already a serious crime to enter the emperor¡¯s bedroom with a weapon, let alone hide in the cabinet. Once the empress returned and found this sword, Lin Ran wouldn¡¯t be able to explain himself. Li Tianyi wanted him dead! ¡°You damn eunuch, you can¡¯t win in the open, so you started playing dirty, right?¡± Lin Ran smiled, but his eyes were extremely cold. He knew that the empress wouldn¡¯t be fooled by this kind of dirty trick, but Li Tianyi¡¯s despicable trick really made Lin Ran want to kill him! After putting the Ten Miles Dragon Roar into the Divine Sword Technique Manual, Lin Ran took out the standard sword and flashed out of the bedroom. After arriving at Li Tianyi¡¯s residence, Lin Ran took a spare tai chi whisk and returned to the empress¡¯s bedroom to put it into the cabinet. Li Tianyi wouldn¡¯t be accused of assassination because of a tai chi whisk, but he would definitely be scolded by the empress. This would also lay the foundation for Lin Ran to kill Li Tianyi. Li Tianyi had served three previous emperors after all. If Lin Ran insisted on killing him, the empress would definitely object. However, he did not want to make things difficult for the empress, so he could only wait a few more days. After making the necessary arrangements, Lin Ran went to the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Only then did he realize that he had thought too simply. The Hidden Sword Pavilion looked ordinary on the surface, but there seemed to be a formation protecting it in secret. If he wanted to barge in forcefully, he would cause a huge commotion. He had to steal the key. Lin Ran easily returned with the key and opened the door of the Hidden Sword Pavilion. In a few seconds, he arrived in front of the huge boulder. With a thought, the Dragon Roar Sword appeared in Lin Ran¡¯s hand. Then, he slowly stabbed it into the sword mark on the boulder. Then, the dragon gem on the hilt suddenly lit up. Before Lin Ran could react, the entire boulder began to shake at an extremely high frequency! Buzz¡ªbuzz¡ªbuzz¡ª The sound became louder and louder. Soon, the ground began to tremble, and then the surrounding wooden shelves. When Lin Ran realized that something was wrong, the entire Hidden Sword Pavilion began to tremble violently with the boulder. Countless old dust fell from the beams, and tens of thousands of standard swords fell to the ground. The doors, windows, and corridors began to emit a strange sound, as if the entire Hidden Sword Pavilion was about to collapse! ¡°D*mn¡­ This is getting serious!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s face was pale, not because of fear but guilty of sneaking in here. He thought that he could enter the treasure vault quietly, but he did not expect it to cause such a huge commotion. If the Hidden Sword Pavilion really collapsed, how would he explain it to the empress? At this moment, all the sounds suddenly quieted down, and a strange silence filled the air. Other than the swords on the ground and the dust falling from the sky, it was as if nothing had happened. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know what was going on. He stood rooted to the ground and didn¡¯t dare to move. Suddenly, he heard a crack and looked up to see a deep crack on the boulder. A surging sword intent surged out of the crack. It was sharp and filled with killing intent. Lin Ran was caught off guard by the sword intent and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a shocked expression. The sword intent here was much more ferocious than in the depths of Mount Sword. If not for the fact that he was already a Half-Saint, he would have been seriously injured! After quickly activating his spiritual energy to protect his body, Lin Ran had time to observe the crack carefully. The crack almost split the boulder into two. It was just wide enough for a person to pass through. Thanks to the moonlight outside the window, one could vaguely see a stone staircase leading down. Lin Ran took a deep breath, but he still couldn¡¯t stop his body from trembling with excitement. If nothing went wrong, the treasure vault should be down there! Chapter 59 - The Divine Sword That Shouldnt Be Here He had already signed in today. Even if he found a divine weapon, he would not be rewarded. Therefore, Lin Ran¡¯s initial plan was to come over and scout the way. After confirming the location of the treasure vault, he would come to sign in tomorrow. However, when he sensed the incomparably pure surging sword intent in the treasure vault, he instantly changed his mind. By the time he reacted, he was already deep down the stone steps. Looking up from where he was, he could only see a beam of faint light above his head. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue. He was at least 50 meters below the ground, but the stone steps in front of him were still winding down without end. The walls on both sides of the stone steps were the same as the ones on Mount Sword. They were rough and dry, but there were no cracks at all. It was as if this was a naturally formed cave. Lin Ran took a deep breath and calmed himself down. With a thought, he summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. With another thought, the black and white sword burned with raging flames! Holding the Yin-Yang Sword as a torch, Lin Ran activated the Startling Sword Steps and sped up. Even so, it still took Lin Ran nearly half a minute to finish the journey. Roughly, it was about seven or eight miles. The sword intent here was already quite turbulent. Lin Ran didn¡¯t even need to deliberately sense it to feel that he was in a storm of sword intent. Most importantly, these sword intents were filled with intense killing intent. After a while, Lin Ran felt a little anxious. He had to focus all his energy to ensure that he was not affected. ¡°I wonder who built this place in the first place¡­¡± Lin Ran muttered softly and took a few more steps along the corridor. Then, he was blocked by a stone door. More precisely, it was more like a wall, because it blended into the surrounding stone wall perfectly without any gaps. Lin Ran recognized it as a door because he saw something familiar on it. It was a pattern about the size of a table. Although it had been hidden underground for a long time, it still looked quite new. In the middle of the pattern was a five-pointed star. Each sharp corner was connected to a ring, and inside the ring were strange symbols carved from five-colored gems, looking like totems of some sorts. Further out were two large circles that covered the entire pentagon. The middle of the two circles was filled with ciphertext. It did not look like the language used in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Lin Ran naturally didn¡¯t know this language, but he knew that it was a Five Elements Array because this array formation was almost identical to the one on Mount Sword¡¯s Demon Subduing Tablet! There was no pattern on Mount Sword¡¯s Demon Subduing Tablet. However, after Daoist Li passed away, he had strengthened the array formation a few times, so he was familiar with the structure of the array formation. The only difference was that the operating principles of the two array formations were completely opposite. The array formation of the Demon Subduing Tablet prevented the things inside from coming out, while the array formation on the stone door prevented the things outside from entering. In other words, this was a lock. Lin Ran leaned closer and realized that the pattern was made of extremely thin golden threads. He didn¡¯t know what method the craftsman used, but he couldn¡¯t find the finishing point where the threads were connected. It was as if it was drawn on the stone door with molten metal. ¡°It seems that this place is indeed related to Mount Sword. I can ask the empress later.¡± As Lin Ran thought about this, he put the Yin Yang Sword back into the Divine Sword Technique Manual and replaced it with a wooden sword. This wooden sword was carved from a peachwood. The tip of the sword was round and the blade was blunt. Even in Lin Ran¡¯s hand, it was not very powerful. Its only use was to activate the Five Elements Array. ¡°Five Elements Sword Technique¡ª Metal!¡± ¡­ Lin Ran slashed out five times, and the five-colored totems on the array formation lit up one after another. Then, with a slight buzz, the entire stone door shattered into dust in front of him! ¡°What! This door can only be opened one-time?¡± Lin Ran subconsciously exclaimed, but in the next second, he was caught off guard. This was because an even more violent and turbulent sword intent surged out from behind the door. Its strength was not inferior to the deepest part of Mount Sword! Apart from the sword intent, the air was also filled with surging and dense killing intent. In a daze, Lin Ran felt as if he was transported to a battlefield. Thousands of soldiers and horses were charging crazily like floods and ferocious beasts. The sounds of killing shook the sky, and everywhere he looked was filled with dust. Sadness, hatred, brutality, killing¡­ Countless negative emotions surged into his heart in an instant. Although the illusion only lasted for a moment, it still made Lin Ran break out in cold sweat. He never thought that a real war would be so cruel. Compared to the war in the illusion, the battle he fought to quell King Zhao¡¯s rebellion was nothing! ¡°As expected of divine weapons from famous generals¡­¡± Lin Ran muttered to himself in shock. After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, he bowed respectfully to the stone room and walked in with a serious expression. The stone room was not very big, about 30 square meters. Dozens of divine swords were stabbed straight into the uneven ground, as if they were arranged in a specific order. Seeing this scene, Lin Ran suddenly felt a little familiar, as if he had returned to Mount Sword. Lin Ran looked at the nearest sword. The shape of this sword was similar to the swords used by the palace guards. However, the body of the sword was emerald green, as if it was carved from high-quality jade. There was a dark red thread running through the sword. It was so exquisite that it did not look like a weapon. Instead, it looked like some kind of handicraft. This sword looked quite intimidating at first glance, but as long as one sensed it carefully, they would realize that the sword intent on it was not particularly strong. Therefore, Lin Ran did not stare at it for too long. After taking a quick look, he went to study the other divine swords. However, just studying them took up a lot of Lin Ran¡¯s time. After all, the divine weapons here were different from those in Mount Sword. Each of them had a story. The sword intents overlapped. In order to determine which was the strongest, Lin Ran had to focus. After an unknown period of time, Lin Ran finally reached the end of the stone room. There was only one sword left in front of him. Unlike the other divine swords, this sword was embedded in the wall. At a glance, Lin Ran knew that this sword must be the most special. Not only because of its special position, but also because he saw two small golden words on the sword: Sacred Abyss. ¡°Why is it here? That¡¯s not right!¡± Lin Ran looked shocked, as if he had seen something unbelievable. He didn¡¯t know much about the famous swords of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, but the Sacred Abyss Sword happened to be one of them! Chapter 60 - Unintentional Advancement ¡°The Sacred Abyss is the most important treasure of the country. It served the Heavenly Saint Emperor to conquer the world and was as terrifying as the abyss. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called the Sacred Abyss.¡± This was the sword of the Heavenly Saint Emperor! Lin Ran frowned, his eyes filled with confusion. Legend had it that after the death of the Heavenly Saint Emperor, the emperor buried the Sacred Abyss Sword in Mount Sword. It was also because of this that Mount Sword¡¯s status in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty was so high that it was almost equivalent to the second Heavenly Saint Imperial Mausoleum! But if the Sacred Abyss Sword was buried in Mount Sword, what was this sword in front of him? Looking at the layout of the stone room, the ¡°Sacred Abyss Sword¡± was embedded in the wall high above. The remaining divine swords used by the past generals surrounded it, like the scene of the civil and military officials bowing before the emperor. From the looks of it, this ¡°Sacred Abyss Sword¡± must be quite special, but was it really the sword of the former Heavenly Saint Emperor? Lin Ran forced himself to focus and began to observe the Sacred Abyss Sword carefully. The first thing he noticed was the exaggerated grip on the hilt. There were nine intertwined golden dragons carved on it. Each golden dragon was less than a foot long, but they were carved vividly. Their tails were intertwined into a sword hilt, and their dragon bodies circled around the sword, almost enveloping most of the sword body. The dragon claw was holding all kinds of gems. Even in this dark room, they were still shining brightly. Lin Ran did not know what material the sword was made of, but it was as smooth as a mirror. He could even clearly see his reflection on the sword. Seeing this, Lin Ran knew that this was definitely not a weapon because it was too exquisite. Compared to this ¡°Sacred Abyss Sword¡±, the green sword at the entrance was like a fire stick that had been passed down for generations. Compared to a weapon, this was more like a sacrificial item. It was something that the emperor used during grand celebrations like worshiping the heavens and ancestors. ¡°Could it be a replica?¡± Lin Ran suddenly had this idea. After all, the royal family valued inheritance the most. After the emperor buried the Sacred Abyss Sword in Mount Sword, he forged another one and used it as the heirloom. Lin Ran knew that it was unlikely because if that was the case, the Sacred Abyss Sword must not be lying here. After a while, Lin Ran stopped thinking about it. After all, he wasn¡¯t here to study history. If he was really curious, he would find a chance to ask the empress. With this in mind, Lin Ran walked back among the swords. After having studied them just now, he had already chosen three divine swords to sign in with. Coincidentally, Lin Ran had read about these three swords in Ten Miles Sword God¡¯s letter. To be able to obtain Sword God¡¯s approval, they must be top-notch swords! The first one was called Army Breaker. It was the sword of the founding general of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, Xiao Pingchuan. This person was most famous for leading 300 elite soldiers to attack the enemy camp at night during the founding war. After wiping out 50,000 enemies, he returned unscathed with 300 elite soldiers. Although Lin Ran felt that this legend was exaggerated, it was undeniable that before the Ten Miles Sword God became famous, General Xiao Pingchuan¡¯s reputation was almost on par with the current Sword God! The second sword Lin Ran chose was called Thunderball. Its original owner was called Lei Qiming. He had countless battle achievements in his life and was the only king with a different surname who was conferred the title after the Heavenly Saint Dynasty was founded. The third sword was called Star Splitter, and it was the only divine sword that Lin Ran chose without a moment of hesitation. This sword was about three feet long. The blade was slender like an iron spike, but it was cross-shaped, which meant that it had four blades. Unlike the previous two swords, which came from prominent generals, the original owner of Star Splitter was the deputy general of the General of the Northern Battlefront. Moreover, she was a female general. Because she was only a deputy general, her name was not that well-known. However, she was respected in the army and went by the code name, No One Returned. If the enemy attacked, the deputy general needed to go out of the city to face the enemy. No matter how many enemies were there, as long as this female deputy general led the troops, she never failed to secure the victory. She wouldn¡¯t capture her enemies or persuade her enemies to surrender. Instead, she would kill them all even if her enemies had put down their weapons. Even in the war-torn era, this female deputy general¡¯s actions were inhuman. Therefore, her contributions were often evened out by her punishment. As a result, even after guarding the Northern Territory for more than ten years, she was never promoted. The information about her was also deliberately erased, leaving only this unclear legend. Lin Ran didn¡¯t want to judge if what the female deputy general did was right or wrong. He only knew that the despairing killing intent of Star Splitter was what he lacked. After cracking down on King Zhao¡¯s rebellion, he originally thought that he was no longer burdened by the guilt that came with killing. However, the moment he entered the treasure vault and saw the true cruelty of war in the illusion, he realized that he was still not ready enough. Because his strength had increased too quickly, Lin Ran had never experienced a life-and-death battle that could make people break down in despair. All the battles he had experienced so far were as easy as eating and drinking to him. If he didn¡¯t adjust his attitude about killing, he would eventually die in the hands of his enemy. He rarely met a match in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, but what about outside? Judging from the current situation, there was bound to be a war between the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and the Great Yong Dynasty. Although each country had an agreement that those above the Grandmaster Realm were not allowed to participate in the war, if they were at the end of their rope, who would care about that agreement? Therefore, Lin Ran had to be fully prepared. Putting the three swords together, Lin Ran sat down in the empty space among the swords. He originally planned to just scout the way, but after spending so much time in the treasure vault, it was probably almost midnight. He might as well wait here for a while so that he didn¡¯t have to make a journey back again. Now that Lin Ran was somewhat used to the sword intent here, amidst the surging sword intent, he didn¡¯t feel as uncomfortable as when he had just entered. ¡°What!¡± Half an hour later, Lin Ran suddenly opened his eyes in surprise. Perhaps it was because he had been affected by the sword intent for too long, but he seemed to feel that some shackles in his body were showing signs of loosening! Puzzled, Lin Ran hurriedly activated his spiritual energy to remove the restriction he had cast on his cultivation. In an instant, an extremely pure and sharp sword intent seeped out of his body. As it circled in the air, Lin Ran¡¯s power also leveled up steadily! Senior Martial Master, Grandmaster, Senior Grandmaster, First Level Half-Saint! Second Level! Third Level! Chapter 61 - Regal Technique It was not until he reached the peak of the fifth level of the Half-Saint Realm that Lin Ran¡¯s leveling up ground to a halt. Sensing the violent power flowing through his body, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but look shocked. He had only encountered such a situation where his cultivation level soared three times. The first two times, he inherited the internal energy of deceased masters. The third time, while he was helping the empress ¡°reproduce¡±, he used the Nine Yin-Yang Swords to absorb a large amount of spiritual energy. However, this time, Lin Ran did not do anything. After sitting here for a while, his cultivation level jumped from the first level of the Half-Saint Realm to the fifth level. This was too strange! ¡°Did I accidentally sign in while meditating?¡± Lin Ran was suspicious, but then he knew that it was impossible. With the lesson he had learned in the Hidden Sword Pavilion, Lin Ran had full control over which sword to sign in with. After looking around suspiciously for a moment, Lin Ran finally fixed his gaze at Sacred Abyss Sword on the wall. When Lin Ran was studying Sacred Abyss Sword, he realized that although this sword was also filled with sword intent, it was still much weaker than other divine swords. It was precisely because of this that he felt that this sword was a fake. However, when he looked at Sacred Abyss Sword again, Lin Ran immediately realized that something was wrong. The sword intent contained in this sword was gradually condensing, while the sword intent in the other divine swords was gradually lessening. It was as if their sword intent had been absorbed by Sacred Abyss Sword. At first, Lin Ran thought that he was hallucinating, but after careful investigation, he realized that it wasn¡¯t. When he first entered the treasure vault, the sword intent in Sacred Abyss Sword could only be ranked medium here. However, at this moment, it could be ranked in the top three. Moreover, the sword intent in it was still condensing and showed no signs of stopping! Seeing this scene, Lin Ran suddenly had a strange feeling. It was as if the Sacred Abyss Sword in front of him was a living thing that was breathing, and the ¡°air¡± it breathed was sword intent. That was why it alternated between strong and weak. At this moment, the system¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in Lin Ran¡¯s mind. [Ding!] [Special location detected. The host is in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s Hidden Sword Pavilion.] [Host, do you want to sign in?] When the system sounded, Lin Ran knew that it was already the next day. But now, there was a problem in front of him. Should he choose the three swords that he knew very well and could almost guess what reward he could obtain, or should he choose the Sacred Abyss Sword that he wasn¡¯t sure was the real one or not? Logically speaking, Lin Ran didn¡¯t have to be so conflicted. The treasure vault was here. At most, he could stay for a few more days. However, the commotion caused by opening the treasure vault just now was too great. The empress must have already known about it. Even if she didn¡¯t blame Lin Ran, she would definitely ask him to explain the matter clearly. At that time, he would have to face two choices. One was to tell her all his secrets, and the other was to make up a lie. Lin Ran would never choose the former. As for the latter¡­ the empress was not so easy to fool. If he said something wrong and the empress forbade Lin Ran from entering the treasure vault again, he would have to barge in. His eyes darted around like lightning between the swords, unable to make up his mind. ¡°Don¡¯t put the eggs in the same basket¡­¡± Lin Ran muttered to himself, his gaze shifting between the Sacred Abyss Sword and the three swords. He was so conflicted that he didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. In the end, Lin Ran gritted his teeth , raised his hand, and placed it on Sacred Abyss Sword! [Ding!] [Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in and obtaining the Regal Technique ¨C Sovereign Descent.] ¡°Regal Technique?¡± Lin Ran frowned in confusion. He had obtained a lot of rewards from the system, and it was the first one with a prefix. What exactly was the Regal Technique? Was it a cultivation technique that only emperors could practice? As if sensing Lin Ran¡¯s confusion, a golden manual slowly unfolded in his mind. ¡°All the lands in the world belong to the Emperor, and all the humans in the world are Emperor¡¯s people¡­¡± Lin Ran muttered in his heart. This manual did not have many words. He quickly finished reading it, but he was still confused. From the contents of the manual, this was indeed a secret manual of the royal family that only the royal family could cultivate. However, it was so only because the royal family members kept it a secret. This cultivation technique only had two uses: taking and giving. The ¡°taking¡± was to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to temporarily increase one¡¯s cultivation for a short period of time. As for ¡°giving¡±, it was to temporarily increase the cultivation of others in a short period of time with one¡¯s own spiritual energy. This technique was quite useful. With it, Lin Ran had two life-saving tools. If it were any other time, he would definitely raise his arms and cheer, but right now, he was filled with doubts. Sovereign Descent had the effect of temporarily increasing one¡¯s cultivation level, but Lin Ran didn¡¯t touch the Sacred Abyss Sword just now. Why did his cultivation level up so drastically? Just as Lin Ran was feeling puzzled, he was suddenly pulled back to reality by light footsteps. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he subconsciously wanted to hide. However, the stone room was an open space, and there was only one stone step in and out. If he went out now, he would definitely bump into the other party! After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran finally decided to use Mystic Gate Technique to leave. After all, his appearance here was too suspicious. Once he was seen, he wouldn¡¯t be able to explain himself. Just as Lin Ran was about to flash away, he suddenly heard someone ask outside the stone door, ¡°Grandpa Sword God? Is that you?¡± ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Lin Ran relaxed when he heard the familiar voice. There was only one person walking down the stone steps. Since it was the empress, based on their relationship, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. Thinking of this, Lin Ran hurriedly tore off the outer layer of his black clothes, revealing the uniform of the guard commander inside. Then, he grabbed Star Splitter Sword on the ground and put it away. Lin Ran only wanted the killing sword intent in Star Splitter Sword. There was no harm in signing in elsewhere. After doing all this, light appeared outside the stone door. Then, the empress walked in wearing a dragon robe and carrying a lantern. As soon as their eyes met, Lin Ran immediately knelt on one knee and greeted with a mischievous smile, ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty!¡± Normally, the empress would tell Lin Ran to stand up and ask what he was doing here. However, this time, Lin Ran waited for a long time but did not receive the order to stand up. Instead, he felt a faint killing intent! Chapter 62 - Summoned at the Same Time ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The empress said in a voice devoid of emotions. Lin Ran immediately felt that something was wrong. After hesitating for a moment, he probed, ¡°Your Majesty, if I said that I¡¯m here to visit¡­ would you believe me?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you will believe me.¡± Just as Lin Ran was in a dilemma, he suddenly had an idea and said, ¡°Your Majesty, actually¡­ Sword God entrusted me with a task.¡± ¡°What task?¡± As expected, when she heard the words ¡°Sword God¡±, the empress¡¯s attitude softened a lot. Although she was still expressionless, her tone was no longer as cold. ¡°The task is¡­ is¡­¡± There was naturally no task. As he stalled for time, he looked around for inspiration. He accidentally saw the green sword at the entrance and his eyes lit up. He hurriedly pointed at the green sword and said, ¡°It¡¯s this sword! Senior Sword God asked me to bring this sword back to Mount Sword!¡± ¡°Blue Mountain?¡± The empress clearly recognized that sword. She was stunned for a moment before she said in confusion, ¡°This is only the sword of a general in the recent era. Although it¡¯s also a divine weapon, Mount Sword doesn¡¯t seem to lack such things, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t ask me.¡± Lin Ran shrugged and said, ¡°Anyway, Sword God asked me to bring it back. He didn¡¯t say what it was used for, so I didn¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The empress nodded. Her attitude had completely softened, and she seemed to believe Lin Ran¡¯s words. Only then did Lin Ran stand up and see the ruby necklace on the empress¡¯s chest glowing. It was probably activated spontaneously to protect the empress. Otherwise, with the empress¡¯s cultivation, she would be severely injured by the surging sword intent on the stone steps before she even reached this stone room. After a short silence, the empress walked around the stone room with the lantern. When she saw the Sacred Abyss Sword on the wall, she heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she looked at Lin Ran and asked, ¡°Since it¡¯s a task entrusted by Grandpa Sword God, why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance? Why did you have to come down secretly?¡± At this moment, Lin Ran was no longer nervous. Hearing this, he said helplessly, ¡°Senior Sword God specially instructed me not to let you know about this. However, the commotion caused by me opening this place still alerted you.¡± There was a hint of suspicion in the empress¡¯s eyes. Lin Ran added, ¡°What I said is true. Think about it. There¡¯s an array formation in the Hidden Sword Pavilion. If Senior Sword God didn¡¯t tell me, how would I know that there was a secret room down here? How would I find this place?¡± ¡°It makes sense.¡± The empress nodded thoughtfully and finally believed Lin Ran. Then, Lin Ran said a few more words and suggested going back to the ground. Seeing that the empress agreed, Lin Ran was about to pick up the lantern when the empress suddenly said, ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± ¡ÖLin Ran¡¯s heart was in his throat. He thought that the empress had discovered something and forced a smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Majesty? Is there anything else?¡± The empress raised her hand and pointed at Blue Mountain Sword. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to take this sword?¡± ¡°Oh, right, right! I would have forgotten if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it!¡± Lin Ran laughed foolishly and picked up the sword. The empress rolled her eyes in disdain. ¡°You¡¯re so careless. I really don¡¯t know why Grandpa Sword God asked you to do this!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only one on Mount Sword now. Who else can he look for?¡± Lin Ran chuckled and urged the empress to hurry up. As soon as the two of them went out, Lin Ran suddenly heard a rustling sound. He turned around and saw that the stone door, which had been shattered into pieces, was quickly restored as if time had reversed! ¡°This stone room was personally built by Grandpa Sword God. There¡¯s a special array formation on the door. It¡¯s powerful, right?¡± The empress introduced with a proud expression like a little girl showing off her toys. Lin Ran was very cooperative and complimented. Then, the two of them walked up the stone steps. As soon as the two of them walked out of the boulder, it seemed to have sensed something and began to tremble before quickly closing. Soon, it returned to its original state. The empress pulled out the Ten Miles Dragon Roar from the boulder and stroked it for a moment with a nostalgic expression. Then, she instructed Lin Ran, ¡°Imperial guards have surrounded this place. Wait here for a moment. You can go out after I take them away.¡± Lin Ran nodded and the empress walked out alone with the lantern. Soon, the sound of footsteps were heard. After the guards left, Lin Ran opened the door a crack and made sure that no one was outside before coming out. After locking the door of the Hidden Sword Pavilion, Lin Ran put the key back to its place. Then, he activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique and flashed all the way back to Mingzhao Hall. After closing the door, he finally felt relieved. After a night of ups and downs, Lin Ran realized that his clothes were drenched in cold sweat. ¡°Sigh¡­ It¡¯s really stressful for an honest and upright young man like me to do something so sneaky!¡± Lin Ran muttered to himself for a while. When he calmed down, he looked at Blue Mountain Sword and started to feel troubled. Although this sword was a divine weapon, it was useless to Lin Ran. There were already several divine swords in his possession. Compared to those divine swords, Blue Mountain Sword was nothing special in terms of sword intent or power. Naturally, Lin Ran would not want to keep it. ¡°Looks like I really have to take a journey back to Mount Sword.¡± Lin Ran smiled bitterly and put Blue Mountain Sword aside. He lay on the bed and began to rest. The next morning. Lin Ran had just opened his eyes in a daze when he heard someone knocking on the door. ¡°Senior Sword God? Are you still resting? His Majesty wants to see you in the imperial study!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Lin Ran replied casually and was about to go back to sleep when he suddenly sat up with a start. Why did the voice of the person outside sound like Li Tianyi? Li Tianyi knew Lin Ran. If he recognized Lin Ran¡¯s voice, it would definitely be a big problem! As expected, Li Tianyi recognized Lin Ran¡¯s voice almost instantly. His tone changed as he continued, ¡°So Commander Lin is also here. That¡¯s good. It saves me the trouble of bringing this message to you!¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately became complicated. Back then, the empress asked Lin Ran to pretend to be the Sword God in the palace. Now, she was summoning Lin Ran and Sword God Ten Miles at the same time. What was going on? However, the emperor¡¯s orders were not to be challenged. He changed into the uniform of the guard commander and prepared to go out. When he walked out of the door, he saw Li Tianyi standing outside. Lin Ran pulled a long face and was about to speak when he realized that Li TIanyi¡¯s attitude seemed a little strange. Chapter 63 - Trouble Is Coming, Sword Gods Fanboy Usually, when Li Tianyi saw Lin Ran, although he wasn¡¯t as bossy as he was to others, he always had a high and mighty attitude. But now, Li Tianyi was smiling and bowing, looking surprisingly humble. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did this damn eunuch change overnight?¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment, but he quickly realized that this old eunuch had probably been taught a lesson by the empress after she found his tai chi whisk in the closet. A lesson was naturally not enough for this foxy old eunuch to change. What really changed him should be his fear of the unknown. Li Tianyi set up a trap to frame Lin Ran, but it turned out that he was the one being set up. He didn¡¯t know how his whisk ended up in that closet, but the more mysterious the unknown was, the more terrified a person like him, who had been in a high position for a long time, would be. ¡°If he can replace the sword with my whisk without anyone knowing, he can take my head off without anyone knowing too. This time, the fact that my whisk is here is his warning to me.¡± This was what Li Tianyi thought when he was reprimanded by the empress. ¡°Commander Lin.¡± Li Tianyi greeted him politely. Seeing him being so polite, Lin Ran was really not used to it. He reached out and helped Li Tianyi up. ¡°Speak properly. I¡¯m more used to the rude side of you.¡± ¡°Commander Lin, you must be joking!¡± Li Tianyi hurriedly waved his hand and bowed again. ¡°Why are you in Mingzhao Hall so early in the morning? Don¡¯t misunderstand! I¡¯m just curious. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me.¡± ¡°Oh, I came to ask Senior Sword God for guidance last night. It was too late, so I slept here.¡± Lin Ran casually made up a reason and continued, ¡°Senior Sword God is still resting. Why is His Majesty looking for us? If there¡¯s nothing important, don¡¯t disturb Sword God.¡± When Li Tianyi heard this, he quickly said, ¡°His Majesty asked me to invite Sword God and said that If Sword God is not around, I need to make a journey to the barrack to invite you. Since we met here, please come with me to the imperial study.¡± Only then did Lin Ran understand that the empress was summoning both him and Sword God. It was just that she did not know what identity Lin Ran would use after leaving the Hidden Sword Pavilion, so she got Li Tianyi to invite both of them. Feeling relieved, Lin Ran pretended to bid farewell to the ¡°Ten Miles Sword God¡± and followed Li Tianyi to the imperial study. Along the way, Li Tianyi kept asking Lin Ran when he went to look for the Ten Miles Sword God yesterday, and if he had heard any rumors yesterday. Lin Ran knew that Li Tianyi wanted to ask him if he knew anything about the trap he set up, but Lin Ran pretended not to know. Since Li Tianyi was so terrified, let him be terrified for a few more days! Soon, they arrived at the imperial study. Lin Ran walked in and saw the empress writing something on a piece of cloth. From time to time, she would frown. When she saw him enter, she only took a glance before lowering her head to continue studying. Seeing that the empress had no intention of speaking, Lin Ran did not urge her. He found a chair to sit on and closed his eyes to rest. Too many things had happened last night, which made Lin Ran a little exhausted. Even after resting for a night, he still felt exhausted. In the blink of an eye, an hour passed. Lin Ran heard the sound of a chair moving. When he opened his eyes, he saw the empress walking over with a piece of cloth. ¡°Take a look first.¡± The empress handed him a silk cloth. Lin Ran took it and saw that it was an invitation. The invitation wrote that when the emperor was quelling King Zhao¡¯s rebellion, many martial artists had helped him. Now that everything was settled, he wanted to hold a banquet in the palace to thank those martial artists. After reading it, Lin Ran frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Did anyone from the martial world offer help?¡± The empress chuckled and shook her head. Lin Ran was even more puzzled. ¡°Then why are you inviting them?¡± The empress smiled faintly and said, ¡°I want to see their attitude.¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment before coming to a realization. He looked at the empress and said, ¡°You¡¯re giving them a chance to turn themselves in!¡± Hearing this, the empress suddenly became serious. ¡°Those who come, I will let bygones be bygones. As for those who are guilty and don¡¯t dare to show up¡­¡± ¡°Those who openly supported King Zhao will be captured and killed.¡± Lin Ran continued the second half of the sentence tacitly. He suddenly admired the empress¡¯s wisdom. The empress sighed and did not continue. She changed the topic and said, ¡°However, I still need you to capture them personally. There are countless cultivation sects in the dynasty. I don¡¯t know how long it will take for you to return this time.¡± ¡°Why? Are you already missing me before I even set out?¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows and smiled. Realizing that the empress was not in the mood for jokes, he shut his mouth awkwardly. After a few seconds of silence, Lin Ran probed, ¡°Did something happen in the palace? If anything happens, I can set out later.¡± ¡°There is indeed something, but it¡¯s about me. It¡¯s about you.¡± The empress looked at Lin Ran and said seriously. Her gaze was very strange and complicated. There was sadness, helplessness, and hesitance. Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but become serious. He sat up straight and said, ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°Huo Qiyun is back.¡± The empress threw out a name. Lin Ran knew that she would definitely introduce this person, so he didn¡¯t ask who Huo Qiyun was. ¡°He¡¯s a genius. Although he¡¯s not as good as you, he¡¯s still a rare genius.¡± ¡°After he exhibited his talent in martial arts, he wanted to become Grandpa Sword God¡¯s disciple. However, Grandpa Sword God was about to enter seclusion at that time, so he didn¡¯t take him in. He only taught him for about half a year before going into seclusion on Mount Sword.¡± ¡°Later on, Huo Qiyun said that he wanted to travel the world like Grandpa Sword God, but he admired Grandpa Sword God too much and didn¡¯t allow anyone to defame him. In the last year alone, more than ten people were killed by him because of this.¡± ¡°Good lord, he¡¯s a brainless fan!¡± Lin Ran nodded, then looked puzzled. ¡°But what does his return have to do with me?¡± The empress began to look at Lin Ran with a complicated and strange gaze. ¡°You¡¯re the Ten Miles Sword God now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before his mind went blank. Huo Qiyun was clearly here for the Ten Miles Sword God. It was easy for Lin Ran to fool outsiders, but Huo Qiyun had been with the Ten Miles Sword God for half a year. It wasn¡¯t easy to fool him. If Huo Qiyun found out that someone was pretending to be his idol, how would he react? Lin Ran couldn¡¯t imagine it. Although with his strength, he didn¡¯t have to worry at all, his identity as the ¡°Ten Miles Sword God¡± was probably going to be exposed! Chapter 64 - The Relationship Between the Hidden Sword Pavilion and Mount Sword Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s expression, the empress knew that he had understood. There was a strange silence in the imperial study, as if neither of them knew how to continue this topic. After half an hour, Lin Ran probed with a strange expression, ¡°Is that Huo something very sinister?¡± The empress was stunned for a moment, not understanding why Lin Ran suddenly asked this, but she still shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s a very upright person, but his thoughts are a little extreme.¡± ¡°For example, he will kill anyone who says anything bad about Grandpa Sword God.¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he instantly relaxed. If Huo Qiyun was sinister and unscrupulous, Lin Ran would have no choice but to get rid of him. Lin Ran was at the fifth level of the Half-Saint Realm. In the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, the few old fellows who could fight him were all in seclusion. No matter how talented Huo Qiyun was, there was an 80% chance that Lin Ran wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him with one strike. If one strike didn¡¯t work, then two strikes. Huo Qiyun had been taught by the Ten Miles Sword God for half a year, and Lin Ran had also obtained the inheritance of the Ten Miles Sword God. The two of them were considered from the same sect. Unless he had to, Lin Ran didn¡¯t want to kill him. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran suddenly asked, ¡°Wait. If I pack up and set out now, he won¡¯t be able to see me, right?¡± ¡°No, you have to be at this state banquet.¡± The empress sighed and pointed at the invitation in Lin Ran¡¯s hand. ¡°This idea was suggested by Huo Qiyun. In order to achieve the goal, we need a formidable presence at the scene. Only then will those martial artists behave themselves.¡± Lin Ran instantly understood and smiled bitterly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Huo Qiyun is very upright? This idea is simply despicable! It¡¯s obvious that he wants to keep me¡­ No, the Ten Miles Sword God here!¡± The empress nodded, but her expression was not as nervous as before. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s nothing we can do about this.¡± Lin Ran was immediately interested. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± The empress suddenly revealed a playful expression. ¡°I was a little uncertain at first, but when I saw how smart Lord Lin was, I felt that this plan is feasible.¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and didn¡¯t comment on the empress¡¯s evaluation on him. ¡°You actually don¡¯t have to meet him. As long as you do something, such as releasing your sword intent at the state banquet to intimidate everyone and make him feel that no one else can do this except Sword God, he will naturally believe in your identity.¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and realized that this plan was feasible. However, there was another problem, and that was that Huo Qiyun¡¯s suspicion was not baseless. To such diehard fans, when they suddenly heard the news of their idol coming out of seclusion, they would either be excited or question the validity of the news, but they would never think that someone was pretending to be their idol. Unless he was already certain that his idol was no longer alive. This was a very simple logic. It was impossible for the empress not to notice it. However, she did not mention it at all. Because Lin Ran did not have any evidence to support this speculation, he did not dwell on it. At this moment, he did not realize that this speculation would become a key in the future. Let¡¯s not talk about the future for now. After confirming that Huo Qiyun was not a threat to him, Lin Ran put this matter to the back of his mind. Recalling that his cultivation had increased drastically last night, Lin Ran changed the topic and asked, ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s something I couldn¡¯t figure out all night. Can you give me some pointers?¡± The empress was surprised. ¡°Oh? There¡¯s something you can¡¯t figure out?¡± At first glance, this question sounded like a compliment, but Lin Ran felt a little embarrassed. He paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Last night, in the treasure vault of the Hidden Sword Pavilion, I saw the Sacred Abyss Sword, but wasn¡¯t that sword buried in Mount Sword? Could it be that the one in Mount Sword is fake?¡± ¡°No, the Sacred Abyss Sword in Mount Sword is real.¡± The empress shook her head and denied it. Before Lin Ran could ask further, she continued, ¡°The sword in the Hidden Sword Pavilion is also real.¡± Lin Ran was a little confused. ¡°What do you mean? Did the Heavenly Saint Emperor have two swords back then?¡± The empress shook her head again. ¡°Back then, my ancestor only had one sword.¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and muttered unhappily, ¡°You can trample on my dignity, but you can¡¯t insult my intelligence! Since the Heavenly Saint Emperor only had one sword, how can both Sacred Abyss Swords be real?¡± Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s angry expression, the empress smirked. She looked at him with interest for a long time before saying softly with a faint smile, ¡°I never said that there are two Sacred Abyss Swords in the world.¡± ¡°Then just now¡­¡± Lin Ran stopped mid-sentence as a guess suddenly popped up in his mind. This guess caused his hands to tremble uncontrollably! ¡°The Hidden Sword Pavilion and Mount Sword¡­ are the same place?¡± Lin Ran asked tentatively. It was unknown if he was shocked or nervous, but his voice was trembling. The empress smiled without saying anything, but a sly look flashed across her eyes, proving that Lin Ran was right. Lin Ran covered his face and took a deep breath, cursing himself for being a fool and failing to figure out something so obvious. The huge boulder in the Hidden Sword Pavilion was made of the same material as Mount Sword, so it must be related to Mount Sword. If it was just a boulder, it might have been moved from Mount Sword. However, there were seven to eight miles of stone steps down there. It was impossible for anyone to move something so huge from one place to another. Even the current Lin Ran could not do it. The only possibility was that the boulder was also a part of Mount Sword. The Hidden Sword Pavilion and Mount Sword were connected, but the connecting part was hidden under the ground. The Hidden Sword Pavilion was Mount Sword, and Mount Sword was the Hidden Sword Pavilion. It was said that the Sacred Abyss Sword was buried in Mount Sword, but it had actually been stored underground in the palace! Chapter 65 - Speaking of the Devil ¡°Congratulations on discovering one of the greatest secrets of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± ¡°This is a path of retreat left behind by the founding ancestor. There¡¯s another secret passage in that stone room that can only be opened by divine artifacts passed down from generation to generation.¡± ¡°Once we are under siege, we can retreat into Mount Sword through the secret passage. The reason why there are a huge number of divine weapons stored there is also to prepare us for the last fight.¡± The empress explained in a tone that sounded neither happy nor sad. Lin Ran nodded. Compared to ¡°The Hidden Sword Pavilion is Mount Sword¡±, the other secret was nothing. After a pause, Lin Ran asked, ¡°It¡¯s not just a secret passage, right? There should be an array formation in that stone room to boost cultivation.¡± Then, Lin Ran told the empress everything about his drastic cultivation advancement. After returning last night, Lin Ran had thought about this strange phenomenon. After eliminating all the possibilities, the most likely possibility was that there was an array formation in the stone room to boost cultivation. However, to Lin Ran¡¯s surprise, the empress looked confused. ¡°What array formation? Why haven¡¯t I heard of it before?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Lin Ran was a little surprised. He thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Did your elders forget to tell you?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± The empress shook her head firmly, her eyes revealing a nostalgic expression. ¡°About 30 years ago, when my father was still in power, Grandpa Sword God was entrusted by my father to repair the stone room.¡± ¡°At that time, Grandpa Sword God reinforced the array formation that activates the opening of the secret passage and left the Five Elements Seal on the stone door. Grandpa Sword God is very accomplished in array formations. If there are other array formations there, it¡¯s impossible for him not to notice.¡± ¡°Actually, not really that accomplished. Otherwise, the demon sealed in Mount Sword wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape¡­¡± Lin Ran muttered under his breath, but he didn¡¯t say it out loud. Then, Lin Ran proposed a few more possibilities, but they were all rejected by the empress. In short, neither of them knew what was going on. In the end, Lin Ran could only put this question to the back of his mind and study it when he had the chance. After resting for a while, the empress began to explain the process of the state banquet. Because those martial artists still had to travel after being invited, the state banquet was temporarily set to be held in three days. However, Huo Qiyun would arrive tonight, so for the next three days, the Ten Miles Sword God must not show up. Otherwise, once Huo Qiyun saw him, he would definitely think of a way to test him. Lin Ran had no objections to this arrangement. He didn¡¯t have to pretend to be the Sword God and show up everywhere, which meant he would have more time to do things with his real identity. The second arrangement was that this state banquet was not only to ¡°thank¡± the martial artists for offering help, but also a farewell banquet for the Ten Miles Sword God. In order to prevent outsiders from saying that the Heavenly Saint Dynasty was massacring the martial artists who participated in the rebellion, it was necessary for Lin Ran to cooperate with the empress to put up a show. At that time, the empress would express her objection while the Sword God would insist on wiping out the rebellious martial artists. Then, in the midst of the debate, he would leave on his sword. Originally, this was just a small show, but now that Huo Qiyun had appeared, the two of them had no choice but to take it seriously. The empress said with a solemn expression, ¡°My suggestion is that you don¡¯t speak. Otherwise, if Huo Qiyun hears something wrong, with his personality, he will definitely expose you openly at the banquet and threaten to kill you.¡± Lin Ran frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about Huo Qiyun, but if the matter of me pretending to be Sword God is exposed, all our efforts will be in vain. But if I don¡¯t speak, how can I make my stand clear? If I leave on my sword straight away without saying a word, more people will be suspicious, right?¡± The empress sighed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. If you don¡¯t speak, even if they are suspicious of you, they have no evidence to accuse you with. We still have a chance to make it right in the future, but if your identity is exposed, it will be a disaster.¡± Lin Ran nodded and was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed slightly. He sensed a strong sword intent approaching the imperial study at high speed! The sword intent was not powerful. At most, it was from someone at the peak of Senior Martial Master Realm. However, someone who dared to fly at such a speed in the palace was definitely not an ordinary person. Before Lin Ran could remind the empress, the sword intent had already arrived outside the door. Then, a young man shouted in a clear voice, ¡°I¡¯m Huo Qiyun. I request to see His Majesty!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran and the empress looked at each other, and their expressions changed. Speaking of the devil, here he comes! ¡°Your Majesty, can you be reliable for once? Didn¡¯t you say that he won¡¯t be back until tonight?¡± Lin Ran asked in a low voice. Fortunately, he was using the identity as the commander of the guards. Even if Huo Qiyun saw him, nothing would happen. ¡°How would I know! The message he sent back said so.¡± The empress explained softly. Suddenly, her expression changed slightly as she thought of something. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is also his scheme. This little bastard actually doesn¡¯t even trust me now.¡± Hearing the way the empress called Huo Qiyuan, Lin Ran knew that Huo Qiyun was not too old, at least not older than the empress. But now was not the time to care about that. Lin Ran hurriedly stood up and suppressed his cultivation to the level of a Senior Martial Master. ¡°Find an excuse to send him away. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to return to Mingzhao Hall. If he finds out that there¡¯s no sword intent there, he¡¯ll barge in!¡± The empress nodded to show that she understood. Then, she adjusted her expression and said, ¡°Qiyun, come in!¡± Creak¡ª The door of the imperial study was pushed open and a figure in white walked in. Lin Ran was stunned when he saw Huo Qiyun. He had guessed that Huo Qiyun would be very young, but he didn¡¯t expect him to be so young. He was tall and handsome with a face that looked to be only 15 or 16 years old. However, many cultivators had the ability to retain their youth, so his age might not be what it seemed. After all, the Ten Miles Sword God had been dead for decades. If Huo Qiyun was really only in his teens, how could he have spent half a year with the Ten Miles Sword God? As if sensing that someone was looking at him, Huo Qiyun also glanced at Lin Ran and realized that he was only a Senior Martial Master. He sneered and ignored him. Then, he bowed to the empress. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Please get up!¡± The empress personally went forward to help Huo Qiyun up. After sizing him up for a moment, her eyes couldn¡¯t help but reveal gentleness. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a few years and you¡¯ve grown taller. You look like a little adult now!¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Huo Qiyun looked displeased and was about to speak when he suddenly thought of something and looked at Lin Ran. He said angrily, ¡°Get out! I have something to discuss with His Majesty.¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t wait to leave. Hearing this, he nodded and left. As the door closed, Lin Ran was about to rush back to Mingzhao Hall when he suddenly heard Huo Qiyun say softly, ¡°Sister Empress, I missed you so much!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Huo Qiyun also knew that the current emperor was a woman?! Chapter 66 - A Newborn Calf Is Not Afraid of A Tiger Time was running out, so Lin Ran didn¡¯t have time to linger around. After quickly walking away, he activated his movement technique and headed straight for Mingzhao Hall. As soon as he arrived at Mingzhao Hall and got changed, Huo Qiyun arrived. ¡°Grandpa Sword God! I¡¯m here to see you!¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice was very young and refreshing. If it were anyone else, they might feel like they were bathing in the spring breeze upon hearing that voice, but Lin Ran only felt uncomfortable. With a thought, Lin Ran released his Half-Saint sword intent! Outside the door, Huo Qiyun was stunned for a moment before he said excitedly, ¡°Grandpa Sword God! You really broke through to the Half-Saint Realm!¡± Lin Ran still didn¡¯t speak. Although his silence might make Huo Qiyun suspicious, if he spoke, he would only expose himself. ¡°Grandpa Sword God? Why are you ignoring me?¡± ¡°Grandpa Sword God, are you cultivating?¡± ¡°Grandpa Sword God, guess what realm I¡¯m in now?¡± ¡­ Huo Qiyun continued one question after another, as if he would not stop unless the ¡°Ten Miles Sword God¡± in the room spoke. Lin Ran knew that Huo Qiyun was testing him. At this moment, it was a competition of patience. He retracted his sword intent and maintained it in a range that Huo Qiyun could sense but couldn¡¯t investigate carefully. Then, he waited patiently. To Lin Ran¡¯s surprise, Huo Qiyun was far more patient than he had imagined. After an hour, Huo Qiyun finally gave up on testing. ¡°Grandpa Sword God, since you¡¯re busy, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. I¡¯ll visit you another day!¡± Soon, it was quiet outside. Lin Ran quietly released his divine sense and confirmed that Huo Qiyun had really left. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief. He knew that he had passed today¡¯s test. However, Huo Qiyun really gave Lin Ran a headache. Although this kid was young, he was swift and decisive. The trick he used was very effective. It was not something a 15 or 16-year-old child could come up with. However, what Lin Ran cared about the most was that Huo Qiyun called the empress ¡°Sister Empress.¡± At that time, Lin Ran left in a hurry. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had heard wrongly, but if he hadn¡¯t heard wrongly, this would have been interesting. Before Huo Qiyun called the empress Sister Empressr, he sent Lin Ran away, which meant that he didn¡¯t want others to know about this. This way, Lin Ran could use this matter as leverage to get Huo Qiyun to not make a fuss about him impersonating the Ten Miles Sword God. Although the success rate seemed to be a little low, it was still a solution. After waiting for another hour and making sure that Huo Qiyun did not suddenly return, Lin Ran slipped out of the room. During the days he spent in the palace, he could go wherever he wanted openly. This was the first time he had to be so sneaky. Thinking of this, Lin Ran felt a little frustrated. He was a Half-Saint. Why did he have to sneak around like a thief because of a brat? However, Lin Ran was a mature man after all. Although he was frustrated, he didn¡¯t intend to do anything to Huo Qiyun. He only cursed in his mind before rushing back to the imperial study. The empress seemed to know that Lin Ran would be back. As soon as he entered, she came over and closed the door. After making sure that no one was eavesdropping outside, the empress looked at Lin Ran and asked anxiously, ¡°How is it? He doesn¡¯t suspect anything, right?¡± Lin Ran shook his head and went straight to the point. ¡°Does Huo Qiyun know your secret?¡± The empress was stunned for a moment before she reacted and nodded. ¡°When he first entered the palace, I hadn¡¯t succeeded the throne. I didn¡¯t expect I would end up ascending the throne, so I didn¡¯t hide my identity. The late emperor didn¡¯t have any other children. It can be said that he was my only playmate when I was young.¡± Lin Ran nodded and explained the threat plan he had just thought of. ¡°Will this work?¡± The empress revealed a suspicious expression. ¡°Do you know that once you threaten him with this, it will be equivalent to telling him that you are impersonating the Sword God? It¡¯s fine if he agrees, but if he doesn¡¯t, we won¡¯t have any way out.¡± Lin Ran said helplessly, ¡°We have no choice. This kid is too cunning. If I don¡¯t take the risk and give it a try, he¡¯ll find a way to expose me tomorrow!¡± The empress frowned and didn¡¯t say anything. She knew that Lin Ran was right, but this plan was too risky. Lin Ran knew that it was risky too, so when he saw that the empress was in a dilemma, he did not urge her. He sat on the chair and waited for her to think it through. Before he could lean back, a clear young man¡¯s voice came from outside the door again. ¡°I¡¯m Huo Qiyun! I request to see His Majesty!¡± ¡°Not again!¡± Lin Ran held his forehead speechlessly and shrugged. ¡°What did I say? He is cunning. Either we tell him or wait for him to find out and beat the drum about it.¡± The empress nodded with a conflicted expression. ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t speak later. I¡¯ll think of a way to test him first.¡± Lin Ran nodded and suppressed his realm to the level of a Senior Martial Master again. Only then did the empress call Huo Qiyun in. Seeing Lin Ran, Huo Qiyun immediately frowned. ¡°You again? Why do I see you every time I come? What do you do?¡± ¡°Commander of the Imperial Guards, Lin Ran.¡± Lin Ran forced a smile and added after some thought, ¡°I¡¯m His Majesty¡¯s personal guard.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded and said coldly, ¡°Get out! I have something to discuss with His Majesty!¡± Lin Ran left. When he closed the door, he suddenly felt as if time had returned to an hour ago. He didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. However, this time, Lin Ran did not have to return to Mingzhao Hall. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and stood guard outside the imperial study. The two of them deliberately lowered their voices in the imperial study. Lin Ran didn¡¯t release his divine sense, so he didn¡¯t know what the two of them were talking about inside. After waiting in boredom for about half an hour, the door of the imperial study suddenly opened. Huo Qiyun stood at the door and curled his finger at Lin Ran. ¡°Come.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s tone was very strange. Lin Ran suddenly remembered that when he was in high school, this was the tone students from other classes spoke when they came to ask for a fight. It was a kind of contempt for one¡¯s opponent under blind confidence. Moreover, this tone was usually malicious. ¡°Sigh¡­ A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger!¡± Lin Ran sighed in his heart and strode over, not caring about the hostility Huo Qiyun showed. The difference in their cultivation levels was obvious. If Huo Qiyun dared to attack, Lin Ran didn¡¯t mind teaching him a lesson. Chapter 67 - Secret Exposed As soon as Lin Ran walked into the imperial study, Huo Qiyun closed the door behind him. Then, he pulled out his sword and blocked the door, as if he was afraid that Lin Ran would run away. Seeing Huo Qiyun draw his sword, the empress¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Qiyun! What are you doing? Put away your sword!¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t reply. He just looked at Lin Ran coldly and said in a commanding tone, ¡°Draw your sword and let me see what you¡¯re capable of!¡± Lin Ran turned around and glanced at Huo Qiyun casually. Then, he looked at the empress. ¡°Did you tell him?¡± ¡°Most of it.¡± The empress nodded, but her expression was a little subtle. Lin Ran instantly understood. Most of it had been said, which meant that she had left out something crucial. At the thought of this, Lin Ran finally turned to face Huo Qiyun and asked with a smile, ¡°Why do you want to see what I¡¯m capable of?¡± ¡°You¡¯re His Majesty¡¯s personal guard. I want to see if you have the ability to protect His Majesty.¡± Huo Qiyun replied calmly, but before he spoke, he clearly turned his eyes to the upper right. That was a sign that he was lying. Lin Ran chuckled to himself. It seemed that Huo Qiyun was indeed a genius, just like him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll show you.¡± Lin Ran nodded, and a cold glint flashed across his eyes. Then, some invisible shackles in his body began to shatter. Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression changed almost instantly. ¡°No! You¡¯re not a Senior Martial Master!¡± Lin Ran only smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. His aura began to rise steadily. Senior Martial Master, Grandmaster, Senior Grandmaster¡­ Senior Grand Master Level 1, 2, 3¡­ It wasn¡¯t until he reached the peak of the ninth level of Senior Grandmaster Realm that Lin Ran¡¯s aura stabilized. Although it was still far from his limit, his intuition told him that he had to keep enough trump cards when facing this strange kid. However, even if it was only the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm, it was enough to make Huo Qiyun¡¯s face turn pale. He did not even notice that the sword in his hand had fallen to the ground! The endless sharp sword intent seemed to have materialized. The imperial study was calm, but Huo Qiyun felt as if he was in a turbulent sea. The wind howled and the waves surged, but he was like a small boat that could only drift along with the waves in the destructive storm! ¡°Gulp!¡± Huo Qiyun gulped and knelt down instinctively. Lin Ran didn¡¯t expect this cocky kid to be so gun-shy. He quickly retracted his sword intent and suppressed his cultivation to the realm of a Senior Martial Master. The sword intent dissipated, but Huo Qiyun was still kneeling on the ground in a daze. Seeing this, the empress couldn¡¯t help but look worried. She came to Lin Ran¡¯s side and asked softly, ¡°What did you do to him? Will he be fine?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine. He was just scared.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. When Huo Qiyun gradually came back to his senses, Lin Ran asked with a faint smile, ¡°How is it? Did you see what I¡¯m capable of? Do you want to see it again?¡± ¡°No need, no need! I¡¯ve seen it clearly.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression changed and he waved his hand repeatedly. After saying that, he realized that he was still kneeling on the ground. He quickly got up and pretended to be calm. Lin Ran found it funny, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered to expose him. He went straight to the point and said, ¡°Senior Sword God has to deal with some private matters. I don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll be back, so His Majesty wants me to pretend to be him for the time being. Are you willing to cooperate with us?¡± The empress also said, ¡°Qiyun, the situation between the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and the Great Yong Dynasty is tense. If people know Grandpa Sword God isn¡¯t around, a war might break out. This is for the sake of the world. Are you willing to help me this time?¡± As long as Huo Qiyun still had justice in his heart, he would definitely not refuse. Even if he did not cooperate with them to put up a show, he would at least promise to keep it a secret. However, after a while, Huo Qiyun still didn¡¯t say anything. He just frowned at Lin Ran as if he couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on. Lin Ran didn¡¯t expect Huo Qiyun to have this reaction. He suddenly felt a little uncertain. He leaned over to the empress and asked in a low voice, ¡°Is he going to say no? If that¡¯s the case, I have to kill him.¡± The empress shook her head. ¡°No, Qiyun has been a good child since he was young. Moreover, this matter is for the sake of the world. He will definitely agree.¡± ¡°A good child who wanders around and kills a dozen people in a year¡­¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and looked at the empress teasingly. ¡°It seems that our definition of ¡®good child¡¯ is a little different.¡± The empress rolled her eyes and did not speak. After thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°Qiyun, I know that you admire Grandpa Sword God. If you don¡¯t want to help, I can understand. I just hope you can keep this a secret.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Huo Qiyun suddenly spoke, but he didn¡¯t answer the empress. He looked at Lin Ran excitedly. ¡°I felt that your sword intent was a little familiar just now. That¡¯s Grandpa Sword God¡¯s sword intent!¡± Lin Ran was surprised. ¡°You almost peed your pants just now. How can you distinguish my sword intent?¡± ¡°Grandpa Sword God taught me to stay calm at all times. Panic and anger will only kill you faster.¡± Huo Qiyun repeated it as if he was reciting it from memory. Then, he ran up to Lin Ran and sized him up as if it was their first time meeting. ¡°Who are you? Why do you have Grandpa Sword God¡¯s sword intent?¡± Before Lin Ran could speak, the empress explained, ¡°Commander Lin used to be a mountain guardian of Mount Sword. He received a lot of guidance from Grandpa Sword God. He is considered your Senior Apprentice-Brother.¡± ¡°No, no, no. Grandpa Sword God taught me first. I¡¯m the senior brother.¡± Huo Qiyun shook his finger and stared at Lin Ran with a scrutinizing gaze. ¡°His sword intent is not only similar to Grandpa Sword God¡¯s, but it¡¯s almost identical. If he wasn¡¯t so ugly, I would have suspected that Grandpa Sword God had returned to his youth.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly darkened. He grabbed Huo Qiyun¡¯s collar and said coldly, ¡°You can insult my intelligence, but you can¡¯t insult my looks! I don¡¯t care if you are a child or not. If you dare to say that again, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± The empress¡¯s expression turned solemn. If Huo Qiyun said another word about Lin Ran being ugly, she had no doubt that Lin Ran would really attack. However, Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t seem to be afraid at all. Instead, he looked at Lin Ran meaningfully. ¡°You won¡¯t kill me. I know your secret.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s attitude softened, but he still pretended to be fierce. ¡°Then tell me, what secret do you have that can stop me from killing you?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red. He whispered into Lin Ran¡¯s ear, ¡°Grandpa Sword God is no longer around, right?¡± Chapter 68 - The Truth Is Revealed, Successor of the Ten Miles Sword God Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed instantly. He even looked at Huo Qiyun in shock. He knew that Huo Qiyun was a little difficult to deal with, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so difficult! Only Lin Ran knew that the Ten Miles Sword God had died in Mount Sword. Perhaps Daoist Li knew too, but he was already dead, so it didn¡¯t matter if he knew or not. To the outside world, Lin Ran had always said that the Sword God was away to settle private matters. Even to the empress, he said the same thing. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t figure out how Huo Qiyun knew about this. Lin Ran wanted to ask, but he couldn¡¯t because the empress was still beside him. After hesitating for half a second, Lin Ran grabbed Huo Qiyun¡¯s collar and tossed him over his shoulder. After bidding farewell to the empress, he quickly left the imperial study and flew back to Mingzhao Hall. Huo Qiyun already knew that the Sword God had died, so Lin Ran naturally didn¡¯t have to continue pretending. After returning to Mingzhao Hall, Lin Ran threw Huo Qiyun down. At the same time, he drew his sword and activated the Five Elements Sword Technique. ¡°Earth!¡± Boom! A powerful earth attribute sword energy rose from the ground and instantly formed a cage that trapped Huo Qiyun. Lin Ran stepped forward and pressed his sword against Huo Qiyun¡¯s neck. He asked coldly, ¡°Who are you? Why are you approaching me?¡± Before Huo Qiyun could speak, Lin Ran added, ¡°Don¡¯t lie. Or you¡¯ll die.¡± It was different from the threat in the imperial study. At that time, although Lin Ran was angry, he didn¡¯t really want to kill Huo Qiyun. It was just intimidation. But at this moment, he really wanted to kill Huo Qiyun. On the way back, he had already thought about it. It was impossible for him to leak the news of the Sword God¡¯s death. The only explanation was that Huo Qiyun was monitoring him and learned about this through surveillance. In the sword energy cage, Huo Qiyun¡¯s face was pale. He clearly didn¡¯t expect Lin Ran to have such a big reaction. After a few minutes, Huo Qiyun slowly calmed down. He stared at the sword blade that was an inch away from him and quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s the sword intent! Your sword intent is exactly the same as Grandpa Sword God¡¯s. Only when Grandpa Sword God takes the initiative to give you his cultivation will this happen!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes flickered. It wasn¡¯t that he believed Huo Qiyun, but he suddenly realized an awkward situation. Although he was now at the Half-Saint Realm, it was all thanks to the system. As a transmigrator, he knew nothing about cultivation inheritance. In other words, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t tell if Huo Qiyun was telling the truth. Fortunately, Lin Ran¡¯s aura was terrifying enough. Seeing that Lin Ran was silent, Huo Qiyun thought that he didn¡¯t believe him. He quickly added, ¡°Grandpa Sword God told me this! Back then, I wanted to become his disciple, but he was about to enter seclusion, so it didn¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°Before Grandpa Sword God went into seclusion, he promised me that if he came out alive, he would take me in as his disciple. If he failed, he would seal all his cultivation in the Ten Miles Dragon Roar.¡± ¡°He told me to go to the place where he went into seclusion to find the Dragon Roar Sword and fulfill his wish if I hear the news of his death.¡± As if afraid that Lin Ran wouldn¡¯t be patient enough to listen to him, Huo Qiyun spoke very quickly. Fortunately, he could speak clearly. After Lin Ran heard this, he almost immediately believed him. Previously, when he left the cave where the Sword God was in seclusion, in order to prevent outsiders from discovering that the demon had escaped, he destroyed the only entrance. It was impossible for Huo Qiyun to know what was going on inside, but what he said was accurate. This meant that Huo Qiyun was not lying. In fact, when he found the Sword God¡¯s remains at the top of Mount Sword, Lin Ran had discovered many strange things. For example, although the letter left behind by the Sword God did not mention who it was for, the tone indicated that it was written for an acquaintance. For example, after Lin Ran obtained the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, the system gave him two rewards for the first time. At that time, Lin Ran thought that the system was being generous. Now that he thought about it, the so-called ¡°obtaining the remnant internal energy of the Ten Miles Sword God¡± was actually something that the Sword God had stored in the Dragon Roar Sword from the beginning! Lin Ran sheathed his sword and waved his hand to dispel the sword energy cage. Although Huo Qiyun had been wandering about the continent for many years, he was still a child. Frightened by Lin Ran, he fell to the ground almost instantly, his body trembling. Lin Ran went over to help him up. He wanted to say something, but he realized that he didn¡¯t know what to say. After knowing the whole story, Lin Ran actually felt bad about Huo Qiyun. Huo Qiyun was the successor appointed by the Ten Miles Sword God. If Lin Ran did not appear, the Ten Miles Dragon Roar and the cultivation of the Sword God would belong to Huo Qiyun. Lin Ran happened to stumble upon the Sword God¡¯s remains and obtained what was not for him to obtain. Although he hadn¡¯t done anything to let the Sword God down, he felt sorry for Huo Qiyun. After a moment of silence, Lin Ran suddenly looked at Huo Qiyun. ¡°Shall I take you in as my disciple? Those sword techniques and internal energy were originally left to you by the Sword God. I might not be able to give you the internal energy, but I can teach you the sword techniques. If you don¡¯t want to call me master, don¡¯t.¡±¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s gaze became even stranger. He stared at Lin Ran and asked suspiciously, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re lying to me, but why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess it¡¯s to return the favor?¡± Lin Ran smiled bitterly and added after some thought, ¡°After all, I owe Senior Sword God a favor.¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say anything. He just looked at Lin Ran carefully, wanting to find signs of lying on his face. As expected, Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t find anything. ¡°I got it.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded and stood up to tidy up his clothes. He placed his right hand on his left shoulder and bowed respectfully to Lin Ran. Before Lin Ran could ask, Huo Qiyun had already stood up and said coldly, ¡°I won¡¯t call you Master. Grandpa Sword God is my only master.¡± Lin Ran chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as you practice hard.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded and put on a serious expression. ¡°There are still three days until the state banquet. You have to learn to speak and act perfectly like Grandpa Sword God. You definitely won¡¯t be able to do it in three days, but I can try my best to make you look like him.¡± Lin Ran nodded and suddenly thought of something. ¡°So¡­ you agree to help us keep it a secret?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not helping you. I¡¯m helping the world.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s face revealed a mature look that did not match his age. ¡°I came back this time because I found a secret. If it¡¯s not handled well, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty will fall into war again!¡± Chapter 69 - Crisis of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty Lin Ran was immediately interested in this secret. However, when he asked again, Huo Qiyun refused to say anything. He only said that the secret was huge and that he had to report it to the empress in person. Seeing this, Lin Ran could only bring Huo Qiyun back to the imperial study. As for the ¡°secret¡± Huo Qiyun mentioned, he didn¡¯t take it to heart. After all, Lin Ran had once been young and knew that young people were always full of crap. Soon, the two of them returned to the imperial study. With a frown, the empress seemed to be dealing with state affairs, but in fact, she was holding the brush in her hand upside down. From this, one could tell how anxious she was. Seeing Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun walk in side by side, the empress hurriedly stood up and asked, ¡°Lord Lin! Qiyun, where did you go just now?¡± ¡°We just found a place to catch up with each other.¡± Lin Ran smiled and put his arm around Huo Qiyun¡¯s shoulder, pretending to be a good friend with him. Then, Huo Qiyun pushed him away with a look of disdain. The empress sensed that although the atmosphere between the two of them was strange, it was indeed not as tense as before. She finally relaxed and put on a playful expression as she asked with a smile, ¡°It seems that the outcome of your catching up was not very good.¡± Lin Ran rubbed his nose awkwardly and pointed at Huo Qiyun. ¡°This kid is willing to help us. We¡¯ll talk about it later. He said that he has a big secret to tell you. You guys chat first.¡± With that, Lin Ran closed the door of the imperial study and sat behind the desk. He picked up a brush and began to write down the sword technique, preparing to give it to Huo Qiyun later. Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was doing, but he didn¡¯t care. He pulled the empress to the desk and took out a wooden box. The wooden box was about the size of an egg. The surface was painted red, and there were decorative patterns outlined by gold paint on the edges. When Huo Qiyun opened the wooden box, there was only a green mud ball inside. ¡°What is this.¡± The empress wanted to take it out to take a look, but Huo Qiyun grabbed her wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it! This thing is very dangerous!¡± Lin Ran stuck his head out and took a look. Then, he revealed a disdainful expression. ¡°Huo, if you¡¯re really bored, get your emperor sister to give you some toys. Donkey dung is not fun!¡± When the empress heard this, she burst into laughter. This mud ball indeed looked similar to a donkey dung. ¡°Shut up! What do you know!¡± Huo Qiyun glared at Lin Ran, then looked like he was reminiscing. ¡°I got this from a martial artist. About three months ago, I found out that he publicly insulted Grandpa Sword Saint, so I challenged him to a duel.¡± ¡°His cultivation level is about the same as mine, also at the ninth level of Senior Martial Master Realm. However, I still managed to take the upper hand. Just as I thought that victory was near, he suddenly took this thing and broke through to the Grandmaster Realm!¡± At this point, Huo Qiyun suddenly stopped. Lin Ran and the empress thought that he wanted to catch his breath, so they didn¡¯t rush him. However, after waiting for half a minute, they didn¡¯t hear anything else. Just as Lin Ran was feeling puzzled, Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but frown at the two of them and ask suspiciously, ¡°Are you with me? I¡¯m only at the ninth level of Senior Martial Master Realm! Aren¡¯t you curious about what happened after that?¡± ¡°Is that necessary?¡± The empress didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°If you can stand here now, doesn¡¯t that mean that you won in the end?¡± Lin Ran continued after the empress, ¡°It happened three months ago. If I¡¯m not wrong, you must have experienced a tough battle and might have even been injured, so you recuperated for three months.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression changed slightly. Lin Ran continued as if he did not see it, ¡°It was nearly impossible for a senior martial master to fight a grandmaster, but you did. It means that the effect of this pill is not stable. When the other party was attacked by the side effect of the pill, you took the opportunity to kill him.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another possibility. This kind of pill has a time limit. Qiyun lasted until the pill lost its effect before killing him.¡¯ Following Lin Ran¡¯s train of thought, the empress also analyzed. It could be said that the two of them had developed a tacit understanding recently. After saying that, she realized that Huo Qiyun was looking at her with a bitter expression. She quickly smiled apologetically and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you. Continue.¡± ¡°What else is there to say? You¡¯ve already said everything I wanted to say!¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s face fell, then his eyes lit up as he said, ¡°By the way, there¡¯s one more thing! You don¡¯t think you know where this pill is produced!¡± ¡°Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Lin Ran and the empress spoke in unison. Then, the two of them looked at each other, as if surprised by the tacit understanding between them. Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression changed as he glared at the two of them and asked, ¡°How did you know? Have you seen this pill before?!¡± Lin Ran smiled and did not say anything. The empress pointed at the wooden box on the desk and said, ¡°The pattern drawn on it is called moth pattern. It symbolizes bravery and fearlessness. It¡¯s a special pattern used by the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s army. If you want to keep us in suspense, change the box.¡± This time, Huo Qiyun finally stopped making them guess. He slumped into the chair beside him like a deflated ball. ¡°Since you all know, I¡¯ll just say it.¡± ¡°After seeing the effect of this pill, I infiltrated into the Great Yong Dynasty to investigate. This thing is not common in the Great Yong Dynasty, but it¡¯s not rare either. Almost every large-scale spiritual medicine shop sells it. It¡¯s just that the price is relatively high.¡± ¡°The effect of this pill is so shocking. If it is used in the army, won¡¯t the army be invincible? Therefore, I guess that this pill is still in trial. The army of the Great Yong Dynasty should already be equipped with an even more powerful pill!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the imperial study suddenly became serious. Lin Ran stopped smiling and subconsciously looked at the empress. The two of them could see the same seriousness in each other¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t a big deal for one senior martial master to advance to grandmaster, but what if the entire army could advance at such a speed? The empress¡¯s face was ashen, and her brows were furrowed tightly. ¡°The latest secret report from the Grand Council has it that in the past half a year, the Great Yong Dynasty has been recruiting soldiers. As of three days ago, a conservative estimate is that they have 700,000 soldiers with an average cultivation of the fourth level of the Martial Master Realm.¡± Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun immediately understood what the empress meant. Even if this pill could only help one advance to the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm, it would still be able to produce an army of 700,000 ninth level Senior Martial Masters. A force of this scale could almost sweep through the entire world, let alone the Heavenly Saint Dynasty! Chapter 70 - Impersonating the Sword God, From Entry to Giving Up After a full quarter of an hour, the empress finally broke the silence. ¡°I originally thought that with Grandpa Sword God¡¯s appearance, we would at least be able to buy some time. I didn¡¯t expect the Great Yong Dynasty to be so ambitious. First, it was an assassination. Now, they have developed such a thing. If Qiyun didn¡¯t discover it, I wouldn¡¯t know danger is so near.¡± When Huo Qiyun heard this, his expression changed and he hurriedly stood up from his chair. ¡°Your Majesty, you were assassinated? When did this happen?¡± ¡°Just a few days ago.¡± The empress roughly told him about the assassin pretending to be Consort Rong. Originally, only she and Lin Ran knew about this. Now, there was also Huo Qiyun. It was obvious that she trusted him a lot. ¡°Damn Great Yong Dynasty!¡± Huo Qiyun was furious. He swung his sword and cut off a corner of the desk. Then, he looked at Lin Ran and said with a murderous aura, ¡°Let¡¯s set off now and go to the Great Yong Dynasty to cut off that evil emperor¡¯s head! You¡¯re at the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm. Even if they have this pill, none of them can hurt you!¡± Lin Ran was also a little angry, but he remained seated on the chair and said calmly, ¡°Enough. With my cultivation level, we¡¯ll be in big trouble if I really go with you!¡± Huo Qiyun looked disdainful. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lin Ran was about to curse, but at the thought that he owed Huo Qiyun so much, he restrained himself. ¡°There¡¯s an agreement between the countries that those above the Grandmaster Realm are not allowed to participate in the battle. If I interfere, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty will become the target of public criticism.¡± Huo Qiyun clearly didn¡¯t know about this agreement. He was stunned for a moment before scolding, ¡°What kind of a bastard would agree to this kind of an agreement?¡± ¡°I was the one who agreed,¡± the empress said angrily. Huo Qiyun smiled awkwardly and stopped talking. After a moment of silence, the empress continued, ¡°No matter what the Great Yong Dynasty is planning in secret, even if they are really prepared to start a war, they will still need a justifiable cause. There¡¯s no need to worry too much.¡± Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun nodded in agreement. The empress continued, ¡°The most important thing now is to stabilize the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. We have to get rid of those martial artists who participated in the rebellion as soon as possible.¡± ¡°They are already afraid of us settling scores with them. If they join hands with the Great Yong Dynasty at this juncture, we will be done for.¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯s bring forward the state banquet.¡± Lin Ran said, ¡°Tomorrow at noon, hold a state banquet in the square in front of the palace!¡± When the empress heard this, she frowned slightly. ¡°Although this is an urgent matter, isn¡¯t tomorrow a little too early? There are many things that we can¡¯t prepare in time.¡± Lin Ran sneered. ¡°What preparations are needed? This is a state banquet. If the emperor invites them to a banquet, even if there is only tea to drink, it¡¯s enough for them to brag about for half their lives!¡± The empress thought for a moment and still felt that it was inappropriate. ¡°It¡¯s already past noon. We have less than 24 hours. Even if we immediately send out the invitation letters, some of them might not be able to make the journey here in time.¡± ¡°Then they don¡¯t have to.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he grabbed the invitation letter and added something on it. ¡°Those who are far and unable to make the journey in time can hang a yellow flag outside their gate to express their gratitude to His Majesty.¡± The empress frowned. ¡°Will that work? If they can¡¯t see Grandpa Sword God in person, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t sincerely side with us, right?¡± Lin Ran smiled, but his tone was extremely cold. ¡°To put it bluntly, this state banquet is just an occasion for them to show their attitude. As for whether they¡¯re sincere or not, is it that important?¡± The empress looked puzzled, not completely understanding what Lin Ran meant. Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression changed slightly as he looked at Lin Ran in surprise. ¡°Are you trying to make an example out of some? If you wipe out a few large sects that don¡¯t hang yellow flags outside the gate, the remaining small fries will naturally be terrified!¡± Lin Ran smiled in approval. Actually, he didn¡¯t want to do such a cold-blooded thing. But now, the Great Yong Dynasty was eager to make a move. Who knew when a war would break out? He could only try to settle it in the quickest manner, even if it meant he had to do something he did not want to do. As for whether the empress would agree, Lin Ran was actually not worried. From the way the empress dealt with the traitors in the imperial court, it could be seen that although she was a woman, she was not so benevolent. Otherwise, she would have lost her power long ago. As expected, after only half a minute, the hesitation in the empress¡¯s eyes disappeared. ¡°Let¡¯s do it your way.¡± As the empress spoke, she picked up the invitation letter and said, ¡°I¡¯ll immediately get someone to send it. I don¡¯t know how many people will come tomorrow. To what extent they will be intimidated depends on you.¡± Lin Ran nodded with a smile. Huo Qiyun said, ¡°It¡¯s too early to smile. Since the state banquet is brought forward, we have to start preparing now. Let¡¯s go back to Mingzhao Hall. I¡¯ll teach you how to act like Grandpa Sword God!¡± ¡°Thank you, then.¡± Lin Ran smiled again, but his eye expression had turned serious. Although Lin Ran had been pretending to be the Sword God for a while, he spent most of his time in the palace. As long as he covered his face and released his sword intent, the civil and military officials and palace eunuchs would not be able to tell if he was real or fake. However, at the state banquet tomorrow, there would be a large number of martial artists present. Most of them had seen the Ten Miles Sword God with their own eyes. Some of the sect masters and elders of large sects had even interacted with the Ten Miles Sword God closely. If Lin Ran couldn¡¯t fool them, the entire plan would be ruined. After finalizing the plan, the three of them split up. The empress summoned Li Tianyi and instructed him to distribute the invitation letters. Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun returned to Mingzhao Hall and began the lesson of impersonating Ten Miles Sword God Imitation. The two of them sat facing each other. Huo Qiyun pointed at Lin Ran and said, ¡°The human skin mask can¡¯t hide your expression. Grandpa Sword God is a powerful master. He definitely won¡¯t show his thoughts on his face like you. So the first step is to put away your stupid expression.¡± ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re using this opportunity to take revenge on me?¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and touched his face. ¡°When did I write my thoughts on my face?¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say anything. With a flick of his thumb, he unsheathed his sword and held it in front of Lin Ran to use it as a mirror. Lin Ran looked at himself in the sword and saw that he was frowning and pursing his lips. It was indeed not the expression of a master. ¡°Sigh, I¡¯ve been troubled by too many things these days.¡± Rubbing his slightly furrowed brows, Lin Ran asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t I cover my face tomorrow?¡± ¡°No!¡± Huo Qiyun firmly denied it. ¡°Grandpa Sword God never wears a mask. You have to show your face at the state banquet tomorrow. You have to tell everyone that the Ten Miles Sword God is back and that those who dare to play dirty tricks will die!¡± Lin Ran smacked his lips and didn¡¯t say anything, but he already had the thought of giving up. This was much harder than he had imagined! Chapter 71 - Entrusted by Someone to Protect You In the blink of an eye, eight hours passed.. Lin Ran kept looking at himself in the mirror and practicing the facial expressions that Huo Qiyun had said. In the end, Lin Ran felt his entire face stiffen. The rebellious feeling in his heart reached its peak. He slapped the mirror away and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m done! I¡¯m not practicing anymore! I¡¯ll cover my face tomorrow. If anyone dares to doubt me, I¡¯ll stab him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Huo Qiyun suddenly widened his eyes and pointed at Lin Ran in surprise. ¡°Your expression is especially good now! You already look like Grandpa Sword God!¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he hurriedly picked up the mirror. However, when he saw his fierce face in the mirror, he suddenly felt a little complicated. ¡°Is Ten Miles Sword God usually so angry-looking? How unhappy is his life?¡± Lin Ran subconsciously complained. As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression had darkened. He quickly pressed his palms together and bowed to the sky to apologize to the Ten Miles Sword God. Only then did Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression soften a little. He rolled his eyes at Lin Ran and said angrily, ¡°What do you know? Grandpa Sword God cares about the people of the world. His unhappiness is not for himself, but for the people.¡± Lin Ran nodded and didn¡¯t refute. To a brainless fan like Huo Qiyun, no negative comments about the Ten Miles Sword God were allowed, so Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him. After Lin Ran massaged his face and rested for five minutes, Huo Qiyun stood up again. ¡°That¡¯s all for facial expressions. Next, I¡¯ll teach you Grandpa Sword God¡¯s posture.¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Lin Ran quickly made a pause gesture. ¡°Let me ask you something first. Is the posture strange?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa Sword God¡¯s usual posture is very simple.¡± As Huo Qiyun spoke, he first tied the sword to the left side of his belt with a rope. Then, he placed his hands behind his back and stepped forward with his left foot. Lin Ran waited for half a minute, but seeing that Huo Qiyun wasn¡¯t moving, he couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°Next time, just tell me to stand at ease.¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran stood up and stood at ease. Before he transmigrated, he had been trained at a military camp and was familiar with the command ¡°Stand at ease¡±. After putting on that fierce-looking facial expression, Lin Ran immediately realized that Huo Qiyun¡¯s gaze had changed. It was a look of nostalgia and sadness. Without Huo Qiyun saying anything, Lin Ran knew that he had already graduated from the Ten Miles Sword God impersonation crash course. ¡°Take a rest first. I¡¯ll go get something!¡± With that, Huo Qiyun turned around and left. The moment he turned around, Lin Ran saw that his eyes were red. This was the greatest compliment for Lin Ran¡¯s impersonation, but Lin Ran looked a little worried, wondering how the empress would react when she saw him looking almost exactly like Sword God. For some reason, Lin Ran recalled that when he was helping the empress remove the poison, the empress looked like an aggrieved little girl who was crying in his arms. It was unfortunate for a young girl to bear the fate of the entire dynasty. An innocent girl was forced to become a decisive and cold emperor. Moreover, she had to hide her identity from everyone. Before Lin Ran entered the palace, she didn¡¯t even have anyone to pour out her heart. Lin Ran had only practiced impersonating someone for eight hours, but he had already thought of giving up several times. However, the empress had to impersonate someone for years. Thinking of this, Lin Ran suddenly felt his heart ache for her. She was carrying too much. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know how much courage it took, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°I was entrusted by Sword God to protect you¡­ With me around, you don¡¯t have to bear it alone.¡± Lin Ran adjusted his expression before continuing to practice seriously in the mirror. It was not until past midnight that Huo Qiyun returned with a flat wooden box in his hand. Lin Ran had seen this wooden box before. Previously, when the empress asked him to pretend to be her to sleep with the consorts, he used this box to store the human skin mask. Opening the wooden box, there was indeed a human skin mask inside, but the material seemed to be different. Beside it were a few small porcelain jars and three strands of black and white beard. ¡°Because you¡¯re going to show up during the day tomorrow, the requirements for the human skin mask are higher. It will take a while for this mask to fit your face completely. I¡¯ll dress you up in a while. Otherwise, there won¡¯t be enough time.¡± As Huo Qiyun spoke, he started working. His eyes were still a little red, and his voice was hoarse. It was obvious that he had just cried. Lin Ran pretended to not notice it. He agreed and sat down in front of the mirror, letting Huo Qiyun do his face. High-level human skin masks were different. Even the process of wearing it was much more complicated. The one that the empress had given to him previously only needed to be dipped in water before he put it on his face. However, before wearing this mask, he had to shave his fine hair to prevent it from affecting the effect of the mask. If Lin Ran hadn¡¯t objected strongly, Huo Qiyun would have shaved off his eyebrows. After finishing the preparatory work, Huo Qiyun took out a small porcelain jar. After opening it, there was something translucent and sticky inside. He dipped a small brush into it and carefully applied it to every corner of Lin Ran¡¯s face. When it reached his eyebrows, Lin Ran suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°This thing is so sticky. Will my eyebrows be peeled off when I take off the mask?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± Huo Qiyun shrugged indifferently and patted Lin Ran. ¡°Don¡¯t move or speak. Otherwise, if my hand slipped, your entire face would be ruined!¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t dare to move. He didn¡¯t particularly care about his appearance, but that didn¡¯t mean he could accept a balding hairstyle. With Lin Ran¡¯s cooperation, the paste was quickly applied. When the surface of the paste was a little dry, Huo Qiyun picked up the human skin mask in the box and carefully covered Lin Ran¡¯s face. Then, he used his thumb to press it carefully from bottom to top. This process was very long. In order to cooperate, Lin Ran kept his eyes closed. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he finally heard Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± When Lin Ran opened his eyes, he realized that his face had changed completely. The eyebrows and beard had yet to be put on, so he looked a little strange at first glance. There were more than ten wrinkles on his forehead and at the corners of his eyes. His face was old, but he didn¡¯t have a strand of gray hair, which made him look strange. He looked at the mirror for a moment and suddenly had a strange feeling. He seemed to have seen this face somewhere before! Chapter 72 - Unintentional Realization This sense of familiarity was different from seeing a common face on the street. It was a real sense of familiarity. However, this face seemed to be missing a certain characteristic, so he couldn¡¯t connect it to a specific person. But how was that possible? This was the face of the Ten Miles Sword God. When Lin Ran found the Sword God¡¯s remains on Mount Sword, the pile of bones was at least decades old. At that time, he had yet to transmigrate. How could he have seen this face? Could it be someone he knew before transmigrating? ¡°Eyebrows! Beards!¡± Lin Ran patted Huo Qiyun. ¡°Hurry! Put it all on my face.¡± ¡°No, we have to wait for the adhesive to dry out first.¡± Huo Qiyun shook his head. As if sensing Lin Ran¡¯s anxiety, he added, ¡°An hour. Just wait another hour.¡± Lin Ran had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue waiting. However, in anxiety, every second felt like a year for him. In the end, Lin Ran felt his cheeks turn numb. Just as he couldn¡¯t help but want to do it himself, Huo Qiyun, who was meditating at the side, suddenly stood up. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Lin Ran immediately closed his eyes and heard Huo Qiyun take something and slowly place it on his brow. Although there was a human skin mask on his face, he still felt a furry sensation. The process of applying the beards and eyebrows was very fast. In just two to three minutes, Huo Qiyun was done. Lin Ran hurriedly opened his eyes to look at himself in the mirror. With gray eyebrows and beards, his face became more distinct. But even so, Lin Ran still couldn¡¯t connect this face with someone. He felt that there was still something missing. Lin Ran looked at Huo Qiyun. ¡°Is there nothing else?¡± Huo Qiyun shook his head in confusion. ¡°No, the last step is to dye your hair gray. We can do that tomorrow.¡± ¡°No, you must have forgotten something!¡± Lin Ran said excitedly. That familiar feeling had reached its peak. He was so close to catching it. ¡°Think about it again! There must be something else! For example, age spots, buck teeth, eyepatch¡­¡± At the mention of eyepatch, Lin Ran suddenly thought of something. He raised a hand to block his eyes and looked at the face in the mirror through his fingers. Boom! Lin Ran was struck dumb. After he covered his eyes, his face was exactly the same as Daoist Li¡¯s! Daoist Li was blind, and his eyeballs were all white. Every time Lin Ran saw him, his attention was on his eyes. Therefore, in Lin Ran¡¯s memory, a pair of white eyes was Daoist Li¡¯s facial features. It was also because of this that he did not recognize this face immediately. But how was this possible? Daoist Li actually looked exactly the same as the Ten Miles Sword God? Twins? Or was he the real Ten Miles Sword God? But if Daoist Li was the Ten Mile Sword God, who was the skeleton in the cave on Mount Sword? Was it the sealed demon? After recognizing this face, countless questions surged out like a fountain. Lin Ran felt that his mind was about to explode, but he quickly thought of a key question. Daoist Li looked exactly like the Ten Miles Sword God. Did the empress know about this? Obviously, she knew. Then why had she never mentioned it? Lin Ran couldn¡¯t figure it out. If it were any other time, he would put the questions to the back of his mind in no time. But now, he was in the same boat as the empress. This feeling of not being trusted made him very unhappy. ¡°This is the sword technique left behind by Sword God. Take a look yourself. I need to go out for a while.¡± Lin Ran threw the sword technique he had written to Huo Qiyun and left. At this point, in another two hours, it would be dawn. Logically speaking, the empress should be resting in the bedroom at this moment, but tomorrow was the state banquet. There were too many things for her to deal with, so Lin Ran did not go to the bedroom. Instead, he went straight to the imperial study. As expected, the imperial study was brightly lit. Countless eunuchs came in and out. Although no one spoke, one could feel the busy atmosphere in the air. Lin Ran was in a hurry to clarify the doubts in his heart. Without waiting for the eunuch to inform the empress, he walked in. The empress was still sitting in front of the desk and was explaining something to Li Tianyi. When she saw someone coming in, she subconsciously took a look. Then, her body trembled and her eyes instantly turned red! Li Tianyi, who was at the side, also revealed a strange expression. He had naturally seen the Ten Mile Sword God before. Although he would occasionally meet Sword God in the palace these few days, his face was covered. Now that he suddenly saw this familiar face, it immediately evoked many memories. Fortunately, the empress did not lose her composure in front of everyone. She took a deep breath and held back her tears. She instructed Li Tianyi, ¡°You all can leave first. No one is allowed to enter without my permission!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Li Tianyi nodded and went out with the eunuchs. He even tactfully closed the door. The empress couldn¡¯t keep calm anymore and immediately walked forward. She reached out, wanting to hug Lin Ran with tears in her eyes, but she suddenly frowned and asked, ¡°Lord Lin?¡± ¡°As expected, I can¡¯t fool you.¡± Lin Ran chuckled strangely. Anyone could hear the displease in his voice. The empress smiled and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. You already look very much like Grandpa Sword God. It¡¯s just that your eyes betrayed your inexperience in life. After all, you¡¯re still young. There¡¯s nothing you can do about that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to hear you praise me.¡± Lin Ran said coldly, ¡°Do you still remember Daoist Li from Mount Sword?¡± ¡°Of course I remember.¡± The empress nodded as if she knew what Lin Ran wanted to ask. Without waiting for him to speak, she smiled and said, ¡°What a coincidence. Other than his eyes, he looks almost identical to Grandpa Sword God.¡± Seeing that the empress admitted it so readily, Lin Ran was a little at a loss. He was stunned for a moment before continuing to ask, ¡°Then why haven¡¯t I heard you mention it before?¡± ¡°Why did I have to mention it?¡± The empress asked in confusion, as if she did not understand this question. ¡°There has to be an opportunity for me to bring this up. You¡¯ve never asked about Grandpa Sword God¡¯s appearance. Why did I have to mention it for no reason?¡± Lin Ran was speechless. Only then did he remember that the person in front of him was the current emperor, not his female classmates who liked gossiping. There was no way the empress would suddenly come to him one day and say, ¡°Do you know that Daoist Li from Mount Sword looks exactly the same as the Ten Mile Sword God?¡± Thinking of what the empress had just said, Lin Ran was so embarrassed that his toes curled up. However, this embarrassment was quickly gone. Initially, Lin Ran only wanted to ask a question, but now that he looked into the empress¡¯s eyes, perhaps it was because of the tacit understanding between the two of them or his sharp intuition, he was almost 100% sure that this woman was hiding something very important from him. Chapter 73 - What Was the Empress Hiding? ¡°There¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me.¡± Lin Ran went straight to the point and said in a firm tone. Almost at the same time, he saw a trace of panic flash across the empress¡¯s eyes. The panic disappeared in a flash. The empress curled her lips and revealed a playful expression. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? In this palace, I trust you and Qiyun the most. Why would I hide anything from you?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything and just stared at the empress with a fierce expression. This was a technique he had just learned from Huo Qiyun. He named it ¡°Pressure of Silence¡±. Even though the Ten Miles Sword God had an extraordinary status, he was not omniscient. Most of the time, he had to obtain some information through asking. As expected, the empress only lasted for half a minute under the pressure. ¡°You¡¯re cheating!¡± The empress pouted and said aggrievedly with tears in her eyes. No one would associate her with the emperor of a country. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be moved. He retracted his gaze and said helplessly, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this either. It¡¯s you who doesn¡¯t want to cooperate.¡± The empress seemed to be still angry. She pouted and didn¡¯t look at Lin Ran. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know how to coax her, so he could only wait patiently for her to calm down. Fortunately, the empress was not a grumpy person. After a few minutes, she calmed down. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m hiding something from you.¡± The empress returned to her usual calm self. She looked at Lin Ran and said seriously, ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t tell you because this matter might concern your life and death. I was worried that you would be afraid and escape. Later, I didn¡¯t tell you because this matter can¡¯t threaten you anymore. It¡¯s pointless to bring it up.¡± Lin Ran said flatly, ¡°Go to the point.¡± The empress sighed and seemed to be a little conflicted. After a few seconds, she said, ¡°How about this? It¡¯s getting late. Go back and rest first. After the banquet is over, I¡¯ll tell you the whole thing.¡± Lin Ran frowned. This sounded like an excuse to stall for time. After the state banquet, the empress might turn hostile and refuse to admit it. If that was the case, he really couldn¡¯t do anything to the empress. Even so, Lin Ran still nodded in agreement. The two of them had worked together for so long. Even if they did not go through thick and thin together, they should still trust each other. ¡°I¡¯ll be very sad if you go back on your word.¡± With that, Lin Ran left the imperial study. When he returned to Mingzhao Hall, Huo Qiyun was still reading the sword technique. His expression was sometimes stunned and sometimes puzzled, but most of the time, he was puzzled. Seeing Lin Ran enter, Huo Qiyun immediately leaned over and asked with a frown, ¡°Did you remember this sword technique wrongly? Why can¡¯t I understand most of it?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t get the answer he wanted and was in a bad mood. When he heard this, he retorted, ¡°Of course! This is the sword technique left behind by the Ten Miles Sword God. If it¡¯s so easy to understand, wouldn¡¯t everyone be able to become the Sword God?¡± After saying that, Lin Ran felt a little proud. When he saw the sword technique in the cave, although he didn¡¯t master it at first glance, he could at least understand it. ¡°Genius? Not so much.¡± Lin Ran thought smugly to himself. Seeing Huo Qiyun rack his brain, trying to understand it, Lin Ran¡¯s heart suddenly softened. He comforted him, ¡°It took me at least a year to learn this sword technique, so don¡¯t worry. Memorize it first. Otherwise, you won¡¯t understand even if I teach you.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll memorize it.¡± After being encouraged, Huo Qiyun was instantly motivated and went near the oil lamp to continue reading it seriously. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but laugh before lying down on the bed. There was still a major event tomorrow. As the main character, he had to rest well. When Lin Ran opened his eyes again, it was already ten o¡¯clock the next day. There was only an hour left until the state banquet at noon. The reason why he knew it was because he was forcefully pulled up by Huo Qiyun. ¡°Hurry up! Your hair hasn¡¯t been dyed yet. It¡¯ll be too late if you dawdle any longer!¡± As Huo Qiyun spoke, he pulled the groggy Lin Ran to a chair and began to fiddle with his tools. When Lin Ran was completely awake, his black hair had already turned gray. Coupled with his age-old face, even if he didn¡¯t show any expression, he looked like a senior master. Then, Lin Ran changed into a black robe. There were dragon patterns embroidered with golden thread on his clothes and sleeves. Logically speaking, this was a pattern that only the royal family could use. However, with Ten Miles Sword God¡¯s status, no one would dare to find fault with him. After everything was prepared, Huo Qiyun brought over a long wooden box. Sensing the familiar sword intent, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but smile. After opening it, it was indeed the Sword God¡¯s sword¡ªTen Miles Dragon Roar. Ten Miles Dragon Roar was broken, so in order to hide the broken part, the empress specially equipped a scabbard for this sword. The scabbard was made of metal with a five-clawed golden dragon coiling around it. The dragon¡¯s body happened to be connected to the dragon head on the sword hilt. There were also seven rubies on the scabbard, arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper, which reflected the dragon-patterned rubies on the hilt. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°It¡¯s as if this scabbard was tailor-made for the Ten Miles Dragon Roar!¡± When Huo Qiyun heard this, he looked at Lin Ran in disdain. ¡°Why are you talking about? This is the original scabbard of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar!¡± Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this. Back then, he only found the broken Dragon Roar in the cave and thought that this sword did not have a scabbard. He did not expect that the scabbard had always been in the palace. But why wasn¡¯t the scabbard and sword together? Lin Ran vaguely felt that this might have something to do with the thing the empress was hiding from him. Anyway, he could get the answer after the state banquet, so he put it to the back of his mind for the time being. With the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, all the preparations were ready. Huo Qiyun also grabbed his sword and pushed open the door of Mingzhao Hall. He turned around and cupped his hands solemnly. ¡°Grandpa Sword God! Let¡¯s go!¡± Lin Ran nodded and walked out of Mingzhao Hall with his hands behind his back. The moment he walked out of the door and looked at the reverent gazes of the palace guards around him, Lin Ran suddenly had a strange feeling, as if he had always been the Sword God. Chapter 74 - State Banquet, Undercurrents After passing through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, they arrived at the yard in front of the throne room. It was different from the usual solemn atmosphere. Today, the drums in the yard were playing. There were about 300 tea-tables placed on both sides of the main road. Right behind the tables were cushions for the guests to sit on. 30 steps behind the tea table were 300 palace guards. All of them had their hands on their swords and their backs were straight. In front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, there was a long table facing the gate. The empress was sitting behind the table, wearing a black robe embroidered with golden dragons and a nine-dragon crown on her head. She looked around with supreme dignity. On the right side of the long table, there was a mahogany table. Its position and height were all equal to the long table. This meant that the status of the person at this table was not inferior to the current emperor! When it was almost noon, a young eunuch rushed in from outside the Gate of Supreme Harmony. After whispering a few words into Li Tianyi¡¯s ear, he bowed and left. Li Tianyi raised his head to look at the sky again. Then, he bowed to the empress and said, ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s still 15 minutes before noon. There are 261 martial artists waiting outside the gate.¡± The empress nodded and said calmly, ¡°Open the gate.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Li Tianyi bowed. Then, he stood up and faced the Gate of Supreme Harmony. He raised his voice and shouted, ¡°His Majesty has decreed that the martial artists of the martial world are allowed to enter!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the yard was filled with music. Two young eunuchs walked in front with a signboard and led the way. 261 martial artists cupped their fists and bowed. They knelt in front of the long table and said, ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Everyone, rise!¡± Everyone stood up. However, they still lowered their heads and did not dare to look around. If they lifted their heads without being asked to do so by the Emperor, it would be considered a crime punishable by death. Although most of these people were sect masters, at this moment, they had to abide by the rules of the palace. After everyone stood up, Li Tianyi took out a roll of yellow silk from his sleeve and unfolded it. ¡°Sect Master Sun of the Dark Cloud Sect! Please take a seat in the first row.¡± ¡°Master Liu of the Eight Directional Mountain! Please take a seat in the second row.¡± ¡°Elder Li of the Time Immemorial Cave! Please take a seat in the third row.¡± ¡­ Every time Li Tianyi called a name, the corresponding people would walk out of the line and walk to their seats after cupping their hands in gratitude. However, no one sat down. They only stood beside their seats with their hands by their sides. This was also a rule in the palace. Only when the emperor gave the order would they be allowed to sit down. However, when Li Tianyi was about to announce the seventh guest, an accident happened. ¡°Elder Song of the Thousand Peak! Please take a seat in the seventh row.¡± As soon as Li Tianyi called out his name, a white-haired old man was about to thank the empress when a rough voice suddenly shouted from a few feet away, ¡°Your Majesty! I have something to say!¡± At this moment, the empress was resting with her eyes closed. When she heard the voice, she opened her eyes and looked over. She realized that the person who spoke was a burly man. This person looked to be in his forties. He had a tall nose and a wide mouth. His abnormally tall figure was very eye-catching in the crowd. He knew that he was entering the palace to meet the emperor, but he was only wearing a tattered shirt. The muscles on his arms and chest were bulging, shining under the sun. Although this person cupped his hands and lowered his head, anyone could tell that he was not sincere in doing that. The empress thought to herself, ¡°What should come has come.¡± Then, she asked, ¡°What do you have to say?¡± The burly man cupped his fists again and replied in a low voice, ¡°I wonder how the sears are arranged.¡± Li Tianyi frowned. ¡°How dare you! You have to use honorifics when replying to His Majesty. Did no one teach you?¡± The burly man was not intimidated when he heard that. He raised his head and glared at Li Tianyi. ¡°I¡¯m a boor! I can¡¯t learn your rules!¡± Li Tianyi was so angry that his face turned red. He widened his eyes and was about to call for the guards when the empress raised her hand to stop him. ¡°Eunuch Li, this martial artist must be used to being carefree. It¡¯s understandable that he¡¯s unfamiliar with palace etiquette. It¡¯s fine.¡± The empress smiled, then looked at the burly man and replied, ¡°The seats are arranged according to the ranking on the Sacred Martial Roll. Is there a problem?¡± The Sacred Martial Roll was the ranking of the sects in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Every July, an arena would be set up in the capital. The various sects would go on stage to spar and determine their status in the martial world. Although some sects deliberately lost or forfeited in order to hide their strength, overall, the rankings on the Sacred Martial Roll were still relatively reliable. The burly man laughed when he heard that. ¡°Your Majesty! I have something to say about this! My name is Tie Niu! I¡¯m the chief disciple of the Northern Mystic Gate! Last year, in the arena, my sect tied with the Thousand Peak sect. Why are they given a seat in the seventh row while I have to sit behind them?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere became strange. It was as if there was an undercurrent under the calm lake. The martial artists knew for a fact that today¡¯s state banquet was not held to thank them for offering a hand in the rebellion. Now that the Ten Miles Sword God had come out of seclusion, this state banquet was most likely an occasion to test their loyalty. However, the Sword God¡¯s coming out of seclusion had always been a rumor. None of them had seen him with their own eyes. Now was a good opportunity to find it out. How could the empress not know what these people were thinking? She sneered in her heart and looked at the white-haired old man who was about to bow. ¡°Elder Song, is what he said true?¡± The Thousand Peak Sect had always supported the royal family. When Elder Song heard this, he immediately said, ¡°Your Majesty! Everything Tie Niu said is true!¡± The empress nodded. ¡°Then are you willing to change seats with him?¡± Elder Song cupped his hands. ¡°As you command, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Pfft! What a bootlicker!¡± Someone in the crowd sneered. The empress pretended not to hear it. She raised her hand and instructed, ¡°Since Elder Song has no objections, TIe Niu, take the seat in the seventh row.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± Tie Niu agreed and walked to his seat. He sat down and began to scratch his feet. The sect masters and elders frowned when they saw this, but since His Majesty did not say anything, they naturally did not dare to say anything. When Elder Song walked up to his seat, Li Tianyi continued announcing the remaining seats. After about ten minutes, the 216 seats were allocated. During this period, there were a few people who stood up to cause trouble. Although they were not as rude as Tie Niu, they were clearly trying to test the empress. The strange thing was that the empress was not angry at all. Instead, she calmed them down one by one. Some people could not help but suspect if the rumor about the Sword God was real, but little did they know that the empress had remembered everyone who dared to challenge her just now. At the same time, outside the Gate of Supreme Harmony, Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun had already arrived. They had heard and seen everything that happened in the yard. ¡°Huo.¡± Lin Ran called out and his cold gaze landed on Huo Qiyun¡¯s sword. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Chapter 75 - A Monkey Calls the Shots in the Mountain Where There Is No Tiger ¡°Tie Niu from the Northern Mystic Gate, Zhao Taiping from Mount Wufeng, Liu Fangxia from the Silver Cave, Zhou Zhiqing from the Goddess Peak, and Huang Sanfeng from Mount Qianyuan.¡± Huo Qiyun listed a few names with a faint smile. He actually recognized those people just from their voices. Lin Ran looked at Huo Qiyun in surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve really not wasted the past few years wandering around the country. You know a lot of people, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve killed many people from these five sects. After Empress Sister ascended the throne, they have secretly expressed their dissatisfaction many times. If people from the martial world participated in the rebellion, they must be among them.¡± As Huo Qiyun spoke, he took out a white handkerchief and folded it into a triangle to cover his face. Seeing this, Lin Ran asked curiously, ¡°What are you doing? Are you afraid that they¡¯ll seek revenge?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t dare to seek revenge.¡± Huo Qiyun shook his head and smiled. ¡°These people are just small fries. If they run away in fear when they see me, how can they catch the big fish?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lin Ran nodded. He thought that the martial artists who dared to attend the banquet must have a clear conscience, but now it seemed that he had underestimated these people¡¯s courage. After a quick explanation, Huo Qiyun signaled Lin Ran to remain silent. Then, the two of them pricked up their ears and listened quietly. After everyone sat down, the banquet officially began. The empress raised her cup to thank everyone. She did not expect Tie Niu to make a scene again. ¡°I didn¡¯t help during the rebellion. I won¡¯t drink this wine!¡± After Tie Niu finished speaking, he poured the wine in his cup onto the ground. Immediately, everyone gasped. No matter what occasion it was, this would be considered a great offense! Even so, the empress did not show any anger. Instead, she chuckled and said, ¡°TIe Niu is indeed straightforward. However, if you don¡¯t want to drink the wine, why did you come?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s for him!¡± Tie Niu pointed at the empty seat beside the empress. ¡°That place is reserved for the Sword God, right? He has been missing for decades. I rushed over because I wanted to see if it was true that he had come out of seclusion.¡± A cold glint flashed across the empress¡¯s eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. She continued to raise her glass and smiled. ¡°In that case, you have to drink this glass of wine even more because this is also a banquet I hold for the Sword God!¡± ¡°For the Sword God?¡± Everyone was in an uproar. From what the empress said, the rumor that the Sword God had come out of seclusion was most likely true. But why didn¡¯t he appear? Just as everyone was feeling puzzled, Tie Niu asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t he show up then? According to the rules of my sect, if one is late, one will be punished to drink three glasses of wine!¡± The empress chuckled. ¡°Sure thing. However, you have to down your glass of wine before you can see him.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll drink it!¡± As Tie Niu spoke, he raised his wine cup and said, ¡°Servant! Fill my cup!¡± After he finished speaking, none of the eunuchs stepped forward. Tie Niu couldn¡¯t help but look displeased. He glared at them and said angrily, ¡°Are you all deaf? I said fill my cup!¡± ¡°Your glass of wine is on the ground.¡± The empress said coldly with no trace of a smile on her face, ¡°Guard, help Tie Niu finish his wine.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, two guards rushed over. They grabbed Tie Niu¡¯s arms and restrained him. Before Tie Niu could react, they grabbed his head and pinned him against the ground. ¡°Ouch!¡± Tie Niu was caught off guard and his front teeth were broken. The smell of blood instantly filled his mouth, and his eyes turned red. He wanted to attack, but just as he released his fourth level Martial Master aura, the two guards released their aura at the same time. They were at the sixth level of the Martial Master Realm! At the same time, the other guards by the palace wall seemed to have received a signal. They pressed their hands on the hilts of their swords and released their auras. Among them, the sixth level of the Martial Master Realm was the lowest. Some of them had even reached the realm of Senior Martial Master! It had to be known that the average realm of the sect masters and elders present was only at the Senior Martial Master Realm. Grandmaster Realm was rare, and most of them had sided with the empress. The few sect masters and elders who were about to stand up to help sat back down silently, lowering their heads as if this matter had nothing to do with them. Tie Niu was already furious after being restrained. Seeing that no one was helping him, he became even angrier. He struggled and shouted, ¡°Sect Master Chen! Elder Huang! Master Zhao! You promised to help me! Why aren¡¯t you saying anything now?¡± The ones who were mentioned hurriedly covered their faces with their hands. Tie Niu looked to the other side and said, ¡°Sect Master Liu! What did you say last night at the Eight Directional Mountain? I¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Master Liu shouted. He raised his hand and shot out a black shadow. It was so fast that the guards beside Tie Niu could not react in time. The black shadow instantly pierced through Tie Niu¡¯s head and nailed him to the ground. It was actually an ordinary bamboo chopstick! Blood splattered and the scene was in an uproar! The sect masters and elders had solemn expressions. It was not because someone died, but because they did not expect Master Liu to be able to kill with bamboo chopsticks! ¡°Protect His Majesty!¡± Li Tianyi hurriedly shouted at the top of his lungs. Before the guards present could move, Master Liu had already stood up and knelt on the ground. ¡°Your Majesty! This person has repeatedly spoken rudely to you and ignored the rules of the palace and the dignity of the royal family! I can¡¯t take it anymore, so I killed him here as a warning to others! Please forgive me for disturbing such a joyful occasion!¡± When the empress heard this, her face turned ashen. She knew that Master Liu was trying to silence Tie Niu, but she did not have any evidence to accuse him of that. At this moment, she could not punish people rashly. She could only wave her hand and force a smile. ¡°Master Liu, you did it to uphold the rule. What kind a crime¡­¡±t ¡°The crime of deceiving the emperor!¡± A cold shout interrupted the empress. Immediately after that, a white figure rushed in from outside the Gate of Supreme Harmony. Accompanied by the sound of a sharp blade being unsheathed, a cold light came straight at Master Liu! Everyone cried out in shock. Master Liu also sensed that something was wrong. He released all his power and instantly flashed behind the white figure. He was about to attack when another even more majestic aura descended from the sky! A powerful sword intent exploded out of thin air. Everyone present was instantly so shocked that their faces turned pale. Even though they had already activated their cultivation to resist, they were still pressed to the ground by the pressure and could not move! ¡°A monkey calls the shots in the mountain where there is no tiger.¡± A cold laugh sounded. Everyone lying on the ground turned their heads with difficulty and saw a figure walking over from outside the gate. Dressed in a black embroidered robe with dragon patterns and equipped with Dragon Roar, he gave off a dignified aura that made people not dare to resist. Ten Mile Sword God! Half-Saint Realm! The two hundred or so martial artists came to a conclusion at the same time. The rumors were true! The Ten Miles Sword God had really come out of seclusion! Chapter 76 - Settling the Score Lin Ran had already mastered the control of his sword intent very well. In the huge yard, only the martial artists were affected by the pressure. The others did not feel anything unusual. As the main target, Master Liu¡¯s body bore almost half of the pressure. He lay on the ground like a pool of mud and could not move. Just rolling his eyes was enough to exhaust all his strength. Seeing that familiar face, Master Liu immediately felt a chill run down his spine. ¡°Damn the demon! Why did he say the Sword God is dead? Bullsh*t!¡± Sect Master Liu cursed in his heart, but he forced a fawning smile on his face and squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth. ¡°Sword God! I¡¯m Liu Yuntao! You even gave me pointers back then! This is all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!¡± Lin Ran pretended not to hear him and strolled past expressionlessly. The moment he walked past Liu Yuntao, Liu Yuntao¡¯s head rolled off from his body. There was still a smile on his face, as if he didn¡¯t know that he was dead. That power Lin Ran possessed that could kill a grandmaster instantly caused the expressions of the other sect masters to turn ashen. Under everyone¡¯s horrified gazes, Lin Ran walked up to the desk and bowed respectfully to the empress. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the raging sword intent calmed down. Everyone felt their bodies lighten. They hurriedly stood up to bow. ¡°Greetings, Ten Miles Sword God!¡± Unlike when they greeted the empress previously, everyone¡¯s voices were filled with respect. The empress stood up personally and said, ¡°Senior Sword God, there¡¯s no need for formalities. Please take your seat.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please wait a moment. I still have something to do.¡± After saying that, Lin Ran turned to face the martial artists on both sides and glanced at them indifferently. Among the remaining 259 people, only a dozen or so dared to look at him. Lin Ran pointed at Liu Yuntao, who was beheaded. ¡°Do you know why I killed him?¡± Those who could attend the state banquet as representatives of their sects were naturally not fools. They were all well aware of the situation just now, but at this moment, no one spoke. Only Sun Daolin, the sect master of the Dark Cloud Sect, who sat on the first row, stood up and said in a low voice, ¡°Tie Niu has repeatedly offended His Majesty, but according to what he said, he was clearly instructed to do this. However, he was killed by Master Liu before he could finish speaking. I think Master Liu must have a guilty conscience, right?¡± Everyone nodded, agreeing to what Sun Daolin said. However, to their surprise, the Ten Miles Sword God sneered and shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± Sun Daolin couldn¡¯t help but look puzzled. ¡°Senior Sword God, please enlighten me.¡± ¡°Do I need to give you an explanation for killing someone?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s voice was calm, but it was domineering! Everyone¡¯s expressions changed slightly. Lin Ran called out a few more names. ¡°Where are the people from Northern Mystic Gate, Silver Cave, Goddess Peak, Mount Qianyuan, and Windy Creek Valley?¡± The faces of the people who were called out turned pale. Others might not know the reason why they were called out, but they knew very well! Plop! A square-faced middle-aged man knelt down. ¡°Sword God, please spare me! I was just deceived by someone. I have no intention of rebelling!¡± With the first person taking the lead, the rest also hurriedly knelt down to beg for mercy. The huge yard was immediately filled with cries. Lin Ran pressed those people to the ground with majestic pressure and said coldly, ¡°Since you were deceived, tell me who the deceiver is.¡± The middle-aged man who was the first to beg for mercy was overjoyed. ¡°Sword God! Will I be spared if I tell you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Lin Ran said calmly, ¡°But if you don¡¯t tell me, my disciple will make you beg for death.¡± Disciple?! The Ten Miles Sword God took in a disciple?! This was not less mind-blowing than the appearance of the Sword God. Everyone¡¯s expressions changed again as they looked at the white-robed person who had assassinated Liu Yuntao in unison, wanting to see who this person was. Huo Qiyun was standing in the yard pretending to be cool. When he heard this, his expression turned cold. This was not in the plan they had discussed previously. Lin Ran was taking advantage of him! However, under everyone¡¯s gaze, Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t expose him directly. He could only grit his teeth and bow to Lin Ran. When the empress saw this scene, she almost couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. She hurriedly raised her glass to hide her smile, but she didn¡¯t expect the people present to misunderstand her action. Seeing her raise her glass, they hurriedly raised their glasses and congratulated, ¡°Congratulations to Sword God for getting a disciple!¡± ¡°Congratulations to Senior God for getting a disciple!¡± More than 200 people congratulated him in unison. The veins on Huo Qiyun¡¯s forehead were about to pop out. He accidentally saw Zhao Taiping reach into his pocket sneakily and immediately rushed forward. With a flash of cold light, another head fell to the ground. With a thud, the corpse fell to the ground and the hand fell out, holding a dagger. Everyone gasped. In the blink of an eye, three lives were taken here. No matter how slow on the uptaking they were, they now understood the situation at this moment. These three people came to the banquet with ulterior motives, but they did not expect the Ten Miles Sword God to see through them. Apart from being shocked, everyone was more afraid of the Ten Miles Sword God. They all tried to recall if they had done anything inappropriate. Seeing how ruthless Huo Qiyun was, Lin Ran knew that he was really angry with him, so he stopped teasing him and continued with a serious expression, ¡°Those who claim to be deceived. If you can tell me who the deceiver is, I¡¯ll give you a quick death!¡± Even Liu Yuntao, who was at the Grandmaster Realm, was dead. How could the people who were called out earlier dare to say so? They immediately threw out some names. Almost at the same time, those people were beheaded by Huo Qiyun! In the blink of an eye, only the few people Lin Ran had called out before were left standing. The strong smell of blood filled the air. Even though these sect masters and elders were experienced and knowledgeable, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a little terrified. They lowered their heads and didn¡¯t dare to look at Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun, worried that they would be next. In the strange and solemn atmosphere, Lin Ran slowly held the hilt of the Ten Mile Dragon Roar and looked at the traitors coldly. ¡°Let me ask you one more time, do you want to die or live?¡± Chapter 77 - Killing Three Birds with One Stone Those people originally thought that they were definitely going to die. When they heard this, their hopes were immediately reignited. They hurriedly kowtowed and shouted, ¡°We want to live! We want to live!¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll give you a chance.¡± Lin Ran nodded and pointed at the corpses that had just been killed. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for such a small fry to mobilize so many people. I¡¯ll give you three days to find out who¡¯s behind this¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, a young girl suddenly stood up and said, ¡°Sword God! I¡¯m Zhou Zhiqing, a disciple of the Goddess Peak. I know who the mastermind is.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Lin Ran was a little surprised, but Zhou Zhiqing pointed at Liu Yuntao, who was beheaded. ¡°These people today were all bewitched by Master Liu of the Eight Directional Mountain.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the remaining traitors nodded repeatedly, indicating that Zhou Zhiqing was right. Lin Ran¡¯s expression under the mask instantly froze. He killed Liu Yuntao just to intimidate everyone, but he did not expect to have killed the mastermind! But on second thought, Lin Ran felt that something was wrong. Before King Zhao rebelled, he had eavesdropped on the secret meeting and knew that the Dao-Seeking Sect participated as the representative of the martial world. Why did it become the Eight Directional Mountain? Lin Ran was puzzled, but he couldn¡¯t ask directly. Logically speaking, the Ten Miles Sword God had just come out of seclusion and shouldn¡¯t know so much. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran could only choose to interrogate them in private. Then, he waved at Huo Qiyun, indicating for him to take these people away first. Huo Qiyun nodded and brought people to take the traitors away. Then the guards went forward to carry the corpses away, but no one cleaned up the blood. Large pools of blood coagulated on the ground, as if it was a silent warning to the people. Lin Ran finally sat back down. The empress raised her glass and said a few words before indicating that the dishes could be served. Hundreds of palace maids served delicacies on the table. Even the empty seats were not left out. The fragrance of the delicacies mixed with the pungent smell of blood made the atmosphere of the banquet especially strange. The empress stood up again and raised her wine glass. ¡°Everyone! There¡¯s something I didn¡¯t mention just now. Today¡¯s banquet is held to express my gratitude to you all as well as to announce that Sword God is back. In fact, there¡¯s a third thing.¡± When everyone heard this, they looked confused. Lin Ran stood up and said, ¡°King Zhao has been executed for his rebellion, but during his rebellion, he received the help of many in the martial world. The people I killed just now are among them!¡± ¡°However, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty is vast and there are still many traitors who have yet to be caught. On the invitation, it was written that those who can¡¯t make it in time to the state banquet must hang a yellow flag outside the gate to show respect to the emperor.¡¯ ¡°Today, I¡¯ll ask all of you to bear witness. Anyone who doesn¡¯t have a yellow flag outside their gates will be treated as a traitor and killed without mercy!¡± With that, Lin Ran¡¯s figure shot into the sky from the ground with the sword intent and instantly turned into a stream of light that disappeared into the horizon! ¡°Sword God, I wish you a triumphant return!¡± The empress shouted loudly. Then, she raised her wine glass and drank it in one gulp. ¡°Sword God, I wish you a triumphant return!¡± The sect masters and elders present also raised their cups to express their good wishes. At the same time, they were secretly shocked. Even though they did not participate in the rebellion, they had heard about it. The new emperor killed King Zhao and a group of important ministers in one day, but he did not punish those martial artists who had participated. At first, everyone thought that the new emperor was being lenient. They did not expect that the emperor was just waiting for the Ten Miles Sword God to come out of seclusion. For a moment, apart from being terrified by the Ten Miles Sword God, everyone present was also a little afraid of the new emperor who had just ascended the throne. To be able to rope in people, intimidate people, and eliminate people concurrently at a state banquet, this new emperor was indeed not simple! At the same time, outside Mingzhao Hall. Huo Qiyun had already taken off his mask and was pacing back and forth in the courtyard. Suddenly, he heard a whoosh. He turned around and saw Lin Ran quietly landing behind him. ¡°You really dare to come back?¡± Huo Qiyun had a smile on his face, but his voice was extremely cold. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you act according to plan just now?! You even called me your disciple¡­ Who said I wanted to be your disciple?!¡± Lin Ran smiled calmly. ¡°Who said you¡¯re my disciple? You¡¯re clearly the disciple of the Ten Miles Sword God! Let¡¯s not talk about this first. Hurry up and take off my mask. I¡¯m suffocating!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Huo Qiyun rolled his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that once you put on this mask, it will take at least three days to take it off?¡± ¡°Three days?!¡± Lin Ran was shocked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?! Am I going to wear this mask for three days?!¡± ¡°Oh, then maybe I forgot!¡± Huo Qiyun slapped his forehead and looked at Lin Ran with a faint smile. ¡°Three days is the minimum. If this adhesive is good, it might take more than half a month!¡± Lin Ran instantly understood. ¡°It¡¯s pure retaliation!¡± ¡°I learned it from you! Shifu.¡± Huo Qiyun teased and waved his hand impatiently. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get down to business. I interrogated those people just now, but the situation was a little strange. You should come and take a look yourself!¡± With that, Huo Qiyun entered Mingzhao Hall. Although Lin Ran was angry, he could only follow him in. The traitors were knocked out and tied up in a corner. Huo Qiyun picked up a few pieces of paper from the table and handed them to Lin Ran with a frown. ¡°These are their confessions. Take a look.¡± Lin Ran took it. The confessions of the traitors were basically about how Liu Yuntao incited them to rebel and how they refused. In the end, they were forced to agree because of being threatened. Only Zhou Zhiqing¡¯s confession mentioned that she had once overheard Liu Yuntao talking to someone in the Eight Directional Mountain. She did not see who the person was, but she heard that Liu Yuntao called him ¡°Supreme Mo.¡± Lin Ran asked casually, ¡°Who is this ¡®Supreme Mo¡¯? You¡¯ve been traveling around for so many years, so you should know a little about him, right?¡± The Eight Directional Mountain was the second largest sect in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. For Liu Yuntao to receive someone alone, this person was definitely not ordinary. It was impossible for Huo Qiyun not to know. However, to Lin Ran¡¯s surprise, Huo Qiyun shook his head. Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°What do you mean? You don¡¯t know or you don¡¯t want to tell me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Huo Qiyun said with a solemn expression, ¡°I¡¯ve been traveling in the martial world for so many years and have even visited those hidden sects that haven¡¯t been listed on the Sacred Martial Roll, but I¡¯ve never heard of the name ¡®Supreme Mo¡¯.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Could he be someone from the Great Yong Dynasty?¡± Huo Qiyun shook his head again and subconsciously looked at the unconscious Zhou Zhiqing. He muttered with a complicated expression, ¡°According to her description, I feel that this ¡®Supreme Mo¡¯ might not be human¡­¡± Chapter 78 - Danger! Quickly Return! Lin Ran originally had some clues, but when he heard Huo Qiyun¡¯s words, he was instantly confused. ¡°Not human? What¡¯s that? Could it be a phone? Is Liu Yuntao actually on the phone with someone else?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a phone?¡± Huo Qiyun asked in confusion. Before Lin Ran could explain, he shook his head. ¡°Forget it. You can ask her.¡± As he spoke, Huo Qiyun took out a small porcelain bottle to shake under Zhou Zhiqing¡¯s nose. Soon, Zhou Zhiqing opened her eyes, but when she saw the Ten Miles Sword God standing in front of her, her eyes rolled back and she was about to faint again! ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! He won¡¯t kill you!¡± Only then did Zhou Zhiqing hold on and not faint. However, her face was pale and her body was trembling. It was obvious that she was still frightened. Seeing this, Lin Ran said in a friendly tone, ¡°As long as you cooperate obediently, I won¡¯t kill you¡­ Tell me about that ¡®Supreme Mo¡¯.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell you¡­¡± Zhou Zhiqing nodded and took a few more breaths before explaining, ¡°I saw Supreme Mo at the Eight Directional Mountain last night¡­ No, I didn¡¯t see him. I only heard him talking to Liu Yuntao in private.¡± ¡°I heard them mention something like Sword Mount and Fate, but I was discovered before I could hear much. After that, I was stunned by a wave of sword intent¡­ I¡¯ve never seen such a strange sword intent. It¡¯s unlike ordinary sword intent, and it gives off a very cold feeling. It felt as if I¡¯ve fallen into an ice cave!¡± ¡°Like falling into an ice cave?¡± Lin Ran felt that this description was a little familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember it at the moment. He looked at Huo Qiyun and asked, ¡°Just based on these two descriptions, you¡¯re certain that Supremo Mo isn¡¯t human. Isn¡¯t that a little arbitrary?¡± Huo Qiyun pursed his lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I was certain. I just have this feeling.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Feel whatever you like. The state banquet should be over by now. I¡¯ll go ask His Majesty something first!¡± With that, Lin Ran turned around and left. He had made an appointment with the empress last night. After the state banquet ended, she would tell him why Daoist Li looked exactly like the Ten Miles Sword God. Huo Qiyun could roughly guess what Lin Ran was going to ask. He sighed with a complicated expression and knocked Zhou Zhiqing unconscious again. Then, he took out a porcelain bottle and walked towards the others. After leaving Mingzhao Hall, Lin Ran went straight to the imperial study. Now that he couldn¡¯t take off the mask of the Ten Miles Sword God, it was much more convenient for him to walk in the palace. As he had expected, the empress was indeed in the imperial study. When she saw Lin Ran, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Lord Lin, you came so early. Do you really want to know so much?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be kept in the dark by my friend.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he moved a chair and sat opposite the empress. ¡°Tell me, what are you hiding from me?¡± ¡°Actually, you¡¯re not the first to pretend to be the Ten Miles Sword God.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed. It was not because the news was shocking, but because he did not expect the empress to be so straightforward! According to Lin Ran¡¯s previous speculation, even if the empress agreed to tell him, he would still have to nag her. After half a minute, Lin Ran came back to his senses. ¡°What do you mean? What do you mean that I¡¯m not the first to pretend to be the Sword God?¡± ¡°Literally.¡± The empress smiled, but there was a hint of bitterness in her smile. ¡°Back then, after Grandpa Sword God went into seclusion, the Great Yong Dynasty in the north began to make trouble.¡± ¡°At that time, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty was weak. Once the war started, we would definitely lose. Helpless, my father found someone to pretend to be Grandpa Sword God, hoping to intimidate the Great Yong Dynasty, and that person is Daoist Li.¡± Lin Ran nodded in understanding, then looked puzzled. ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, why is Daoist Li guarding Mount Sword? Why is he blind?¡± The empress revealed a sly look. ¡°I only said that I would tell you why Daoist Li looks like Grandpa Sword God. As for why he¡¯s blind and why he¡¯s guarding Mount Sword, that¡¯s another matter.¡± Lin Ran was speechless. ¡°You¡¯re cheating!¡± Lin Ran was frustrated. Suddenly, he thought of something and smiled. ¡°I found out something just now. It might be related to the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Hearing the words ¡°Great Yong Dynasty¡±, the empress¡¯s expression instantly turned serious. ¡°Tell me!¡± Lin Ran smirked. ¡°Then tell me why Daoist Li is blind first.¡± The empress¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Lord Lin, please don¡¯t forget who you are! You can¡¯t use matters related to the Great Yong Dynasty to bargain with me!¡± Seeing that the empress was so serious, Lin Ran realized that he had gone overboard. Although the two of them were considered friends, the empress was still the ruler of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. When it came to state affairs, she would not show any mercy. After realizing this, Lin Ran revealed an apologetic expression. Then, he roughly explained the results of Huo Qiyun¡¯s interrogation. After a pause, he added, ¡°At the moment, we¡¯re still investigating the identity of this ¡®Supreme Mo¡¯, but if it¡¯s a person, it¡¯s most likely someone from the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± The empress thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Qiyun knows the sects of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty very well. If he says that there¡¯s no such person, there definitely isn¡¯t. However, Liu Yuntao is already dead. How are you going to investigate?¡± Lin Ran smiled. ¡°That¡¯s simple. Supreme Mo has been to the Eight Directional Mountain before, so he¡¯ll definitely leave traces. Perhaps he¡¯s still in the mountain. If we act as soon as possible, we might be able to catch him!¡± The empress¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You are right! I order you to go to the Eight Directional Mountain immediately and find out who this ¡®Supreme Mo¡¯ is!¡± ¡°Now?¡± Lin Ran was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect the empress to be so impatient. Seeing that Lin Ran was unwilling, the empress suddenly thought of something and teased with a faint smile, ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want to leave after staying in the palace for a few days? Is it because your heart is stolen by one of the consorts in the harem?¡± Lin Ran was speechless. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! According to the previous plan, I should go to the Dao Seeking Sect first. After all, they were really involved in the rebellion. Now that I suddenly have to go to the Eight Directional Mountain, I¡¯m afraid the Dao Seeking Sect will take this chance to flee.¡± The empress began to hesitate. ¡°That makes sense. Why don¡¯t you and Qiyun split up?¡± Just as Lin Ran was about to speak, he suddenly felt a sword intent rushing over. He instinctively raised his hand and grabbed it. It was a jade token that looked like a small sword. There were actually a few drops of blood on its surface! Seeing the blood, Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly. He hurriedly infused his divine sense into it and realized that it was a message from Huo Qiyun. It said, ¡°Danger! Return quickly!¡± Chapter 79 - Asura Hell, Strange Death Curse After Lin Ran explained the situation, the empress said, ¡°There¡¯s blood on this jade token. It seems like it¡¯s really urgent¡­ Go back first. I¡¯ll be there soon!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lin Ran agreed and instantly rushed out of the imperial study. When he arrived in the courtyard, he rode his sword and flew towards Mingzhao Hall! In less than five seconds, Lin Ran landed in the courtyard of Mingzhao Hall. Huo Qiyun was sitting alone on the stone steps at the entrance of the hall. His plain clothes were stained with blood, and even his face was covered in blood. The strong smell of blood was almost nauseating! Huo Qiyun frowned with a solemn expression, as if he was in great pain. He did not even notice Lin Ran¡¯s arrival. Lin Ran hurriedly used his divine sense to check, only to find that Huo Qiyun was not injured at all. Puzzled, he quickly walked forward and asked, ¡°What happened? Why are you in such a sorry state?¡± Hearing the voice, Huo Qiyun finally came back to his senses. He looked up at Lin Ran and wanted to speak, but then he frowned and sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it clearly. See for yourself.¡± With that, Huo Qiyun stood up and went to the door. Just as he was about to push it open, he turned to look at Lin Ran. ¡°The situation inside¡­ is not good. You¡¯d better prepare yourself.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand to indicate that it was fine. Huo Qiyun took another deep breath and pushed the door open with a serious expression! Red. In Mingzhao Hall, there was a glaring scarlet color everywhere. The thick smell of blood almost spewed out. Broken limbs and torn clothes covered almost every inch of the door. The once beautiful and quiet Mingzhao Hall had already become a purgatory on earth. No matter how calm Lin Ran was, he couldn¡¯t help but be stunned by such a tragic scene! After a few minutes, Lin Ran came back to his senses and frowned at Huo Qiyun. ¡°What¡¯s going on? This place is not far from the imperial study. Why didn¡¯t I notice a battle happening?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°There¡¯s no battle here. There¡¯s no internal energy fluctuation at all.¡± Lin Ran looked puzzled. ¡°If there was no battle, how did this place become like this?¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± Huo Qiyun walked in, as if he was already used to this tragic scene. Lin Ran hesitated for a moment outside the door before finally stepping over the threshold. The feeling under his feet was wet and sticky. Occasionally, he would step on someone¡¯s limb or leg. Staring at Huo Qiyun¡¯s back, Lin Ran tried his best not to be affected by this scene. Soon, the two of them arrived at the back hall of Mingzhao Hall. Previously, Huo Qiyun had captured five people from the state banquet. Among them, Zhao Taiping tried to sneak attack and was killed on the spot. The remaining four were brought to this place for interrogation. Lin Ran thought that the scene in the back hall would be better. However, when he entered the back hall, he realized that the scene was even more tragic than outside! Lin Ran asked Huo Qiyun, ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± Huo Qiyun asked back, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice anything wrong?¡± ¡°This place is even more tragic than the outside. It should be the first place where the accident happened.¡± ¡°Look closely.¡± Lin Ran took another glance across the hall and realized that two of the four prisoners had gone missing. Only a man and a woman were left behind in a corner. Their faces were covered in blood. Lin Ran could only recognize Zhou Zhiqing, whom he had just questioned. As for the other, he couldn¡¯t recognize him at all. ¡°Where are they? Why are there two missing?¡± Lin Ran asked subconsciously, but he saw Huo Qiyun smile strangely and spin his finger a few times. ¡°They are everywhere.¡± ¡°Everywhere?¡± Lin Ran muttered to himself and was shocked. ¡°Are you saying that those two people exploded and died?¡± Huo Qiyun nodded. ¡°You asked me to continue investigating, so I interrogated them again and asked them about Supreme Mo.¡± ¡°The first person I interrogated was Liu Fangxia from Silver Cave. When I asked about Supreme Mo, she first said that she didn¡¯t know, but I realized that she was obviously hiding something, so I used some methods.¡± ¡°In the end, she still gave in. It turned out that she had also eavesdropped on Liu Yuntao and Supreme Mo¡¯s conversation last night. However, she was not as lucky as Zhou Zhiqing. After eavesdropping for a while, she was caught by them on the spot.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°In that case, she must know what Supreme Mo looks like.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded, his eyes revealing a hint of fear, as if he had thought of something extremely terrifying. ¡°I asked her to describe Supreme Mo¡¯s appearance, but just as she was about to answer, suddenly¡­¡± Halfway through, Huo Qiyun suddenly stopped and raised his hand to make an explosion gesture. ¡°At that time, I didn¡¯t understand what was going on, so I continued to interrogate Huang Sanfeng.¡± ¡°As expected, when he opened his eyes and saw this hellish scene, he was immediately frightened out of his wits. I only scared him a little and he confessed everything.¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and made a guess, ¡°Let me guess. He also overheard the conversation between Liu Yuntao and Supreme Mo and was caught on the spot. But when he was about to describe Supremo Mo, his body exploded and he died?¡± Huo Qiyun nodded. ¡°But this time, I sensed the explosion coming and quickly slapped him into the outer hall at the last moment. However, I don¡¯t dare to interrogate the remaining two.¡± ¡°Then you might as well let him explode here. If the palace servants in charge of cleaning see this, they will definitely curse you behind your back.¡± Lin Ran casually joked to ease the atmosphere and analyzed seriously, ¡°The timing of their deaths is too coincidental.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s most likely Liu Yuntao or Supreme Mo had cast some kind of restriction on their bodies. Once they want to reveal Supreme Mo¡¯s identity, their bodies will explode and they¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, but it¡¯s wrong.¡± Huo Qiyun denied Lin Ran¡¯s guess. ¡°After Liu Fangxia died, I thought of this. However, after my examination, I found no restrictions on the bodies of the remaining three people, but Huang Sanfeng still died.¡± ¡°No restrictions?¡± Lin Ran found it hard to believe when he heard that. If the restriction existed, then everything could be explained. However, if there was no restriction, why would Liu Fangxia and Huang Sanfeng explode and die for the same reason? Could it be a coincidence? Chapter 80 - The Identity of Supreme Mo After frowning and thinking for a long time, Lin Ran still had no clue. He felt that the restriction should be the only explanation. Lin Ran looked at Huo Qiyun. ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re too weak so you can¡¯t find the restriction?¡± Huo Qiyun looked displeased when he heard this, but he realized that Lin Ran was serious about it. He spread his hands and said, ¡°Maybe. There are two more. Why don¡¯t you check them yourself?¡± Looking at the two figures covered in blood in the corner, Lin Ran really didn¡¯t want to get close, but he had no choice but to walk over. Lin Ran hesitated for a moment and finally decided to start with Zhou Zhiqing. The two of them were both covered in blood, so it was naturally better to start with the young girl. However, before Lin Ran could touch Zhou Zhiqing, there was a light knock on the door. Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun looked at each other and had no choice but to put off the examination for the time being. They turned around and went to the front hall. Huo Qiyun was about to open the door when Lin Ran reminded him, ¡°Let¡¯s see who it is first. Your Empress Sister said that she would come over. This place is so terrifying. If she comes, tell her to go back.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Huo Qiyun agreed and looked out through the crack in the door. Then, he turned around and looked at Lin Ran with a strange expression. Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Tell me who¡¯s outside!¡± ¡°The person outside¡­¡± Huo Qiyun hesitated for a moment before saying in an extremely strange tone, ¡°It seems to be you.¡± Lin Ran was stunned. Huo Qiyun said, ¡°No, more precisely, it is you.¡± ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s me? What the hell are you talking about?¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he felt a headache coming on. He had no choice but to go forward and check it out himself. However, when he saw who it was outside, his mind was blown away. The person standing outside the door was none other than himself! ¡°What the f*ck? Why is everything strange happening on the same day?¡± Lin Ran rubbed his eyes and looked again. He realized that the person outside was indeed him dressed as the commander of the imperial guards. Huo Qiyun asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did anyone even bother to impersonate you?¡± ¡°Impersonate?¡± Lin Ran suddenly thought of something and asked softly through the door, ¡°Your Majesty? Is that you?¡± ¡°Lin Ran¡±, who was outside the door, nodded. ¡°It¡¯s me! Open the door!¡± Hearing the empress¡¯s voice, the two people in the room looked at each other and did not know whether to laugh or cry. Lin Ran was impersonating the Ten Miles Sword God, and the empress was impersonating Lin Ran. Huo Qiyun, who was still his original identity, inexplicably felt isolated¡­ After a moment of silence, Huo Qiyun leaned close to the door and whispered, ¡°Empress Sister! The scene here is a little¡­ not good. Why don¡¯t you go back first?¡± When the empress heard this, her expression darkened. ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯m just here to see what¡¯s going on. How can I leave just like that?¡± Lin Ran also advised, ¡°You should listen to Huo. The scene here is really not suitable for you to see!¡± ¡°I ascended the throne at the age of 19. I¡¯ve been through a lot and seen a lot. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± The empress asked coldly, clearly displeased. Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun looked at each other. Huo Qiyun said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s open the door. Otherwise, with Empress Sister¡¯s temper, she¡¯ll probably barge in.¡± Lin Ran nodded helplessly. The two of them told the empress to get ready before slowly opening the door a crack. The empress¡¯s expression immediately changed when she saw the terrifying scene in Mingzhao Hall through the crack in the door. However, the empress was brave. After a moment, she calmed herself down and asked softly with a frown, ¡°Why did Mingzhao Hall become like this? What did you do?¡± Seeing that the empress was not scared away, Lin Ran opened the door and invited her in. Then, in a few words, he roughly explained what had happened. The empress pondered for a moment. ¡°In that case, there might indeed be some kind of restriction¡­ What¡¯s the result of your examination?¡± ¡°I was just about to do it when you came.¡± Lin Ran shrugged helplessly and gestured to the back hall. ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid, why don¡¯t you come and take a look?¡± The empress raised her head slightly. ¡°Lead the way!¡± When the three of them returned to the back hall, Lin Ran placed his hand on Zhou Zhiqing¡¯s shoulder. After some investigation, he realized that just as Huo Qiyun had said, there were no traces of restrictions in her body. After shaking his head to indicate that he didn¡¯t find anything, Lin Ran placed his hand on the other person¡¯s shoulder. He didn¡¯t have much hope at first, but as soon as his divine sense was released, he immediately felt a familiar power! It was not sword intent or internal energy. This power was cold and cruel. It hid in the man¡¯s body like a poisonous snake waiting for an opportunity in the shadows. At the same time, this power was extremely subtle. If Lin Ran wasn¡¯t a Half-Saint, he probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed it. ¡°There¡¯s something in him!¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he released more divine sense. At the same time, the feeling that he had seen this force somewhere before surged in his heart. Upon hearing that, the empress immediately asked, ¡°What is it? Is it a restriction?¡± Lin Ran shook his head and raised his hand to signal her not to speak. As his divine sense gradually entered deeper into the person¡¯s body, the familiar feeling became stronger. After recalling carefully for a moment, Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°I remember now! I¡¯ve seen this power before!¡± The empress¡¯s expression froze. ¡°Could it be that you¡¯ve seen Supreme Mo before? Where did you see him?¡± ¡°The nameless cave at the peak of Mount Sword.¡± Lin Ran felt a chill run down his spine! This cold and evil aura was exactly the same as the evil aura in the cave where the Sword God was buried. The so-called ¡°Supreme Mo¡± was probably the demon who killed the Sword God and broke out of the seal! When Lin Ran discovered that the demon had escaped, he had been planning to track him down. However, he couldn¡¯t find any clues of his whereabouts, so he could only put it off for the time being and deal with something else first. Now that Lin Ran knew Supreme Mo was the demon, he needed to plan how to deal with him carefully. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know why Liu Yuntao had something to do with the demon, but he couldn¡¯t let the empress know about this. If possible, it was best if no one else knew about it. After all, this was no small matter. If the news spread to the world, it would probably cause greater unrest than a war! Chapter 81 - A Dilemma The empress and Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking. When they heard this place, they couldn¡¯t help but look puzzled. Huo Qiyun asked, ¡°The nameless cave at the top of Mount Sword¡­ Isn¡¯t that where Grandpa Sword God cultivated in seclusion? Could this be Grandpa Sword God¡¯s aura?¡± Lin Ran instantly thought of an excuse. ¡°This is not Senior Sword God¡¯s aura, but the aura of a sword.¡± With that, he took out the Yin-Yang Sword from the Divine Sword Technique Manual. Looking at the black and white dual-colored sword, the empress and Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but look surprised. Huo Qiyun sensed the sword carefully and said in surprise, ¡°This sword is really strange. On one side, it¡¯s filled with evil aura, and on the other side, it¡¯s filled with good aura. It¡¯s often said that good and evil can¡¯t coexist, but that¡¯s not the case with this sword.¡± ¡°Mount Sword has a sealed demon and is guarded by Sword God, so there is a constant presence of both good and evil auras all year round. This sword happens to be located on a spot where two auras collide. After years of corrosion, this strange phenomenon appeared.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he performed a sword technique. Then, a Yin-Yang pattern spread out from the sword. The black and white colors formed a circle and slowly rotated. After a moment, black fog began to flow out of the man¡¯s seven orifices and slowly fused into the spinning Yin-Yang pattern. When there was no more black fog flowing out, Lin Ran stopped and put the Yin-Yang Sword back into the Divine Sword Technique Manual. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve broken the restriction in his body. You can continue interrogating him.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded and took out the small porcelain bottle. He shook it under the man¡¯s nose. Almost at the same time, the man slowly opened his eyes. Seeing the bloody scene in front of him, the man was first stunned before quickly crawling up to Lin Ran on all fours. ¡°Sword God, please spare me! I was really deceived!¡± Lin Ran ignored his begging and asked directly, ¡°Did you eavesdrop on Liu Yuntao and Supreme Mo¡¯s conversation?¡± ¡°Sword God, please spare me! I really don¡¯t know who Supreme Mo is!¡± The man denied it, but Lin Ran clearly noticed that when he heard ¡°Supreme Mo¡±, there was a subtle expression on his face. At the side, Huo Qiyun said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the restriction in your body has been removed by Grandpa Sword God. Tell us the truth, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Hearing this, the man suddenly stopped crying and stood up to look at Huo Qiyun with hatred. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a three-year-old child? The restrictions Supreme Mo casts are indestructible! If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn¡¯t be so afraid of him!¡± Huo Qiyun frowned. He suddenly suspected if Lin Ran had really removed the restriction. Although there was black fog flowing out of this person¡¯s seven orifices just now, who knew if it was a trick Lin Ran played to fool people? If the restriction was not removed, this person would definitely explode and die if they continued to interrogate him. Thinking of this, Huo Qiyun became even more suspicious. Just as he was about to ask, the empress suddenly took out her sword and placed it on the man¡¯s neck. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell us, you¡¯ll certainly die. But if you do, you might live.¡± The empress¡¯s cold voice sounded. Although the man didn¡¯t know Lin Ran¡¯s face, he could feel the killing intent and the dignity of an emperor! Involuntarily, the man¡¯s aura weakened. He stammered, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± As soon as he said that, the man broke out in a cold sweat! Huo Qiyun hurriedly pulled the empress away because according to his previous experience, as long as this person had the intention to betray Supreme Mo, he would instantly explode and die! However, after waiting for half a minute, nothing happened to the man at all. Only then did they believe that the restriction in his body had really been removed! Lin Ran made an expression that said, ¡°I told you so.¡± Then, he looked at the man and asked, ¡°Do you believe me now? Then tell me quickly. Who is Supreme Mo?¡± ¡°He, he¡¯s not human¡­¡± The man said hesitantly. After realizing that he really did not explode and die, he became bolder. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s human or not. I already told you about our trip to the Eight Directional Mountain last night. Liu Yuntao said that the Sword God coming out of seclusion might be a scam, so he wants to rope us in to challenge the new emperor.¡± ¡°I agreed at that time, but I felt that something was wrong, so after the meeting ended, I secretly followed Liu Yuntao and eavesdropped on his conversation with Supreme Mo. However, after listening for a while, I was discovered.¡± ¡°After I was caught, I found out that a few other sect masters had also gone to eavesdrop. Liu Yuntao brought us into the room. That¡¯s where I saw Supreme Mo.¡± Lin Ran already knew what was going on, but in order not to make the empress suspicious, when he heard Supreme Mo appear, he pretended to be anxious and asked, ¡°What does Supreme Mo look like? Why did you say that he¡¯s not human?¡± ¡°Because all I saw last night was a black fog.¡± The man said with a reminiscent expression, ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t see his face or hear his voice. After he placed a restriction on us, he asked Liu Yuntao to let us go.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the empress and Huo Qiyun looked at each other with solemn expressions. Although this man was very cooperative, there was almost no useful information from him. After releasing a wisp of sword intent to knock the man out, Lin Ran turned around and looked at the empress. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid this matter will get more serious if it drags on. I want to go to the Eight Directional Mountain to investigate.¡± Before the empress could say anything, Huo Qiyun rejected his proposal. ¡°No, we¡¯ve already announced at the banquet today that you¡¯re leaving the palace to destroy those sects that were involved in the rebellion!¡± ¡°As far as I know, when King Zhao rebelled, the Dao-Seeking Sect was the first to join hands with them. Even if you want to go to the Eight Directional Mountain to investigate, you should go to the Dao-Seeking Sect first.¡± The empress nodded slightly when she heard that. ¡°Qiyun is right. No matter who this Supreme Mo is, since he¡¯s hiding in the dark, there¡¯s no need to be in a hurry to deal with him. We have to prioritize matters.¡± Lin Ran was speechless as he thought to himself, ¡°What do the two of you know? If I¡¯m slow and the demon escapes, it¡¯ll be difficult to find him again!¡± However, he couldn¡¯t really say this out loud. Otherwise, the news of the demon breaking out of the seal would be exposed. Lin Ran immediately fell into a dilemma and felt conflicted. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran suddenly smiled. ¡°I have a way to get the best of both worlds!¡± Chapter 82 - Split Up, Unknown Enemies Are the Most Dangerous Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s words, the empress and Huo Qiyun were confused. In their opinion, Lin Ran just had to go to the Dao Seeking Sect first before going to the Eight Directional Mountain. Why did he have to think of a way to get the best of both worlds? However, since Lin Ran said so, the empress still played along and asked, ¡°Lord Lin, what do you have in mind?¡± Lin Ran pointed at Huo Qiyun. ¡°He¡¯s quite capable. The Dao Seeking Sect is already scared out of its wits by me. Let him pretend to be the Sword God and go to settle the score!¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression changed and he waved his hand to refuse. ¡°You¡¯re a Half-Saint, so you can naturally pretend to be Grandpa Sword God. I¡¯m only at the peak of the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm. If I show up, I¡¯ll be seen through immediately. At that time, if the Dao Seeking Sect gets angry for trying to fool them, I won¡¯t be able to handle it alone!¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy. You want more cultivation? I can lend it to you!¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he took off the Ten Mile Dragon Roar from his waist and wiped it gently on the scabbard, leaving a sword intent on it. ¡°With this sword, as long as you don¡¯t engage in a fight with anyone, no one will be able to see through you!¡± Huo Qiyun took the Ten Miles Dragon Roar with both hands and felt the sharp Half-Saint Sword Intent on it, but he still felt that it wasn¡¯t right. However, before Huo Qiyun could refuse, the empress suddenly said, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s do as Lord Lin says.¡± ¡°Empress Sister! I¡­¡± ¡°Say no more.¡± The empress raised her hand and interrupted Huo Qiyun. ¡°Go to the Dao Seeking Sect to keep them from fleeing. After Lord Lin is done with his mission, he¡¯ll meet up with you.¡± This plan didn¡¯t sound too bad. Huo Qiyun hesitated for a moment before agreeing. The empress continued, ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose. Go and prepare to set off immediately.¡± Huo Qiyun agreed and turned to leave with the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. Lin Ran was about to leave when he saw the empress staring at him with a scrutinizing gaze. Lin Ran felt that something was wrong. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with my face?¡± The empress ignored Lin Ran¡¯s joke and continued to stare at him. ¡°Why do you insist on going to the Eight Directional Mountain? Do you know something?¡± ¡°As expected, nothing can be hidden from her!¡± Lin Ran heaved a long sigh in his heart, but he had a relaxed expression on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why I insist on going. I think differently from you. In my opinion, unknown enemies are the most dangerous.¡± The empress narrowed her eyes, clearly doubting Lin Ran¡¯s words. However, in the end, she didn¡¯t continue asking. She sighed and said softly, ¡°I believe you must have your own reasons for making this choice¡­ Don¡¯t let me down!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss!¡± Lin Ran chuckled. The empress looked at him intently before turning to leave. After the empress left, Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief, but then his expression turned serious. Outsiders might not know the actual situation, but Lin Ran knew very well that when he went to the Eight Directional Mountain this time, it was very likely that he would fight the demon that broke out of the seal! That was a demon that even caused the Ten Miles Sword God to lose his life. It would be a lie to say Lin Ran was not afraid. However, this fear was mostly due to caution. After all, when the Ten Miles Sword God was defeated, he was still at the peak of the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm, whereas the demon was at the Half-Saint Realm and played a dirty trick to win. Even so, the demon was still severely injured by the Sword God. From the fact that it had been hiding for decades, the Ten Miles Sword God must have inflicted serious injury on him back then. Moreover, the demon had probably not fully recovered yet. Otherwise, there was no need for a demon of the Half-Saint Realm to hide like this. All in all, Lin Ran felt that he had a high chance of winning. The only problem was how to keep the news from spreading. The ideal scenario was to kill the demon directly, but Lin Ran felt that this demon would not die so easily. Otherwise, back then, the Ten Miles Sword God would not have chosen to seal it. The second best scenario was to bring the demon back to Mount Sword and seal it again, but this would cause another problem. The demon would definitely not go back with Lin Ran obediently and subduing the demon would inevitably cause a huge commotion. He had to find a way to hide the demon¡¯s identity Otherwise, once the news spread, the world would know that the demon had once escaped. Even if Lin Ran could seal it again, it would still affect the world¡¯s confidence in this seal. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know what to do. He had no choice but to set off for the Eight Directional Mountain first. He could think of a solution when the time came, but if he was late and the demon escaped, it would be a huge crisis for the world! After leaving Mingzhao Hall, Lin Ran took out a map. This was drawn by Huo Qiyun previously and marked the locations of almost all the sects in and outside the capital. After finding the location of the Eight Directional Mountain, Lin Ran rode his sword and soared into the sky. The Eight Directional Mountain was 300 kilometers away from the palace. In the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Lin Ran arrived above the Eight Directional Mountain and hid in the clouds. Looking down, there was a towering mountain peak standing in the wilderness. Looking down from above, the surroundings of the mountain had been cut into an octagon by someone. There were cliffs that were more than 100 feet tall in all directions. There was only one rope for people to climb up and down. This stopped ordinary people from disturbing them. On the cliff, a large number of thatched cottages were built against the mountain. There was a flat area on the top of the mountain. On the side of the training ground, a magnificent wooden building was built beside the cliff. It was probably the residence of Liu Yuntao and the sect elders. Lin Ran hid in the clouds and observed for a moment. Suddenly, he felt that the atmosphere on the mountain was a little strange. Currently, the Sect Master of the Eight Directional Mountain, Liu Yuntao, had already been killed in the palace, but the news had yet to reach the sect. Logically speaking, the disciples and elders on the mountain should be cultivating as they normally should, but on this huge mountain, there was not a single person. ¡°Could it be that because the sect master is not around, everyone is lazy and doesn¡¯t cultivate?¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. Just as he was about to approach the mountain-protecting array formation, he activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique, and his figure disappeared, reappearing later on on the training ground. [Ding!] [New location detected. The host is in the Eight Directional Mountain Sect.] [Host, do you want to sign in?] The system notification suddenly sounded, but Lin Ran was in no mood to pay attention to it. Previously, because of the mountain-protecting array formation, Lin Ran could only observe the mountain with his naked eye. But now that he was standing on the training ground, he realized that it was a little terrifyingly quiet. There was even a faint smell of blood in the air! Chapter 83 - Silent Land, Uninhabited Eight Directional Mountain Lin Ran stood at the edge of the training ground. Beside him was the wooden building where Liu Yuntao lived. According to Zhou Zhiqing and the others, that was where they saw the demon. Logically speaking, he should have rushed into the wooden building to find the traces of the demon, but the sudden smell of blood made him have an ominous feeling. Lin Ran hesitated for a moment. In the end, he decided to take a look at the situation first. Then, he activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique and sneaked towards the thatched houses on the hill. The structure of these thatched houses was similar. They looked like they were for disciples to live in. They were built roughly, but there were quite a lot of them. The low eaves were almost connected, and there was only a narrow path between each house for people to pass through, which made it convenient for Lin Ran to sneak around. After flashing closer, he realized that there were too many thatched houses. It was obviously unrealistic to look at them one by one. Lin Ran could only start from the nearest one. After listening carefully and confirming that there was no movement inside, Lin Ran lifted the window panel and jumped in nimbly like a cat. This room was not small. It was 30 steps long and 15 steps wide. There was a wooden partition that divided the entire thatched house into two rooms, the bedroom and the living room. Lin Ran entered the bedroom through the window. He could tell that the furniture was of high quality. The person who lived here must be a highly-valued disciple. The room was very clean, and the bedding on the bed was neatly folded. Lin Ran looked around and didn¡¯t find anything unusual, so he lifted the curtain and went to the living room. This place was also very clean. Lin Ran looked around and finally fixed his gaze on the table. There was nothing strange about the table. What was strange was that there was a cup of tea on the table. At this moment, it was steaming. Lin Ran picked up the teacup and took a look. The tea was still warm. It was as if someone had gone to do something else after making the tea. After patrolling the room and making sure that there was nothing unusual, Lin Ran climbed out of the window and went to another room. After checking five to six rooms in a row, he did not find anything unusual. Lin Ran felt that he was probably not going to find anything in this area, so he walked further and came to a small thatched house. Compared to the previous thatched houses, the thatched houses in this area looked a little shabby. Each house only had one room, and beside the bed were tables and chairs. The disciples living here must have lower statuses and were not so self-disciplined. Soon, Lin Ran found many personal items, such as books and drawings. When he was checking the fourth small thatched house, Lin Ran discovered something strange again. There was a white cloth covering the table, and underneath the cloth, something bulged. Lin Ran lifted the white cloth and saw a plate of marinated beef with half a steamed bun beside it. However, it didn¡¯t look like it was leftovers. Instead, it looked like someone was suddenly called away halfway through the meal, so he covered it with a cloth and prepared to come back to eat later. Thinking of the cup of tea, Lin Ran finally felt that something was wrong. Every house Lin Ran had been to, there were more or less traces of daily life. People who suddenly stopped halfway through doing something like this could be seen in almost every house. The strangest thing was that there was no one in this residential area. Lin Ran wasn¡¯t sure if there was anyone in the thatched houses further away, but he didn¡¯t see anyone in the area he had already checked. It was as if the people here suddenly stopped doing their things when they were called to assemble. ¡°Sect Master is not around. Why would they assemble?¡± Lin Ran looked puzzled and subconsciously turned to look in the direction of the training ground at the top of the mountain. If it was really an emergency assembly that interrupted these people from doing their things, the only place they could go was that training ground. After hesitating for a moment, Lin Ran finally decided to take the risk and use his divine sense to investigate. Otherwise, if he checked the thatched houses one by one, it would take him a month. After finding a hidden corner, Lin Ran started spreading his divine sense. Fifteen minutes later, Lin Ran¡¯s divine sense had reached a mile away and covered almost half of the mountain, but he still couldn¡¯t find anyone. ¡°Could they really be at the top of the mountain? Can that wooden building accommodate so many people?¡± Lin Ran muttered in his heart. He activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique, and after a few flashes, he arrived at the training ground at the top of the mountain. Now, he was basically certain that there was no one here, so he did not have to hide like before. He walked straight to the wooden building at the end of the training ground. First, he released his divine sense to scout the way. Lin Ran instantly discovered the residual evil aura in the wooden building, but it was already very weak. Either the demon was seriously injured and its aura was weak, or it had been gone for a long time. Lin Ran was a little frustrated that he still came late. The demon was no longer here. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to continue hiding. He stood in the middle of the training ground and exuded the majestic aura of a Half-Saint. ¡°The Ten Miles Sword God is here! Disciples of the Eight Directional Mountain, show yourself!¡± A powerful aura swept through the entire mountain. Even the mountain-protecting array formation was affected by this aura, and a hazy halo appeared in the air. However, the entire mountain was still silent. Lin Ran stood alone in the training ground and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little embarrassed. Then, he realized that there was something strange in the room on the top floor. Whoosha€¡± Lin Ran appeared in midair as if he had teleported. Then, he casually slashed out a sword energy that instantly tore the entire roof into pieces! Countless wood chips and tiles flew out. Lin Ran took a closer look and his expression instantly became extremely solemn. In the room on the top floor, there were countless bones piled up! Chapter 84 - Dangerous Girl, Somethings Wrong Countless bones were stacked together like a dam built by beavers. From afar, it was a vast expanse of white. If not for the large number of skulls mixed in, Lin Ran wouldn¡¯t have recognized what it was. Suddenly, Lin Ran¡¯s eyes narrowed. In the next second, he appeared in the wooden building. Meanwhile, the flying wood shavings and tiles had yet to fall to the ground. Lin Ran stood still and summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. The Three Essence Sword Technique and the Nine Yin-Yang Sword Technique were activated at the same time, giving out penetrating sword intent. At this moment, he looked like he was facing a great enemy! However, what appeared In the corner of the wooden building was only a little girl. The little girl was about seven or eight years old. Her face was round and she was wearing rough clothes. There were two braids on her head. She looked at Lin Ran with her big black eyes, as if wondering where this ¡°old man¡± came from. On the surface, this little girl did not seem to pose any threat. However, for a seven or eight-year-old girl to stand in front of this pile of bones without looking terrified was already enough to explain many things. Lin Ran tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and asked in a low voice, ¡°Who are you?¡± The girl didn¡¯t say anything and continued to look at Lin Ran with her big hollow eyes. ¡°Are you from the mountains?¡± ¡°Where are the others?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the bones?¡± ¡­ Lin Ran asked more than ten questions in a row, but he received no response. ¡°Is she mute?¡± Lin Ran muttered to himself, but the girl opposite him suddenly spoke. ¡°Interesting, very interesting.¡± The little girl spoke clearly, but her voice sounded a little strange, as if she was afraid that Lin Ran would recognize her voice, so she deliberately used a strange voice. ¡°So you can talk?¡± Lin Ran smiled and straightened his body. He seemed to have let down his guard, but the surging power in his body was still on the verge of eruption. ¡°Are you from the mountains?¡± Lin Ran asked the same question again. The girl still didn¡¯t say anything, but this time, she shook her head. ¡°So you¡¯re not a local¡­¡± Lin Ran asked, ¡°Then do you know what¡¯s with the bones?¡± The girl nodded. ¡°It¡¯s related to you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lin Ran continued to ask with a kind smile on his face and a relaxed tone, but his words were terrifying. ¡°You killed these people and devoured their flesh and blood. Is this some kind of a cultivation technique? No, no¡­ It should be a way to heal your injuries, right? Evil demon?¡± The girl listened quietly, her big black eyes like a bottomless pool of water. After Lin Ran finished speaking, the girl nodded and smiled strangely, as if an invisible hand was tugging at the corner of her mouth. ¡°So you recognized me.¡± Hearing that the girl, or rather, the demon, had admitted her identity, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised. Ever since Lin Rain was determined to bring the demon back to Mount Sword, he had imagined the scene of meeting the demon countless times. However, he had never thought that the infamous ¡°demon¡± was actually a harmless-looking little girl. However, when he used his divine sense to investigate the wooden building just now, he did find a familiar evil aura in this little girl¡¯s body. The two of them looked at each other across the mounds of bones. The girl¡¯s clear eyes landed on the Yin Yang Sword in Lin Ran¡¯s hand. ¡°You have my aura on your sword, but you¡¯re not me. You have his aura on you, but you¡¯re not him. Why are you like this?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s fate?¡± Lin Ran looked at the Yin-Yang Sword in his hand and smiled with emotion. ¡°I inherited a portion of Sword God¡¯s internal energy. This sword is stained with a portion of your evil aura, but no matter what, I will use this power to completely destroy you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The strange smile on the girl¡¯s face widened. ¡°Interesting, very interesting. You don¡¯t even know where I am, and you actually want to destroy me?¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here, but at the same time, I¡¯m not here.¡± As the girl spoke, she pointed at herself with the hand that was holding the rattle drum. ¡°This is just a puppet. Everyone in her village is dead. I left a wisp of evil aura in her body to see what kind of person is pretending to be the Ten Miles Sword God.¡± When she said ¡°pretending to be the Ten Mile Sword God¡±, the girl¡¯s tone did not fluctuate at all, as if she had already known about this. Back then, the Ten Miles Sword God had died at the hands of this demon, so when it heard that the Sword God had come out of seclusion, it immediately knew that the news was fake. However, this would raise another problem. Since the demon was already certain that the Sword God was dead, why didn¡¯t he just tell Liu Yuntao about it? Instead, he asked Liu Yuntao to lure everyone to the state banquet to test the waters. Countless questions poured out like a fountain, but now was not the time to think. Lin Ran took a deep breath and looked at the girl¡¯s dark eyes from afar. ¡°Although she is only a puppet, if I kill her, you will also be injured, right?¡± The girl looked at Lin Ran with a strange smile. There was no fear on her young face. ¡°You can try.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Ran nodded and walked towards the girl with the Yin Yang Sword. With the first step forward, countless destructive sword energy crushed the bones blocking the way. With the second step forward, invisible sword energy formed a cage that instantly trapped the girl. With the third step forward, Lin Ran was already in front of the girl. The tip of the Yin-Yang Sword was less than half an inch away from the girl¡¯s throat! Even so, there was no fear on the girl¡¯s face. Endless sharp sword intent wreaked havoc around her like a snowstorm in winter, but she seemed to be bathing in the spring sun without even bothering to flinch. ¡°You win.¡± Lin Ran sighed and sat down cross-legged in front of the girl, placing the Yin Yang Sword horizontally on his lap. ¡°Why? You can¡¯t do it?¡± The girl continued to ask with a strange smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to destroy me? Why are you giving up so quickly?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to get what you want.¡± Lin Ran shrugged and analyzed as if he was talking to himself, ¡°Even if I kill her, you will only lose a wisp of evil aura.¡± The girl did not speak, but her eyes suddenly turned cold. Lin Ran looked at the girl and smiled brightly. Unfortunately, he was wearing the face of the Ten Mile Sword God, making this smile look more frightening. ¡°You want to find out more about me, and I want to find out more about you¡­ Why don¡¯t we talk?¡± Chapter 85 - Eight Directional Mountain, Destroying the Sect with One Slash The girl looked at Lin Ran as if she wanted to see through him from his expression. However, Lin Ran still had a sinister smile on his face. The girl looked at him for a long time before giving up. ¡°Interesting, very interesting.¡± The strange smile on her face disappeared. ¡°How do you want to talk?¡± ¡°Take turns asking questions. Every time one of us asks a question, the person who answers must give an accurate answer.¡± Lin Ran smiled and raised his hand. ¡°After you.¡± The girl said nothing, as if trying to figure out if it was a trap. After half a minute, she said, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Lin Ran.¡± Lin Ran replied readily, and the girl immediately frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your name! I asked for your identity!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can wait for the next question to ask me that.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and smiled. ¡°What do I have to do to find you?¡± The girl did not speak. At first, Lin Ran thought that she was thinking about the answer. After a long while, he realized that she was refusing to answer. Lin Ran¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°It¡¯s only the first question and you¡¯re already going back on your words. Do you want to talk or not?¡± A strange smile appeared on the girl¡¯s face again. ¡°Kill me if you dare!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you.¡± Lin Ran smiled and looked at the girl as if she was a fool. ¡°As soon as I attack, you¡¯ll know everything about me, so I won¡¯t kill this girl until I obtain enough information about you.¡± The smile on the girl¡¯s face instantly disappeared. ¡°Then let¡¯s waste time here. I won¡¯t answer this question.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll change it.¡± Lin Ran asked, ¡°What do I have to do to kill you?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t kill me.¡± The girl answered very quickly this time. Lin Ran subconsciously asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t I kill you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s another question.¡± The girl blinked, a hint of slyness reflected in her hollow eyes. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but laugh and raised his hand. ¡°Ask away.¡± ¡°What is your identity?¡± ¡°Commander of the Imperial Guards.¡± Lin Ran quickly replied, then asked almost at the same time, ¡°Why can¡¯t I kill you?¡± The girl was still thinking about what ¡°Commander of the Imperial Guards¡± was when she subconsciously replied, ¡°No way. You just can¡¯t kill me.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes flickered. The girl spoke in the manner of plain statement of fact. In other words, it wasn¡¯t the difference in their strength that made the demon unkillable. Back then, the Ten Mile Sword God, who was at the peak of the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm, couldn¡¯t kill the demon. Now that Lin Ran had entered the Half-Saint Realm, he still couldn¡¯t. Even if he entered the realm of Saint, it might still be the case. Therefore, the Ten Miles Sword God could only choose to seal the demon instead of killing it. For some reason, Lin Ran thought of the wisp of will of the world that suddenly appeared when he formed the Five Elements Divine Beasts with sword energy. Although it was only a tiny wisp, it almost made Lin Ran lose control of his sword intent. Most importantly, the will of the world could not be resisted or absorbed. If not for the fact that the Yin Yang Sword had appeared to protect him, Lin Ran would probably be six feet under now. Could it be that this demon also belonged to the will of the world? Lin Ran retracted his thought and said, ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°I have no more questions.¡± The girl said coldly, ¡°You won¡¯t answer me honestly even if I ask.¡± Lin Ran scratched his head in embarrassment. The girl snorted. ¡°Kill her now, or I¡¯ll let her kill herself!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Lin Ran shrugged and stood up to place the Yin Yang Sword on the girl¡¯s neck. However, there was still no fear on the girl¡¯s face. There was even a hint of fanaticism in her hollow eyes. She couldn¡¯t wait to die under Lin Ran¡¯s sword! ¡°I¡¯ll take this life for you.¡± Lin Ran said coldly. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. ¡°By the way, since you¡¯ve told me so much, let me tell you a secret.¡± The girl¡¯s hollow eyes flicked. ¡°What secret?¡± ¡°Not only is this sword good-looking, but it also has a special function¡­¡± Lin Ran whispered. Before the girl could hear everything, a black and white halo suddenly appeared on the sword and instantly enveloped the two of them! A moment later, the halo dissipated, and the girl was already lying limply in Lin Ran¡¯s arms. After using his divine sense to check and confirm that there was no evil aura left, Lin Ran looked at the Yin-Yang Sword in his hand and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little lingering fear. If not for the fact that the Yin Yang Sword happened to have the ability to absorb evil aura, he would have really killed this little girl today! Looking at the little girl in his arms whose eyelashes fluttered slightly, Lin Ran wondered what sweet dream she was having. Lin Ran smiled and used his sword energy to form a barrier to protect the little girl. Then, he tapped the ground and jumped into the sky like an agile cat. The winds howled, but there was no noise inside the sword energy barrier. Lin Ran looked down at the girl. After confirming that her sleep was not disturbed, his eyes turned cold as he raised the Yin-Yang Sword and slashed down¡ª Billions of sharp sword energy wreaked havoc like an apocalyptic earthquake. Endless cold light flickered in the air, and it could even be seen dozens of kilometers away. A huge sword phantom condensed from sword energy tore through the sky and smashed into the Eight Directional Mountain. Boom¡ª After a loud bang, the mountain that was hundreds of feet tall split into two, but this was only the beginning. After cutting open the mountain, the huge sword phantom tore open a colossal gap on the ground. Countless boulders and rubble mixed with bones fell into the pitch-black gap. When the mountain was completely wiped off the face of the earth, the gap closed on its own. This slash was not only to eliminate the traces of the demon, but also to warn the other sects. After all, other than Lin Ran, no one knew what had happened here. On that day, everyone within a hundred miles of the Eight Directional Mountain saw a sword phantom descend from the sky. On that day, the entire Eight Directional Mountain was reduced to rubbles. On that day, a total of 1,731 elders and disciples of the Eight Directional Mountain Sect were wiped out of the face of the earth. ¡­ According to the historical records of later generations, in the year 341 of the Saint Calendar, the second sect on the Sacred Martial Roll, the Eight Directional Mountain sect, plotted a rebellion and was destroyed. Chapter 86 - Its Good to Repent In the palace, in Mingzhao Hall. Lin Ran had gone for a few hours. The incense burner was lit with ambergris, but there was still a faint smell of blood in the air. Lin Ran rubbed his nose and did not leave the girl here. Instead, he went to the imperial study. On the desk, all kinds of scrolls were piled up like a mountain, almost covering the empress¡¯s figure. Suddenly, a strong wind blew past her. The empress looked up and saw Lin Ran standing in the imperial study with a little girl in his arms. The empress was stunned for a moment. Then she stood up and teased, ¡°I have so many consorts in the palace. Why do you have to bring back a homeless child?¡± Surprisingly, Lin Ran didn¡¯t talk back. He just looked at the little girl in his arms. ¡°She¡¯s the only one left in her village.¡± The empress¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°What happened? Were the villagers affected by the battle? Is there anyone in the Eight Directional Mountain who can fight you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ Forget it, I can¡¯t explain it in a few words.¡± Lin Ran wanted to explain, but he realized that he didn¡¯t know how to start. He paused for a moment and said, ¡°I caused a commotion at the Eight Directional Mountain just now. The Dao Seeking Sect has probably sensed it. Huo Qiyun is in danger. I have to go there immediately.¡± The empress nodded. Lin Ran said, ¡°But it¡¯s inconvenient to bring the child along. Why don¡¯t you help me take care of her for a while?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± The empress¡¯s expression turned serious. She frowned and scolded in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m the emperor of a country! How dare you ask me to take care of a child?¡± Lin Ran said with a cheeky smile, ¡°You¡¯ll have a child sooner or later anyway. Just treat it as a rehearsal!¡± The empress was speechless. Just when she wanted to say something, Lin Ran was no longer in the imperial study. Only the little girl was lying on the low couch where she usually rested. After staring at the little girl for a while, the empress suddenly realized that this little girl was quite cute. She couldn¡¯t help but smile and cover the girl with the dragon robe. ¡­ Tianjue Peak, Dao Seeking Sect. After entrusting the little girl to the empress, Lin Ran immediately rushed here. Previously, when he destroyed the Eight Directional Mountain, the commotion caused could probably be felt within a hundred miles. Most likely, the people of the Dao Seeking Sect already knew about it. This way, Huo Qiyun, who was pretending to be the Sword God, would be in a very dangerous situation. ¡°The power of that strike is something only a Half-Saint can achieve. However, if the Ten Miles Sword God is on the Eight Directional Mountain, who will the Sword God on Tianjue Peak?¡± As long as anyone thought about this, what awaited Huo Qiyun would be death. ¡°Hold on! You must hold on¡ª¡± Lin Ran muttered to himself as he rode on his sword. However, when he saw the entrance of the Dao Seeking Sect, he instantly swallowed his words. The Dao-Seeking Sect¡¯s mountain gate was a hundred feet tall and was carved from white jade. The words ¡°Dao-Seeking Sect¡± were engraved on the lintel. Although there were no fancy decorations, it was still magnificent. However, at this moment, the entire mountain gate was covered by a yellow flag. Even the words ¡°Dao Seeking Sect¡± were blocked. ¡°These guys¡­ have a strong desire to live!¡± Lin Ran looked at the mountain gate with his mouth agape. He suddenly didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Previously, Lin Ran added a sentence on the invitation letter the empress wrote, asking those sects that were too far away to hang yellow flags on their mountain gates. This would indicate that they were willing to submit to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Although the Dao Seeking Sect was not far from the capital, they did not dare to attend the state banquet. However, looking at the size of the yellow flag on the mountain gate, Lin Ran knew that these people knew very well what they¡¯d done wrong. After observing for a while, Lin Ran went straight through the mountain gate and headed for the top. Not long after, he arrived at the hinterland of the mountain and saw Huo Qiyun in the arena. However, the strange thing was that Huo Qiyun was not disguised as the Ten Miles Sword God. Instead, he was sparring with others in his true identity. At the same time, the people present also discovered Lin Ran. Seeing an unfamiliar old man enter the sect, the Dao-Seeking Sect disciples subconsciously drew their swords. However, when they felt the terrifying aura coming from Lin Ran, their faces turned pale in an instant. At this moment, Huo Qiyun looked up and saw Lin Ran. He immediately jumped off the arena and raised the Ten Miles Dragon Roar with both hands. ¡°Shifu!¡± ¡°Shifu? He¡¯s the Ten Mile Sword God!¡± ¡°No wonder his aura is so powerful!¡± ¡°Quickly inform the sect master!¡± ¡­ The surrounding disciples instantly burst into uproar, but no one attacked Lin Ran. Although Lin Ran didn¡¯t know what was going on, he was not in the least worried. He landed in front of Huo Qiyun and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why aren¡¯t you wearing a mask?¡± ¡°When I saw the yellow flag hanging on the gate, I thought there was no need to use a mask.¡± ¡°The war with the Great Yong Dynasty is imminent. It¡¯s time to recruit people. If they repent from the bottom of their hearts, it¡¯s not a bad thing to give them a chance.¡± Huo Qiyun replied quickly. Then, he patted the Dragon Roar Sword on Lin Ran¡¯s waist. ¡°I told them that I¡¯m the disciple of the Ten Miles Sword God and that I came to visit on behalf of my shifu with the Ten Miles Dragon Roar.¡± Lin Ran just nodded to show that he understood when a large group of people came from afar. The person in the lead was Zou Hao, the sect master of the Dao Seeking Sect, whom Lin Ran had seen in King Zhao¡¯s tent. ¡°Sword God! I didn¡¯t know that you would come. Please don¡¯t take offense to us not being at the gate to receive you!¡± Zou Hao was still a dozen steps away from Lin Ran when he bowed to apologize. His smile was so wide that it reached his ears. If outsiders saw this fawning look, no one would think that he was the head of a sect. ¡°Sect Master Zou, you¡¯re being too polite. I should be the one apologizing.¡± Lin Ran chuckled. He was wearing a human skin mask, so he wasn¡¯t afraid that Zou Hao would recognize him. When Zou Hao heard this, he was about to kneel on the ground. ¡°Sword God! You¡¯re flattering me! There is no need for you to apologize. From now on, the Dao Seeking Sect is your home. You can come and go as you please!¡± Lin Ran nodded and put his hand on the hilt of the Dragon Roar Sword at his waist. He said in a strange tone, ¡°That depends on whether or not the Dao Seeking Sect will still exist in this world!¡± When Zou Hao heard this, his face instantly turned pale and he collapsed to the ground. He had just received the news that the Eight Directional Mountain had been annihilated. Now, from what the Ten Miles Sword God said, he seemed to want to annihilate them too! Chapter 87 - Roping in the Dao When he first found out that the Sword God had come out of seclusion, Zou Hao indeed wanted to run. However, later on, Lin Ran sent a message with the Mount Sword Sect token, threatening to chase him to the ends of the earth if he ran. Zou Hao had no choice but to stay. Therefore, after seeing the invitation from the palace, although Zou Hao did not dare to attend the banquet, he immediately ordered his disciples to hang yellow flags all over the mountain gate to show his loyalty. ×ÞºÆAfter that, Huo Qiyun came with the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. Zou Hao also treated him with hospitality. However, he did not expect that all his efforts would be in vain. The Ten Miles Sword God still wanted to exterminate his entire Dao Seeking Sect! The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. He didn¡¯t care about his status as the sect master of the Dao-Seeking Sect and immediately broke down crying. ¡°Sword God, I admit that I did something wrong in the past, but I was also deceived by King Zhao!¡± ¡°The moment Elder Sun broke through to the Grandmaster Realm, he was beaten into a cripple by that mountain guardian surnamed Lin. He¡¯s still lying in bed in a coma. I have to use all kinds of spiritual pills to keep him alive every day!¡± ¡°I spent the most effort and money during the rebellion, and lots of my disciples died. In the end, I did not obtain anything. It¡¯s unfair!¡± A huge grievance welled up in his heart. Zou Hao was like a resentful woman who had suffered a lot. He did not care if he could say anything or not. In any case, he spilled the beans. Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun were dumbfounded looking at Zou Hao. If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, who would believe that the sect master of the Dao-Seeking Sect had such a side to him? The surrounding Dao Seeking Sect disciples also looked ashamed. When Lin Ran saw their gazes, he knew that some of them definitely wanted to leave the sect. However, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t bear to see Zou Hao in such a miserable state. He just wanted to scare him and see how he would react, but he didn¡¯t expect him to be so weak and fragile. Lin Ran explained that he wouldn¡¯t resort to violence, but Zou Hao refused to listen. In the end, someone invited the elders of the Dao Seeking Sect over. After they consoled him for a long time, Zou Hao finally calmed down. Then, both parties came to the living room. After taking their seats, Lin Ran said, ¡°Let¡¯s not beat around the bush. I¡¯m here today to settle scores with your sect on behalf of His Majesty.¡± When Zou Hao heard that, he was about to cry again. Lin Ran hurriedly said, ¡°But after I came here, I can feel that you¡¯re really repenting, so I want to give you a chance to make amends. I wonder if you¡¯re willing?¡± The elders looked at each other and then at Zou Hao. Zou Hao wiped his tears and asked tentatively, ¡°Sword God, can you tell me what chance it is first?¡± ¡°Join the army.¡± Lin Ran said bluntly, ¡°Form an elite army of disciples who are above the first level Martial Master Realm and below the ninth level Senior Martial Master Realm in your sect. When we attack, you¡¯ll charge in front. When we retreat, you¡¯ll cover us.¡± At the side, Huo Qiyun widened his eyes in surprise and questioning, as if to say, ¡°Are you supposed to tell them this so early?¡± Lin Ran blinked, indicating that he knew what he was doing. Zou Hao lowered his head and pondered for a moment. With a strange expression, he asked, ¡°Sword God, why does this ¡®elite army¡¯ you mentioned sound like a shield?¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± Lin Ran nodded and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. ¡°Or you can refuse.¡± ¡°No, no, no! We won¡¯t refuse!¡± Zou Hao hurriedly waved his hand when he saw Lin Ran¡¯s actions. He paused and said awkwardly, ¡°But Sword God, can I make a request?¡± Zou Hao looked back at the elders and suddenly knelt down in front of Lin Ran. ¡°Sword God, it was my decision to participate in King Zhao¡¯s rebellion. You and His Majesty can punish me however you want, but the disciples are innocent.¡± Zou Hao knelt on the ground and looked straight at Lin Ran. ¡°I don¡¯t want any disciple of the sect to die in vain because of my decision.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I want to make a request. Let me gather the disciples of the sect and tell them this. If any disciple wants to leave the sect, I won¡¯t force him to stay, and you can¡¯t force him to join the army either!¡± ¡°We pledge our lives to follow the sect master! Sword God, please agree to this request.¡± An elder knelt down and said. Then, the remaining elders knelt down as well. ¡°We pledge our lives to follow the sect master! Sword God, please agree to this request.¡±.¡± Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun looked at each other in surprise. After a moment, Huo Qiyun nodded. Lin Ran said, ¡°Since Sect Master Zou cherishes his disciples so much, I¡¯ll agree to your request. However, you have to tell me about the people who participated in the rebellion first.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Sword God!¡± Zou Hao kowtowed to thank him. Then, he took out a bamboo slip and held it above his head with both hands. ¡°This is the list of all the sects that participated in the rebellion. Some individual cultivators are also recorded.¡± ¡°Oh? You seem to be well prepared.¡± Lin Ran chuckled and took the bamboo slip. He realized that it was quite detailed. Lin Ran had long known about a few of the sects, such as Mount Qianyuan and Silver Cave. However, he didn¡¯t find the Eight Directional Mountain. ¡°From this, it seems that the Eight Directional Mountain is just used by the demon.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. Then, he waved the bamboo slip in his hand. ¡°Although none of the sects are famous, there are a lot of them. It seems that Sect Master Zou does have a lot of friends.¡± Zou Hao smiled awkwardly. Lin Ran continued, ¡°I have something to ask of you. Can you help me?¡± ¡°I will do my best!¡± ¡°There¡¯s an agreement between the dynasties that those above the Grandmaster Realm are not allowed to participate in the battle. Do you know about this?¡± Seeing Zou Hao nod, Lin Ran continued, ¡°So as the sect master, you definitely can¡¯t go to the battlefield, but don¡¯t be idle. Help me investigate where strange murders have happened recently.¡± ¡°Strange murder?¡± Zou Hao looked confused. ¡°May I ask what do you mean by strange?¡± ¡°The kind where a lot of people die at once, or a person becomes a pile of bones as soon as they are dead.¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and explained. After talking to the demon at the Eight Directional Mountain, he was already certain that the demon was using human flesh and blood to heal his injuries. He couldn¡¯t save those who had died, but he could find the demon to prevent more people from dying! Chapter 88 - New Clue, Two Possibilities Of course, Zou Hao didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking. When he was asked to investigate this kind of murder case, he couldn¡¯t help but find it strange. ¡°Sword God, is there a reason why you want me to do this?¡± Huo Qiyun also looked at Lin Ran with a curious gaze. In his heart, he always had a plan. It was a list of problems that he had summarized over the years. If the Heavenly Saint Dynasty wanted to live in peace for a long time, these problems had to be solved as soon as possible. However, what Lin Rai said wasn¡¯t one of the problems. Lin Ran wanted to find an excuse to fool him, but he suddenly thought of something and narrowed his eyes at Zou Hao. ¡°From what you said, you seem to know something?¡± Zou Hao did not dare to lie in front of the Ten Mile Sword God. After a pause, he hurriedly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but your description just now reminds me of an unsolved case from decades ago.¡± ¡°Do you even remember something that happened decades ago?¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°Sword God, you got me wrong. It¡¯s not that I have a good memory. That unsolved case is too strange and hard to forget!¡± Zou Hao let out an embarrassed smile, and a hint of reminiscence appeared in his eyes. ¡°About sixty years ago, I was just an ordinary disciple of the Dao Seeking Sect. I was ordered by my late master to travel outside to gain experiences.¡± ¡°When I arrived at a village one day, I wanted to go in and get some water, but I realized that the village was very strange. There were farming tools thrown everywhere and unfinished food in every house, but I walked through the entire village and didn¡¯t see anyone.¡± When Lin Ran heard this, his pupils constricted. This was almost the same situation as what he had encountered on the Eight Directional Mountain. Zou Hao didn¡¯t notice the change in Lin Ran¡¯s expression and continued, ¡°At that time, I thought that the villagers were going out together, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. But a few days later, I heard¡­¡± ¡°On that day, a total of more than 3,000 people went missing in seven villages. Three days later, the officials found a large number of bones in a mountain 20 miles away. After the coroner counted them, they basically matched the number of the missing villagers.¡± Huo Qiyun continued Zou Hao¡¯s words. Seeing that Lin Ran and Zou Hao were both looking at him, he said matter-of-factly, ¡°At that time, I was also traveling around. That case concerned the lives of more than 3,000 people. Of course I¡¯ve heard about it.¡± Lin Ran looked at him solemnly. ¡°Have you been to that mountain? What do the bones look like?¡± Huo Qiyun shook his head. ¡°I was at the southern border at that time. When I came back and wanted to visit the mountain it had already been cleaned up by the officials¡­ But what else could the bones look like?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ve been there¡­¡± Zou Hao raised his hand hesitantly. ¡°Sword God, when it happened back then, I was nearby. Later, I went to the col to take a look. The valley that was dozens of feet deep was filled with bones. All the bones were so clean that it looked like¡­ like¡­¡± Zou Hao looked troubled, as if he did not know how to describe it. Lin Ran thought of something. ¡°Like jade?¡± Zou Hao immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Jade! Like jade!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat and he asked, ¡°Then do you remember what the seven villages are called?¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t remember this.¡± Zou Hao shook his head in embarrassment. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he thought of something. ¡°By the way, those villages are near Mount Sword where you were in seclusion!¡± ¡°There you go!¡± Lin Ran exclaimed in his heart. He could basically conclude that this unsolved case was caused by the demon. The time when the case took place was exactly the same as when the demon broke the seal. When all the dots were connected, Lin Ran felt inexplicably refreshed. Sixty years ago, the demon broke through to the Half-Saint Realm and fought with the Ten Mile Sword God in the cave. After that, the demon used tricks to defeat and kill the Ten Miles Sword God. However, the demon was also severely injured by the Ten Mile Sword God. After escaping from Mount Sword, it used the flesh and blood of the villagers in the nearby village to repair its injuries. After that, it disappeared without a trace until Lin Ran discovered it not long ago. In Lin Ran¡¯s mind, the thread began to split and lead to two different possibilities: The first possibility was that the demon could devour flesh and drink blood to heal. In the past sixty years, the demon must have done this often, but it still didn¡¯t dare to face Lin Ran in its true form, which meant that it hadn¡¯t returned to its peak state. The second possibility was that the demons could devour flesh and drink blood to increase its cultivation. If that was the case, even if the demon only devoured one person a day, there would still be a total amount of more than 20,000 lives taken over the course of 60 years. Lin Ran could not imagine how powerful the demon was now. At this moment, Lin Ran could only think of these two possibilities. He couldn¡¯t help but feel conflicted. If it was the former, after Lin Ran found traces of the demon, he could just kill it with his sword. But if it was the latter, he had to be prepared. But no matter what, Lin Ran had never thought of giving up. After sorting out what to do next, Lin Ran looked at Zou Hao. ¡°Since you¡¯ve seen that scene with your own eyes, it must be much easier to investigate¡­ Go, after the meeting, start investigating.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After Zou Hao bowed respectfully, he stood up and left with the elders. After a few of them walked away, Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but step forward and say, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Although it¡¯s time to recruit people, isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to tell them that the war is about to begin?¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯re all fools?¡± Lin Ran glanced at Huo Qiyun and said helplessly, ¡°All these years, the Great Yong Dynasty has repeatedly invaded the border. Your empress sister declared officially that the Heavenly Saint Dynasty will not abandon any city or chase after the enemy, but do you really think she¡¯ll let it go just like that?¡± Huo Qiyun was speechless for a moment. Lin Ran continued, ¡°Besides, the Great Yong Dynasty has been gathering troops since three years ago. Now, if you go to the north and ask any commoner, they all know about this. They¡¯ve never thought of hiding it.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression began to turn solemn, but he still argued stubbornly, ¡°Even so, the war between the two countries is still not declared. War is inevitable, but when to start is uncertain.¡± ¡°Silly child.¡± Lin Ran stood up and patted Huo Qiyun¡¯s shoulder. He was almost a head taller than Huo Qiyun, and this action made him look like an elder lecturing a junior. ¡°When the Ten Miles Sword God came out of seclusion, the war had already begun.¡± Huo Qiyun shook off Lin Ran¡¯s hand. Just as he was about to speak with a heavy expression, he suddenly seemed to understand something, and his youthful face instantly turned pale! Seeing Huo Qiyun¡¯s reaction, Lin Ran knew that he understood. He smiled and didn¡¯t say anything else. He brought the Dragon Roar Sword and walked towards the sect training ground, wanting to see how Zou Hao was going to hold this assembly. Chapter 89 - One Strike, All It Takes Is One Strike Everyone knew that in a war, the charging troop always had the highest casualty rate. Letting the Dao-Seeking Sect¡¯s disciples join the army was basically sending them to their deaths. Most importantly, ordinary soldiers could retire at an old age. As for these people, unless the Heavenly Saint Dynasty unified the world and there were no more wars, they must stay in the army until they died in battle or died of old age. It was precisely because of this that Zou Hao suggested explaining the pros and cons to the disciples. Lin Ran wasn¡¯t an unreasonable person, so he agreed to Zou Hao¡¯s request. When Lin Ran came out of the room, he saw that the training ground was so crowded that there was barely any space for another person. Even so, occasionally, there were still disciples rushing over from all over the sect and continuing to squeeze into the enormous crowd. Zou Hao and the elders stood on the platform and faced the countless disciples below. It was impossible to tell if they were sad or guilty. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll object?¡± Huo Qiyun asked. ¡°Who knows?¡± Lin Ran said, narrowing his eyes, ¡°That¡¯s why I have to keep an eye on their attitude.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded. After a few seconds, he continued, ¡°There are about 1,500 people here. Their average cultivation level is at the sixth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm. According to the information, Zou Hao¡¯s cultivation level should be at the fourth level of the Grandmaster Realm. As for the elders, they should be around the same level as me.¡± Lin Ran tilted his head and glanced at Huo Qiyun. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Huo Qiyun looked at the huge crowd not far away, and a cold glint flashed across his eyes. ¡°What I want to say is that if a fight breaks out later, I¡¯ll leave Zou Hao and the elders to you. I¡¯ll try my best to stall for time for you¡­ By the way, how long will it take you to deal with them?¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and extended a finger. ¡°One hour?¡± Huo Qiyun nodded thoughtfully. ¡°One against 1,500¡­ I should be able to, but you¡¯d better be quicker.¡± ¡°I meant one stroke.¡± Lin Ran looked at Huo Qiyun with a faint smile and stretched out his finger. ¡°Just one strike.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes were filled with shock. After a while, he came back to his senses and muttered softly, ¡°Monster!¡± Lin Ran smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. He casually raised the Dragon Roar Sword at his waist and stroked the smooth blade with his fingertips. A moment later, Lin Ran sheathed his sword and sighed, as if something had disappointed him. At the side, Huo Qiyun frowned as he watched Lin Ran draw his sword and put it away. He couldn¡¯t help but curse in his heart, ¡°Weirdo!¡± After waiting for another half an hour, no new disciples appeared. Zou Hao took a few deep breaths and said to the crowd, ¡°Disciples, first of all, I want to thank you for trusting me for so many years!¡± With that, Zou Hao bowed deeply to all the disciples. Almost at the same time, all the disciples knelt down to return the greeting. Even if some disciples were pushed out of the training ground into the gravel road, they still knelt down without hesitation. When Zou Hao stood up, his eyes were red, but his voice was still calm. ¡°Everyone knows that I made a huge mistake a while ago! To stone for this mistake, I deserve to be cut into pieces.¡± ¡°However, His Majesty loves the people as if they were his children. He gave me a chance to make up for my mistake. That is, he wants disciples above the Martial Master Realm and below the Grandmaster to join the army and be the shield for the soldiers of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty! He wants you to suffer!¡± At this point, Zou Hao turned around and looked at the two of them. Huo Qiyun instantly grabbed the hilt of his sword, but Lin Ran stopped him. ¡°Take it easy. Let him finish.¡± Lin Ran smiled and gestured for Zou Hao to continue. Only then did Zou Hao turn to the disciples. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear wrongly. We will be the shield and the ones to suffer! I know that I have to take responsibility for my own actions. Therefore, I specially asked Sword God for a chance to let you choose.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be implicated by me, you can leave the Dao-Seeking Sect now! Sword God has said that those who quit will no longer be forced to join the army.¡± After saying that, Zou Hao put his hands behind his back and stopped talking. Unwillingness, sadness, hatred, and self-blame flashed across his eyes one by one. In the end, they mixed together and became the calmness found in people who had seen the vicissitude of life. Silent. The training ground packed with 1,500 people was dead silent. Huo Qiyun looked at these people expressionlessly. His hand that was holding the hilt of his sword was sweating. After an unknown period of time, it might have been fifteen minutes or an hour. A voice suddenly shouted from the crowd, ¡°Sect Master! We¡¯re going to die anyway. Why don¡¯t we fight back?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression turned cold. He suddenly activated his internal energy to break free from Lin Ran. However, before he could unsheathe his sword, a spiritual sword suddenly sounded and a head flew high into the air. The blood dripped down like spring rain, covering the faces of many disciples with a layer of scarlet red. Many people revealed terrified expressions, but no one said anything. Huo Qiyun was stunned. His sword was still in its sheath, and Lin Ran didn¡¯t move either. Then who did that? ¡°I¡¯ve already made a mistake, and I don¡¯t want to make it again.¡± On the platform, Zou Hao sheathed his sword. He looked coldly at the disciples below the stage. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you stay or leave, but if anyone dares to rebel, I, Zou Hao, will be the first to punish them!¡± At this point, Huo Qiyun finally looked enlightened. He suddenly turned to look at Lin Ran. ¡°You didn¡¯t let me attack, because you knew that he was really sincere in repenting, right?¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly and narrowed his eyes in confusion. ¡°Is it really important if he¡¯s sincere?¡± Huo Qiyun wanted to say that it was of course important, but when he saw the confidence in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, he suddenly realized that it didn¡¯t matter. Regardless of whether Zou Hao was sincere or not, as long as he dared to betray the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, Lin Ran could just kill him. In any case, to Lin Ran, it was just a matter of one strike. After figuring this out, Huo Qiyun looked at Lin Ran with admiration. ¡°If¡­ I cultivate hard enough, can I become as powerful as you?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± Lin Ran chuckled again. His casual expression made Huo Qiyun clench his fists. Before knowing Lin Ran, Huo Qiyun had never thought that Sword God¡¯s face could be so annoying! At this moment, Lin Ran suddenly raised his chin and said, ¡°Stop fooling around. The show is about to begin.¡± Chapter 90 - Swords Have Two Blades, People Have Two Sides Seeing how serious Lin Ran was, Huo Qiyun could only put aside his personal grudge for the time being and look at the training ground. Someone in the crowd raised his hand, but there were too many people. Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t see the person who raised his hand at all. He could only hear a trembling voice say, ¡°Sect Master! My parents still need to be taken care of. Sect Master, please allow me to quit!¡± ¡°Granted.¡± Zou Hao nodded. Then, he took out a golden leaf from his belt and threw it in that direction. ¡°You¡¯ve been on the mountain for three years, but you haven¡¯t made any progress. Take this money back and start a small business.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sect Master!¡± After that person thanked him loudly, the crowd burst into an uproar. A moment later, an honest-looking young man walked out of the crowd and took off his hat. He placed it on the ground respectfully and kowtowed three times before turning around and walking down the mountain. ¡°Sect Master, I¡¯ve only been married for less than a month¡­¡± ¡°Granted.¡± ¡°Sect Master, I¡¯m the only son of my family¡­¡± ¡°Granted.¡± ¡°Sect Master, I¡­¡± ¡°Granted.¡± ¡­ In the following period of time, more than 200 people left the Dao Seeking Sect. No matter what reason they gave, or if there was no reason, Zou Hao¡¯s answer was always ¡°granted¡± and a golden leaf. Fifteen minutes later, the training ground fell silent again. At this moment, there were only about 1,300 people left. Zou Hao looked around for a moment. ¡°Those below the Martial Master Realm, leave.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, another four to five hundred people left. Zou Hao treated everyone equally and gave each of them a golden leaf. After nearly half of the disciples left, the training ground was finally less crowded. Tears appeared in Zou Hao¡¯s eyes once again. ¡°From today onwards, the Dao-Seeking Sect is officially disbanded. I, Zou Hao, thank you, fellow Daoists!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Zou Hao knelt on the ground with his hands folded on his forehead and bowed deeply to the remaining disciples below the stage. This time, no one bowed back. Since the sect was disbanded, the rules of the sect were naturally gone. Zou Hao knelt on the ground, his shoulders trembling. As the breeze blew the training ground, sobs were heard. Gradually, it became louder and louder. No one knew what they were crying about. Perhaps even they themselves did not know. The air was filled with suppressed sadness. Even Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but be moved, but his eyes were still filled with confusion. ¡°Why are there so many people loyal to a person like Zou Hao?¡± ¡°746 golden leaves is almost 30 years¡¯ worth of salary for a first-rank official.¡± Lin Ran rubbed the corners of his eyes and put on a casual smile. ¡°There are two sides to a sword. Perhaps he¡¯s not a good person, but he¡¯s indeed a good sect master.¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say anything. He just looked at the grieving Zou Hao on the platform, his eyes flickering as he pondered about something. At night, in the main building of the Dao Seeking Sect. Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun sat at a round table that was ten feet wide. Beside them were Zou Hao and the elders of the Dao Seeking Sect. On the dining table that was big enough to roll on, there were only a dozen simple dishes. Most of them were something black that didn¡¯t look edible at all. ¡°Sword God, the disciples working in the kitchen left the mountain today. This is cooked by me and the elders. If you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± Zou Hao couldn¡¯t continue. The awkward expression on his face even made Huo Qiyun¡¯s heart ache. ¡°Sect Master Zou, you don¡¯t have to be so polite. Although the dishes don¡¯t look good¡­¡± Lin Ran chuckled, picked up his chopsticks, and put a piece of meat into his mouth. Then, he silently spat it out on the ground. ¡°We¡¯re not here to eat. Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Zou Hao nodded and waved his hand. Immediately, two elders stood up and shouted, ¡°Arise.¡± Then, they carried the table and ran out. There were only chairs left in the huge dining room. Lin Ran pinched his thigh to hold back his laughter as he took out a bamboo slip. ¡°This technique is called ¡®Sword Flight¡¯. Only Senior Martial Masters can cultivate it. However, after mastering it, you can travel 800 miles a day on the sword. Sect Master Zou, make sure your disciples can master it as soon as possible.¡± Zou Hao hurriedly knelt on the ground when he heard that. ¡°Sword God! I¡¯m already grateful that you gave me this chance! I can¡¯t take anything from you anymore!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is also to let them serve the Heavenly Saint Dynasty better!¡± Lin Ran chuckled and said, ¡°Although you¡¯re going to the battlefield, you¡¯re not enlisted soldiers after all, so the Heavenly Saint Dynasty won¡¯t provide you with anything. This sect will be your future base.¡± ¡°This place is very far from the border. With this technique, you can rush to the battlefield as soon as the battle starts. Otherwise, what¡¯s the use of having you?¡± Zou Hao kowtowed respectfully and took the bamboo slip with both hands. ¡°From today onwards, you are a special force of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty!¡± Lin Ran stood up and said in a deep voice, ¡°All of you have to cultivate on Tianjue Peak. If the war starts, you have to rush to the battlefield immediately. Don¡¯t delay for no reason!¡± ¡°Sword God, don¡¯t worry!¡± Zou Hao replied in a deep voice. He raised the bamboo slip with both hands as if he was holding an imperial edict. ¡°The sinners of Tianjue Peak will do their best to serve His Majesty!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ good. I should get going now!¡± As soon as Lin Ran finished speaking, he flashed out of the door. Caught off guard, Huo Qiyun got up and chased after him until he reached the entrance of the mountain. Only then did he see Lin Ran by the roadside. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you running so fast?¡± Huo Qiyun glared at Lin Ran. He was completely unprepared just now. He suddenly activated his internal energy and sped up, almost causing internal injuries. Lin Ran held his stomach helplessly. ¡°Do you think I want to? I¡¯ve been out for a day and I¡¯m already starving! If I don¡¯t leave now, how can I go on impersonating when my stomach rumbles?¡± As if afraid that Huo Qiyun wouldn¡¯t believe him, Lin Ran¡¯s stomach rumbled. Seeing this, Huo Qiyun could not say anything else. He looked around to determine the direction and suggested, ¡°This place is not far from the palace. If we move faster, we might be able to make it in time for dinner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and picked a fruit from the tree beside him. He took a bite and said, ¡°We have to rush to the next sect that participated in the rebellion as soon as possible.¡± Huo Qiyun frowned slightly. ¡°Although time is tight, it¡¯s not that tight, right?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I can only wear this mask for three days?¡± Lin Ran finished one fruit in a few bites and picked another one. His eyes flashed cunningly in the darkness. ¡°I just thought of a brilliant plan¡­¡± Chapter 91 - A Special Army Formed Huo Qiyun frowned at Lin Ran. ¡°For some reason, I don¡¯t think I will like your plan.¡± Lin Ran grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth. ¡°This means that your intuition is very accurate.¡± Huo Qiyun pointed at the fruit in Lin Ran¡¯s hand. ¡°This fruit is called Half-Saint Perish. As the name suggests, it¡¯s poisonous to martial artists below the Half-Saint realm.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s face turned pale. Although it couldn¡¯t be seen under the mask, his voice was already trembling. ¡°What poison?¡± A sly smile appeared on Huo Qiyun¡¯s childish face. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. It¡¯s not very poisonous. At most, it¡¯s gonna cause diarrhea.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier!¡± Lin Ran shouted and wanted to feed Huo Qiyun one, but before he could do it, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach! ¡­ An hour later. Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun flew straight towards the next sect that participated in King Zhao¡¯s rebellion. ¡°I want to take back what I said!¡± Huo Qiyun shouted loudly, his lips curled up in admiration. ¡°I quite like your plan!¡± Lin Ran glanced at Huo Qiyun, who was 100 feet away, and then at the Half-Saint Perish in his hand. ¡°Come here! I¡¯ll believe you if you come over!¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say anything and just raised his hand to cover his nose. Lin Ran was furious. He activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique and instantly appeared beside Huo Qiyun. He reached out and pushed the Half-Saint Perish into Huo Qiyun¡¯s mouth. ¡°One for each of us!¡± After saying that, Lin Ran disappeared in a flash, leaving only his hearty laughter in the night. For the next two days, Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun traveled day and night. Finally, before the mask began to lose its effect, they visited all the sects that had participated in King Zhao¡¯s rebellion. Among them, there was no lack of people like Zou Hao and the Dao Seeking disciples who were sincere in repenting. However, there were also people who fought back desperately after being forced into a corner. Lin Ran naturally didn¡¯t mind killing those who fought back. Huo Qiyun finally believed that Lin Ran was not bragging about being able to kill the rebels with one strike As for the sects that were sincerely repenting, Lin Ran recruited them. In just two days, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty had an additional force of 30,000 people. In the war between the two countries, 30,000 people was not a lot. Perhaps not many people would be left after the war, but if the average cultivation of these 30,000 people was that of a Senior Martial Master, it would be completely different. Most importantly, these 30,000 people were not part of the regular army of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. They didn¡¯t have a base or salary. Only Lin Ran¡¯s token, a small jade sword that carried the Half-Saint Sword Intent, could mobilize them. This meant that the Great Yong Dynasty had no way of knowing about this 30,000-strong army in advance. In addition, the high mobility provided by the ¡°Sword Flight¡± allowed them to appear anywhere at any time. For a battle that was originally evenly matched, these 30,000 people could almost be said to be the key to victory. In the subsequent war, this special force did shine on the battlefield. The empress was overjoyed. Not only did she issue a decree to pardon these sects who had participated in the rebellion, but she also personally named this special army the ¡°Royal Forest Army¡±! As for the meaning of this name, only Lin Ran, the empress, and a few others knew. Let¡¯s not talk about the future for now. When Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun arrived at a small town outside the capital, it was already the morning of the third day. This town was called Lotus Town and was dozens of kilometers away from the capital. The two of them were not in a hurry to travel, so they planned to rest in Lotus Town. Of course, there was another more important reason why they decided to stay, which was that the mask on Lin Ran¡¯s face was starting to lose its effect. Before dawn, the adhesive on the mask began to lose its effect. Parts of the mask began to fall off, making Lin Ran look terrifyingly ugly. Lin Ran had no choice but to wrap the entire head with a cloth. Then, the two of them found an inn in Lotus Town and prepared to take off the masks. Compared to wearing the mask, the process of removing the mask was much simpler. Huo Qiyun asked the waiter to get a basin of hot water. After soaking a towel in it, he slapped it on Lin Ran¡¯s face. ¡°Put it on for fifteen minutes. You can take it off when the mask softens.¡± Lin Ran nodded and said in a muffled voice, ¡°Be careful when you take it off. Don¡¯t peel off my eyebrows.¡± Huo Qiyun sneered and imitated Lin Ran¡¯s casual tone. ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lin Ran was speechless. Feeling bored, with a hot towel on his face, he fell asleep unknowingly. After a while, when Lin Ran opened his eyes again, Huo Qiyun was no longer in the room. The towel on his face was gone. He touched the corners of his eyes and forehead. There were no wrinkles, which meant that his mask had been removed. Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He slowly touched his eyes with trembling hands. After feeling the furry touch, he finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Fortunately, this kid knows what¡¯s good for him.¡± Lin Ran took a deep breath and muttered to himself. After confirming that his eyebrows were still there, he felt much better. Sitting up from the bed, Lin Ran saw a set of black clothes on the table. The sleeves and lapels were embroidered with silver patterns. The material and workmanship were ordinary, but it was still better than the old-fashioned Sword God outfit. Huo Qiyun had probably prepared this for him. ¡°This kid!¡± Lin Ran smiled and changed his clothes, preparing to go out to look for Huo Qiyun. As soon as he reached the stairs, he saw the waiter running up in a hurry. Lin Ran asked casually, ¡°Waiter, where¡¯s the guest who came with me?¡± When the waiter heard this, he stood still and looked up. Suddenly, a confused expression appeared on his face. ¡°Pardon me¡­ Who are you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even recognize me?¡± Lin Ran suddenly remembered that when he came in this morning, his entire face was covered in a cloth, revealing only his eyes. ¡°So it¡¯s you!¡± The waiter was excited, but then he panicked. ¡°Oh no! Go and take a look! The guest with you is about to be beaten to death!¡± Chapter 92 - Qi Deviation When he heard that Huo Qiyun was about to be beaten to death, Lin Ran¡¯s first reaction was that the waiter was joking with him. Huo Qiyun was at the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm and had a lot of combat experience. How could he almost be beaten to death in this small town in the middle of nowhere. However, on second thought, unless this waiter was courting death, he would not make such a joke. Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before deciding to take a look. He followed the waiter out of the inn. Not far away was a market. At this moment, the market was filled with people. Everyone tacitly formed a circle. It was obvious that there was something interesting to watch. The waiter brought Lin Ran to the periphery of the crowd and pointed inside anxiously. ¡°Hurry up and take a look! I saw blood just now!¡± ¡°Alright, you can go back now.¡± Then, Lin Ran stood on his tiptoes and saw an empty space ten steps wide in the middle of the crowd. A burly man with a fierce face stood in the middle. He was only wearing a waistcoat and was holding a heavy sword that was as wide as a palm and as tall as half a person. His exposed arms were muscular and he was cursing. The burly man didn¡¯t look like someone to be trifled with, but Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and knew that the burly man was a low-level martial artist. Not to mention beating Huo Qiyun to death, such a person was not even qualified to be beaten to death by Huo Qiyun. ¡°I knew the waiter was foolling me.¡± Lin Ran cursed under his breath and was about to go back when he suddenly heard a familiar voice from the crowd. ¡°You¡¯d better kill me now, or I¡¯ll make you wish you were dead!¡± This voice sounded weak and powerless. However, Lin Ran still noticed it because it was Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice! ¡°Excuse me! Excuse me!¡± Lin Ran shouted and squeezed into the crowd. Although he did not use his internal energy, his physical fitness at the Half-Saint realm was not something ordinary people could withstand. Many people were pushed to the floor and started cursing. Lin Ran didn¡¯t mind. He squeezed to the side of the empty space and saw Huo Qiyun lying on the ground. However, Huo Qiyun was in an awful state. Her black hair scattered around, and her childish face was covered in blood. There was a terrifying wound on his left shoulder, and if one looked carefully, they could even see the bones inside. His white clothes were inevitably stained with blood. However, even so, he still stared fixedly at the burly man with the huge sword. His face was bulging with muscles, and his eyes were filled with anger, as if the person in front of him was his sworn enemy. Lin Ran rubbed his eyes to make sure that he wasn¡¯t hallucinating. He quickly squeezed out of the crowd and came to Huo Qiyun¡¯s side. He didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he asked, ¡°Are you addicted to fighting? Can¡¯t you just not fight for a day?¡± ¡°I came out to buy something just now and saw him bullying the commoners. Of course I have to interfere!¡± Huo Qiyun was talking to Lin Ran, but his eyes were still fixed on the burly man. Lin Ran turned to look around. He realized that these people were all looking at Huo Qiyun worriedly. When they looked at the burly man with the huge sword, their eyes were filled with fear. Lin Ran reached out to help Huo Qiyun up, but just as he placed his hand on Huo Qiyun¡¯s body, his expression changed. ¡°Where¡¯s your internal energy? Where¡¯s your sword intent? Where did it go?¡± Huo Qiyun panted heavily and glared at Lin Ran. ¡°You still have the cheek to ask me this? It¡¯s all your fault! That sword technique you gave me is not right!¡± ¡°Not right? How come?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Huo Qiyun gritted his teeth and replied, ¡°I came out to buy something just now and saw him bullying the commoners, so I wanted to teach him a lesson. In the end, just as I activated the sword technique you gave me, my entire body was in pain. Then, I couldn¡¯t use any internal energy.¡± ¡°It must be a Qi deviation!¡± Lin Ran shrugged and said helplessly, ¡°I told you to memorize the sword technique first and then I¡¯ll teach you. Why did you start practicing it without my guidance? Look, now something happened to you!¡± Huo Qiyun was about to say something when the burly man with the huge sword suddenly shouted, ¡°Hey! Are you two done? This kid challenged me to a death duel. If you want to collect his corpse, wait for me to kill him!¡± ¡°Did you challenge someone to a death duel again?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately changed. Looking at Huo Qiyun¡¯s miserable appearance, he didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°You really have a problem that needs to be fixed.¡± Huo Qiyun rolled his eyes with difficulty. ¡°What do you know? It¡¯s illegal to kill someone without challenging him to a death duel.¡± ¡°Then good luck.¡± Lin Ran shrugged and stood up. ¡°According to the rules of the death duel, outsiders are not allowed to interfere during the duel. I can¡¯t help you even if I want to.¡± With that, Lin Ran retreated into the crowd with his arms crossed, looking like he was watching a show. When the burly man with the huge sword saw this, he could not help but reveal an ecstatic expression. Although he looked arrogant just now, his heart was pounding. When Lin Ran first stood up, he used his divine sense to test him and felt like he had fallen into a bottomless abyss. The rules of the death duel prevented outsiders from interfering during the duel, However, because of the ¡°good deeds¡± the burly man had done, if Lin Ran disregarded the rules and killed him, the villagers around would definitely not speak up for him. Therefore, when he saw Lin Ran retreat into the crowd, the burly man was overjoyed. On the other hand, Huo Qiyun was not so happy. Seeing that Lin Ran really didn¡¯t care about him, Huo Qiyun¡¯s heart sank. Although he usually bickered with Lin Ran, he knew very well that the only person who could save him now was Lin Ran! He watched as the burly man with the huge sword walked towards him with a sinister smile. Finally, Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Hey! We¡¯ve fought side by side before. Do you really want to see me die here?!¡± Lin Ran shrugged and put on a casual smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when you die, I¡¯ll avenge you.¡± Chapter 93 - Power of Intelligence Chapter 93: Power of Intelligence Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s words, Huo Qiyun¡¯s face turned pale. If not for the fact that he couldn¡¯t exert any strength now, he would definitely get up from the ground and slash Lin Ran¡¯s face with his sword! ¡°Just you wait! I won¡¯t let you off even if I become a ghost!¡± In the end, Huo Qiyun looked at the burly man with the huge sword and shouted fearlessly, ¡°Come on! I¡¯m not afraid of you!¡± After shouting, Huo Qiyun closed his eyes and prepared to die. However, nothing happened after a long time. When Huo Qiyun opened his eyes again, he realized that the burly man with the huge sword was already gone. The passersby who were watching the commotion had also left, leaving only Lin Ran standing there with his arms crossed and a sly smile on his face. ¡°What happened?¡± Huo Qiyun looked confused. ¡°Did you kill him?¡± Lin Ran shrugged. ¡°No, he ran away by himself.¡± ¡°He ran away? He could have killed me with one strike. Why¡­¡± Halfway through his sentence, Huo Qiyun suddenly realized something and looked at Lin Ran, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ¡°The rules of the death duel.¡± The only requirement of the death duel was that both parties had to fight fairly with witnesses present. However, there were actually three more rules. Firstly, if one was challenged to a death duel, one must accept it, and the two parties would fight to the death. Secondly, there was no time or place requirement for the duel, but both sides had to fight fairly with witnesses. Thirdly, during the duel, outsiders were not allowed to interfere. Otherwise, the rule-breaker would be despised by every fellow Daoist. Huo Qiyun challenged someone to a death duel, so according to the rules, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help him, but if Huo Qiyun died, Lin Ran could do whatever he wanted. Therefore, if the burly man wanted to live, he could not kill Huo Qiyun. Not only could he not kill him, but he also wanted Huo Qiyun to live a long life. Because once Huo Qiyun died, that unfathomable figure would immediately come to kill him. This was what the burly man thought before he scurried away. As for whether Huo Qiyun would come to kill him after he recovered his cultivation, he couldn¡¯t bother to think about it. After all, people like him had many enemies. In Lotus Town alone, Huo Qiyun had at least a dozen enemies. At the moment. After figuring it out, Huo Qiyun immediately felt deeply frustrated Seeing how down Huo Qiyun was, Lin Ran chuckled and patted him on the head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. The good thing is that your brain isn¡¯t injured. As for this injury¡­ Forget it. Let¡¯s heal your Qi Deviation first.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Can my Qi Deviation be healed?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Lin Ran pointed in the direction of Mount Sword. ¡°Back then, I was cultivating all alone and figured everything out on my own. Of course, I¡¯m a little smarter than you, so I wasn¡¯t as seriously injured as you are. But from my experience, it¡¯s not a big problem.¡± Although Huo Qiyun felt Lin Ran¡¯s words were intended as an insult, he still looked at him and said seriously, ¡°Thank you.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and helped him up. Huo Qiyun said, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to ridicule you less in the future.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡­ The two of them returned to the inn. Lin Ran started treating Huo Qiyun¡¯s external injuries. Huo Qiyun was already thin. After taking off his coat, the wound on his thin body looked even more terrifying, as if his entire shoulder was about to be cut off. As Lin Ran cleaned the wound, he clicked his tongue and said, ¡°You really should eat more. With your small body, you won¡¯t even be enough for me to eat.¡± Huo Qiyun gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes. ¡°Ordinary food will cause the martial artist¡¯s internal energy to fluctuate abnormally. I¡¯ve never understood why your cultivation is still so high when you eat so much junk food every day.¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯m talented?¡± Lin Ran chuckled. As he spoke, he applied medicine to Huo Qiyun¡¯s wound and wrapped it carefully with gauze. ¡°Done!¡± Lin Ran dusted off the medicinal powder in his hand and looked at Huo Qiyun. ¡°Seriously, you really have to change your habit of challenging people to a death duel. If I had woken up later today, I would have to bury you.¡± ¡°When I challenged someone to a death duel in the past, I was always more than 70% confident in winning¡­¡± Huo Qiyun replied awkwardly in a low voice. Suddenly, he saw Lin Ran look at him with a serious gaze. ¡°What is it?¡± Lin Ran asked, ¡°How do you challenge someone to a death duel?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Huo Qiyun blinked. Realizing that Lin Ran was serious, his expression changed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what death duel is?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lin Ran was speechless because he really didn¡¯t know what the death duel was. He had only heard the empress mention it once, and that was when he learned about the rules of the death duel. ¡°Tell me what death duel is.¡± Huo Qiyun glanced at Lin Ran and explained, ¡°Death duel is a sword intent both parties left in each other¡¯s bodies.¡± ¡°As long as the sword intent doesn¡¯t disappear, no matter where you go, you will be found by the other party. That¡¯s why the death duel has a rule of no specific time and place required.¡± Lin Ran nodded in understanding. He suddenly thought that if he challenged the demon to a death duel, would he be able to find the demon easily? However, on second thought, Lin Ran gave up on this bad idea. In order to challenge someone to a death duel, both parties had to be present. Since they were already meeting in person, why was there a need for a death duel? After putting this matter to the back of his mind, Lin Ran took out the sword technique he had written down. ¡°The external injuries have been treated. Now, let¡¯s see if you are suffering from Qi Deviation. Where did you start to feel that something was wrong?¡± ¡°From the third sentence ¡®With a long whistle, you lean on your lonely sword and look at your heart¡¯.¡± Huo Qiyun replied without thinking. It was obvious that he had already memorized this sword technique. ¡°I think this means that you should hold your sword on your back and let out a long whistle to activate your internal energy, then use your divine sense to encompass everything in sight¡­ It¡¯s a move to be vigilant before the battle begins.¡± Lin Ran pinched the space between his eyebrows. ¡°Yes¡­ From what you said, I roughly know what the problem is.¡± Chapter 94 - Brat Transformation Plan Chapter 94: Brat Transformation Plan Seeing that Lin Ran had an idea so quickly, Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but look surprised. ¡°Is that true? I¡¯m already suffering from Qi Deviation because of your lousy sword technique. If you lie to me, I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡± ¡°Save it. You can¡¯t even beat a hooligan. What¡¯s the point of fighting me?¡± Lin Ran teased. Huo Qiyun¡¯s face turned red and he stopped talking. After a few seconds, Lin Ran said seriously, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the sword technique. There¡¯s a problem with your comprehension of it. If you activate your internal energy in the wrong way, your meridians won¡¯t be able to withstand it.¡± Huo Qiyun thought for a moment and knew that Lin Ran was right, but he still asked, ¡°Is my comprehension really wrong?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be considered wrong. It¡¯s just that your comprehension of it is not complete¡­¡± Lin Ran deliberately paused. After Huo Qiyun revealed a proud expression, he continued in all seriousness, ¡°Well, it¡¯s more like it¡¯s absurd.¡± The light in Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes extinguished. Not only that, but he surprisingly didn¡¯t talk back. Lin Ran knew very well that this kid was probably feeling down again, but there was nothing he could do about it. Huo Qiyun had fallen to this state because he was too confident. When he handed the sword technique to Huo Qiyun, Lin Ran had said very seriously that he would teach Huo Qiyun after he fully committed the technique to memory. But what happened in the end? Huo Qiyun was quite hardworking. Almost every now and then, he would take out the sword technique and flip through it. Then, before he was ready, he started to rashly use the sword technique left behind by the Ten Miles Sword God. No matter how smart a primary school student was, he would still scratch his head when he saw calculus. However, Huo Qiyun did not scratch his head. Not only did he not scratch his head, but he even started to answer the questions confidently. It would be strange if he could get the answer right! Therefore, compared to Huo Qiyun¡¯s injuries, the most important thing now was to crush his overly arrogant confidence. Whether it was mocking him or not, it was all Lin Ran¡¯s way of teaching him. When Huo Qiyun began to understand his good intentions, it was already a long time later. At the moment. After making Huo Qiyun feel down for a while, Lin Ran asked, ¡°Do you know what you did wrong?¡± Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s lecturing tone, Huo Qiyun was instinctively displeased. He pursed his lips and said angrily, ¡°I know. Didn¡¯t you say it already? My comprehension of the sword technique is absurd!¡± ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t realized your mistake yet.¡± Lin Ran sighed in disappointment and stood up to walk to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you later. If you realize your mistake, I¡¯ll help you solve the problem of Qi Deviation. If you still don¡¯t know, don¡¯t come with me next time¡­ You have fifteen minutes!¡± ¡°No! I still want¡­¡± Huo Qiyun hurriedly said, but before he could finish speaking, Lin Ran disappeared from the door. ¡°WHat an annoying guy! Isn¡¯t your cultivation just a little higher than me? What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Huo Qiyun cursed angrily, but after cursing, he patted his face to calm himself down and began to think about what he had done wrong. At the same time, downstairs. Lin Ran ordered a pot of tea and a few snacks and asked the waiter for a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Then, he sat at a table in the corner and began to copy down the Martial Arts Technique. The name ¡°Martial Arts Technique¡± sounded grand, but it was not a shocking cultivation technique. It could not even be considered a cultivation technique. It could only be considered a ¡°science book¡± about martial arts. Interestingly, there was a chapter in the Martial Arts Technique that was dedicated to explaining how ordinary people could sense the power of heaven and earth. Therefore, many masters in the world were enlightened by the Martial Arts Technique when they were young. Because of Qi Deviation, Huo Qiyun was unable to activate his internal energy. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. If he could comprehend the path of Martial Dao from the beginning, it would be faster and safer to solve the problem. As for the Martial Arts Technique that Lin Ran was copying, he had obtained it when he was wiping the Dragon Roar Sword in the Dao Seeking Sect. The Dao Seeking Sect was not a special location, and it was not the first time Lin Ran had wiped the Dragon Roar Sword. Therefore, before Lin Ran wiped it, he knew that the system would not give him anything good. However, he did not expect the system to give him such a book. However, the Martial Arts Technique given by the system was very different from the version that was circulated on the market. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know which version was the orthodox version, but he could clearly tell that the Martial Arts Technique given by the system was more profound. Even so, it was useless to him as a Half-Saint. Therefore, he did not take this reward seriously. He did not expect it would come in handy now. Lin Ran did not copy down the entire Martial Arts Technique. He only copied down the passages on how to sense the world. After finishing, it was almost time. Lin Ran was about to go upstairs when he turned around and saw Huo Qiyun standing on the stairs. At this moment, Huo Qiyun was bare-chested, and his ribs could be seen clearly. His shoulder was wrapped in thick gauze. Even from nearly ten steps away, Lin Ran could smell the medicinal powder and blood on him. ¡°Why did you come down?¡± Lin Ran was a little puzzled. He had said that he would be back in fifteen minutes. Was Huo Qiyun afraid that he would run away? Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say anything and just lowered his head to bite his lip. However, because he was standing at a high place, Lin Ran could still see the conflict in his eyes. Lin Ran was about to ask again when Huo Qiyun suddenly said, ¡°I was wrong for being too eager to succeed!¡± Lin Ran was speechless. Actually, Huo Qiyun¡¯s fundamental problem was his blind confidence. However, his answer was not strictly wrong. Most importantly, from Huo Qiyun¡¯s heavy tone, Lin Ran knew that he had indeed reflected on himself deeply. Rome was not built in a day, and teeth could not be knocked out with a slap. As long as Huo Qiyun started to ¡°reflect¡± on himself, it meant that he had begun to change. ¡°The first step of the brat transformation plan is completed!¡± Lin Ran made a tick on the plan in his mind and nodded in approval. ¡°At least you have some comprehension ability¡­ Take it!¡± WIth that, Lin Ran waved his hand, and the piece of paper was sent flying by a wisp of sword energy. Huo Qiyun caught it and looked at it. ¡°This is¡­ Martial Arts Technique? No, some parts are different. What is this?¡± ¡°Martial Arts Technique¡­¡± Lin Ran dragged out the word and put on a casual smile. ¡°New edition.¡± Huo Qiyun made a speechless expression, then looked away and muttered almost inaudibly, ¡°Can you tell me about this ¡®new edition¡¯?¡± Lin Ran smiled. ¡°The second step of the brat transformation plan is completed!¡± Chapter 95 - Courting Death Chapter 95: Courting Death The two of them returned to the room. Lin Ran spent the time it took to burn an incense stick to explain the method to comprehend the power of heaven and earth. After hearing this, Huo Qiyun also gained many insights. One of the greatest insights was that he had wasted plenty of time. ¡°Next time, just tell me it¡¯s the same as the original book!¡± Huo Qiyun looked at Lin Ran and gritted his teeth. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he couldn¡¯t beat Lin Ran up, he would have done it! ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. You made me explain it to you!¡± Lin Ran shrugged. Then, his expression turned serious as he said, ¡°Alright, try it now. Forget all the sword techniques and cultivation techniques you¡¯ve learned before. You¡¯re now a blank piece of paper. Use your purest state to feel the majestic power of heaven and earth!¡± Huo Qiyun felt goosebumps all over his body, but he still sat cross-legged as instructed and started focusing his mind. If it was an ordinary person who had never cultivated before, just the process of comprehending it would take at least three days or at most a few years. Many people did not become martial artists in the end because they were impatient at this stage. However, Huo Qiyun was a genius after all and had been cultivating for decades, so he quickly found that unattainable state. Sensing the change in Huo Qiyun, Lin Ran pursed his lips and chuckled. He quietly retracted his divine sense. What he had to do next was to wait. Through re-cultivating, Huo Qiyun could allow his internal energy to sort out the meridians that had been messed up by Qi Deviation. As for how long Lin Ran had to wait, it would depend on the person. Huo Qiyun was very smart at that time. After realizing that something was wrong, he didn¡¯t continue to forcefully activate his internal energy, so Qi Deviation didn¡¯t impact him too much. According to Lin Ran¡¯s estimation, Huo Qiyun would recover in a few days at most. Lying on the hard wooden bed in the inn, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but miss the carved bed in the palace. ¡°It¡¯s all this kid¡¯s fault for messing around. Otherwise, we would be in the palace now!¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. Seeing that Huo Qiyun was still in a meditative state, he prepared to sleep. However, just as he closed his eyes, he felt a powerful aura approaching! Although it was powerful, it was actually only at the sixth level of the Martial Master Realm. However, in a small place like Lotus Town, this realm was already invincible. People at this level would either join the army or be recruited by the important ministers to guard their house. Why would they stay in a small place like this? After sensing it closely, Lin Ran¡¯s interest was piqued. There was a group of five people. The one in the lead was a sixth level Martial Master, and the other four were all mediocre martial artists. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to care about them. However, what really interested Lin Ran was that after these people approached from afar, they stopped at the entrance of the inn. Soon, a commotion came from downstairs. Lin Ran looked at Huo Qiyun, who was still in a meditative state. He waved his sword and formed an impenetrable cage of sword energy, sealing Huo Qiyun inside and isolating him from the outside world. If Huo Qiyu was disturbed by the outside world and injured by Qi Deviation again, it wouldn¡¯t be something that could be resolved by re-cultivating. After making the arrangements, Lin Ran sheathed his sword and prepared to go out to watch the show. However, as soon as he opened the door, he saw the waiter running over anxiously. Seeing Lin Ran, the waiter hurriedly shouted from afar, ¡°Sir! Sir, something bad has happened!¡± Seeing this, Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He raised his hand and gestured for the waiter to keep quiet. He asked softly with a faint smile, ¡°Let me guess. Are the people outside looking for me?¡± The waiter was stunned for a moment, and Lin Ran knew that he had guessed correctly. He silently activated the Mystic Sword Technique and arrived downstairs in a flash. The door of the inn was already blocked. Strangely, no one came to watch the commotion this time. Not only was there no one on the road outside, but even the waiter hid on the second floor and did not dare to come down. But seeing their attire, Lin Ran understood. The burly man with the huge sword was shouting outside the door. Behind him were a few martial artists. The sixth level Martial Master stood in the middle of the crowd. He was a young man in his twenties. He was wearing a red robe and a black crown. There was a slender sword hanging from his waist. He stood there with his chin raised and a face that wrote ¡°I¡¯m arrogant.¡± The Heavenly Saint Dynasty had very strict rules regarding clothes. For example, gold and purple could only be used by the emperor¡¯s family. If ordinary families had golden patterns on their clothes, they could be executed on the streets. This sixth level Martial Master was wearing a red private suit. He was either a second-grade official or the top martial artist of the martial arts examination. No matter what, there would not be such a young second-grand official in the imperial court. Therefore, the identity of this red-robed man was obvious. ¡°Martial arts is really prospering day by day¡­¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°If I had such an opponent back then, I wouldn¡¯t have been where I am today!¡± At this moment, the burly man with the huge sword also saw Lin Ran. His face turned pale, and his words were stuck in his throat. He took a few steps back and almost tripped over the threshold in his panic. Seeing that he was embarrassing himself, the red-robed man couldn¡¯t help but snort coldly. ¡°Big Brother, can¡¯t you be more steady? Why are you so panicked?!¡± Although the burly man was called ¡°Big Brother¡±, he did not look like a big brother at all. He turned around and hid behind the red-robed man. Half of his iron tower-like figure was exposed. He pointed at Lin Ran and said in a trembling voice, ¡°He, he, he, he¡¯s the master I told you about!¡± Hearing this, the red-robed man finally turned to look at Lin Ran. At this moment, Lin Ran roughly understood what was going on. It was boring here anyway, so he didn¡¯t mind having some fun with them. With a thought, he suppressed his realm to an extremely low level. The red-robed man narrowed his eyes. ¡°Hmph! He¡¯s just a second level Martial Master. Look at how scared you are!¡± ¡°Second level Martial Master?¡± The burly man with the huge sword was stunned. He boldly stuck his head out and carefully checked Lin Ran¡¯s realm. Then, he looked confused. ¡°That¡¯s not right. When I sensed him before, he clearly¡­¡± ¡°Clearly what?¡± The red-robed man glared at him and reprimanded him mercilessly, ¡°I told you to cultivate well, but you refused to listen. It¡¯s fine if your cultivation level can¡¯t compare to mine, but now, even a second level Martial Master scares the wit out of you. You¡¯re simply embarrassing our Hong family!¡± The burly man was scolded, but he only lowered his head and did not dare to retort. The red-robed man snorted and looked at Lin Ran with his chin held high. ¡°You! Get over here!¡± Chapter 96 - Teasing Two Brothers Chapter 96: Teasing Two Brothers Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Looking at the arrogant red-robed man, God knew how much willpower Lin Ran needed to hold back his laughter. However, not only did he hold back, but he also immediately bowed and rubbed his hands. He ran to the red-robed man in small steps and smiled obsequiously. ¡°My lord, what can I do for you?¡± Seeing how humble Lin Ran was, the red-robed man¡¯s face was filled with arrogance. ¡°You called me ¡®Lord¡¯. Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying!¡± Lin Ran chuckled. ¡°In the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, those who can wear red robes are either second-grade officials or the top martial artist of the martial arts examination.¡± ¡°Not bad, at least you are not stupid!¡± The red-robed man nodded in satisfaction. He raised his thumb and pointed at the burly man behind him. ¡°My brother was challenged to a death duel by your friend. Do you know about this?¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± Chapter 97 - A Crisis of Trust Chapter 97: A Crisis of Trust ¡°Ouch¡­¡± After a series of cries, the group of hooligans were knocked back down again. The newly made red robe was turned into totters, but the young man did not feel bad about it at all because he had always fallen into unconsciousness. ¡°Aiya¡­ How did this happen?¡± Lin Ran looked serious and puzzled. In fact, in order to hold back his laughter, he was biting his lip so hard that it was bleeding. The burly man stood at the door, looking like he was about to cry. Because of the previous lesson, when his brother went to get the sword, he focused almost all his attention on Lin Ran. However, he still did not find any internal energy fluctuations. ¡°Could it be that my brother is really not strong enough? But if that¡¯s the case, why is that person fine with it? No! He must be a master!¡± The burly man thought to himself. His brain, which had not been used for a long time, finally lit up. At this moment, the burly man suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if a cold viper was crawling up on him. He turned around and saw Lin Ran staring at him with shining eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t¡­ you give it a try?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s voice resembled that of a demon¡¯s. The burly man¡¯s face turned pale. He grabbed his brother on the ground and ran away without looking back. ¡°Tsk! How boring. I thought I could play for a while longer!¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes in boredom and put away the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. After some thought, he took out an ingot of ten taels of silver and called out, ¡°Waiter!¡± ¡°Sir, what can I do for you?¡± The waiter shouted from upstairs. When he realized that the group of troublemakers had left, he went downstairs step by step. Lin Ran threw the silver ingot over and instructed, ¡°Close this inn. I¡¯ll book it for three days.¡± This inn could only earn 20 to 30 taels a year. Ten taels for three days was a good deal, so the waiter agreed happily. Lin Ran flashed back upstairs and was wondering if he should sleep or go out for a walk. However, when he pushed open the door, his mind went blank! Huo Qiyun lay paralyzed in the sword energy cage. His face was ashen and he was foaming at the mouth. His body even twitched from time to time. It was obvious that he was suffocating. ¡°Oh no! I forgot to leave a gap!¡± Lin Ran slapped his forehead. Before he went downstairs, he was worried that Huo Qiyun would be disturbed by the outside world, so he used the sword energy cage to isolate him. However, this sword energy cage not only isolated the outside world, but also the air. With a wave of his hand, Lin Ran dispersed the sword energy cage and quickly helped Huo Qiyun up from the ground. He asked anxiously, ¡°Qiyun? Huo? Huo?¡± After shouting a few times, there was no response. Lin Ran looked at Huo Qiyun¡¯s lips, which were tightly pressed together and covered in foam, and thought to himself, ¡°Is he really going to die?¡± Just as Lin Ran was about to give him first aid, Huo Qiyun finally opened his eyes. ¡°Hey! You are dead yet. How are you? Are you feeling well?¡± When Lin Ran was overjoyed! He had never been so happy in his life! Huo Qiyun wiped his mouth and nodded. Then, an aura of the ninth level of senior Martial Master Realm rippled out. Although it was weak, it was filled with a strong killing intent. Lin Ran knew why, so he wasn¡¯t surprised. He reached out and took the Sword Technique that he had written down. ¡°Keep it well. Although you¡¯ve memorized it, you still need it when I teach you.¡± Huo Qiyun glanced at the sword technique and unsheathed the sword in his hand. In an instant, a storm of sword energy tore the sword technique into pieces. Lin Ran¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± Huo Qiyun said coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you saw this sword technique in a cave on Mount Sword? Bring me there. I want to see the one written by Grandpa Sword God with my own eyes!¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he hesitated. It was not that he believed there was anything wrong with the sword technique he copied, but the skeleton of the Ten Miles Sword God was buried at the entrance of the cave in a very rashed manner. If Huo Qiyun saw it, he would definitely fight him to the death! Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t know about this. Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s hesitation, he immediately said, ¡°I knew you copied it wrongly. Otherwise, why didn¡¯t you dare to bring me there?!¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s not wrong! I¡¯ve been in that cave for three years. I memorized it like the back of my hand.¡± Lin Ran nodded after a moment of hesitation. ¡°If you really want to go, you have to wait for me here for half a day. It¡¯s too messy there, so I have to go back and clean it up.¡± Huo Qiyun wanted to refuse, but on second thought, if Lin Ran wanted to take the opportunity to go back and modify the sword technique on the wall, with his understanding of the Ten Miles Sword God, he would definitely find the flaw immediately. Although Lin Ran was not a good person, he was not a jerk to the point of modifying the sword technique left behind by the Ten Miles Sword God. Thinking of this, Huo Qiyun finally nodded. ¡°Sure, but this place is not far from Mount Sword. With your speed and the time you took to pack up, an incense stick of time is enough!¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t expect Huo Qiyun to recover so quickly. His heart couldn¡¯t help but ache for the three days¡¯ worth of money he had just given to the waiter. After asking Huo Qiyun to set off in two hours, Lin Ran went downstairs. First, he rushed all the way to the outskirts of the town. Then, he rode his sword and flew straight to Mount Sword! In just a few minutes, the towering mountain of swords appeared in Lin Ran¡¯s sight. The tall mountain peaks were like swords shooting out from the ground, and the divine weapons were shining with cold light. Speaking of which, this was the first time Lin Ran saw Mount Sword from this angle. He couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by this powerful aura. He did not notice that after he passed through the mountain-protecting array, the dragon pattern gem on the hilt of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar and the seven gems on the scabbard began to flicker with a demonic red light as if they were responding to something¡­ Chapter 98 - Revisiting Mount Sword Chapter 98: Revisiting Mount Sword Lin Ran was already very familiar with the peaks of Mount Sword. He recognized the one where the cave was at a glance and flew over on his sword. After landing, he looked at the narrow cave entrance in the cliff and felt the pure sword intent in the air that had yet to dissipate. Although he had only been away for more than ten days, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel nostalgic. Then, Lin Ran walked to the side of the cave and passed through a curtain made of ancient vines. In front of him was a gentle slope. On the flat hill, there was a small mound piled up with gravel. The skeleton of the Ten Miles Sword God was buried below. On the mountain wall, the words ¡°Ten Miles Sword God¡¯s Resting Place¡± were carved with sword marks. It was as if the entire main peak of Mount Sword was the tombstone of the Ten Miles Sword God! After sighing for a while, Lin Ran took out three dead branches from the bushes. As the fire-elemental sword energy swept past, green smoke rose from the dead branches. Lin Ran knelt in front of the mound and inserted three dead branches into the ground. He pressed his palms together and bowed. ¡°Sword God, I really don¡¯t mean to disturb you. It¡¯s your prospective disciple who insisted on coming over to see the sword technique you left behind. I couldn¡¯t talk him out of it no matter what.¡± ¡°But¡­ when he came over and saw how shabby the tomb was, of course, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Back then, my cultivation wasn¡¯t high, and the stones on Mount Sword were too difficult to dig. If he saw it, he would definitely fight me to the death, so¡­¡± At this point, Lin Ran raised his head slightly and stared at the tombstone in front of him. He asked tentatively, ¡°Can I move you to somewhere else? If you don¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll take it that you agree!¡± After waiting for a few seconds and confirming that there was no movement on the pile of stones, Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. He removed the stones and began to dig up the skeleton of the Ten Miles Sword God. Time passed second by second. The agreed time was almost up. Lin Ran had to speed up. There were more and more stones around him, but there was still no sign of the skeleton in the pit. Lin Ran began to feel that something was wrong. The stones on Mount Sword were abnormally hard. Back then, when he buried the Ten Mile Sword God, he was only at the Grandmaster Realm. He only dug for half a meter before he almost exhausted all his strength. The stone pit in front of him had already been dug for nearly a meter, but the skeleton was still nowhere to be seen. ¡°Could it be that Sword God found the pit I dug too small and expanded it himself?¡± Lin Ran muttered to himself. After saying that, he realized how disrespectful he was and hurriedly put his palms together and bowed to the sky. If Sword God didn¡¯t expand the pit, then Lin Ran must have remembered the location wrongly. However, there was only a gentle slope near the entrance of the cave, and the inscription he had personally carved was still at the side. It was impossible for him to remember it wrongly, right? Otherwise, that would be too brainless! After thinking for a long time, Lin Ran could only bite the bullet and continue digging. At this moment, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t care less about the agreed time. His mind was filled with one thing: Where was Sword God¡¯s remains? After an unknown period of time. The stone pit was big enough for Lin Ran to crawl into, but the bottom was still filled with rubble. ¡°That¡¯s weird!¡± This time, Lin Ran was anxious. He gritted his teeth and rolled up his sleeves. Just as he was about to dig again, he suddenly heard a voice behind him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lin Ran froze because he recognized that it was Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice. He looked up and saw Huo Qiyun standing by the pit with a frown. Beside him was a middle-aged man wearing the clothes of a mountain guardian. He must have been sent to take over the position after Lin Ran entered the palace. The two of them looked at each other as if they were looking at an alien. Lin Ran rolled his eyes and pretended to be calm as he stretched. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just realized that there¡¯s a pit here, so I wanted to dig it up and see if there are any treasures.¡± Huo Qiyun cursed under his breath and pulled Lin Ran out of the pit. The middle-aged man at the side cupped his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯m Wang Kailin, the guardian of Mount Sword. May I ask who you are and when you entered Mount Sword?¡± Wang Kailin¡¯s tone was polite, but his eyes were filled with vigilance. It was obvious that he thought Lin Ran was up to no good. Lin Ran quickly explained, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous. I¡¯m Lin Ran, the commander of the imperial guards in the palace and the former guardian of Mount Sword!¡± When he heard the word ¡°Lin Ran¡±, the vigilance in Wang Kailin¡¯s eyes dissipated. After Lin Ran finished speaking, he immediately cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°So it¡¯s Commander Lin. It¡¯s an honor to meet you!¡± After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Ran pointed at the deep pit on the ground and probed, ¡°Guardian Wang, you¡¯re guarding Mount Sword now. Do you know if anyone has been here?¡± Wang Kailin looked troubled when he heard this. ¡°To be honest, my cultivation level is low. If not for this young man protecting me today, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t have been able to reach the depths of Mount Sword, so¡­¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Lin Ran nodded helplessly. He unsheathed the Dragon Roar Sword and weaved it to create a sword energy barrier around Wang Kailin. ¡°This sword energy will protect you. My friend and I will walk around here. You can go back first.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Wang Kailin bowed and turned to leave. Lin Ran turned around and saw Huo Qiyun looking at the ¡°gravestone¡± he had carved. ¡°How¡¯s it?¡± Lin Ran introduced matter-of-factly, ¡°My design concept is to turn the entire main peak into Sword God¡¯s tombstone. Isn¡¯t the idea very grand?¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say anything. He was silent for a long time with a sad expression before looking at Lin Ran and asking, ¡°Where did you bury Grandpa Sword God? I want to pay my respects.¡± ¡°You can pay your respects here. Sword God is buried in this mountain.¡± Lin Ran replied with a forced smile. Although he hadn¡¯t dug up Sword God¡¯s skeleton yet, no matter how deep this stone pit was, it couldn¡¯t run through the entire main peak, right? Perhaps because he was too sad, Huo Qiyun did not notice Lin Ran¡¯s abnormality. After paying his respects to the ¡°gravestone¡±, Huo Qiyun rubbed the corners of his eyes and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Take me to see the sword technique left behind by Grandpa Sword God!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Lin Ran agreed and couldn¡¯t wait to leave. After passing through the ancient vine curtain again, the two of them went into the cave. ¡°This is the place where Sword God went into seclusion back then. Do you see the sword marks on the wall? These were left behind by Sword God! Back then, I cultivated here for a long time. If you¡¯re interested, you can also cultivate here later!¡± ¡°Actually, there is also a lot to learn from the sword marks outside. If you look carefully, you will discover that the direction of the sword marks is actually pointing to the location of this secret cave¡­ I discovered it myself back then! Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± Lin Ran held the Ten Miles Dragon Roar in his hand and activated the fire attribute sword energy to illuminate the area. As he walked, he introduced the cave along the way like a tour guide. ¡°Next, we¡¯re going to visit the stone room that Sword God used to cultivate in seclusion¡­ Wait! Where¡¯s the stone room? Where¡¯s the big stone room?!¡± Lin Ran opened his eyes wide, as if he had seen something unbelievable. The spacious stone room had disappeared without a trace. At the end of the cave passage was nothing but a thick stone wall. Chapter 99 - Secret Passage Without Entrance and Exit Chapter 99: Secret Passage Without Entrance and Exit Although many years had passed, Lin Ran still remembered the route clearly. After entering from the entrance of the cave on the mountain wall and taking 174 steps, he would pass through a narrow crack and see the stone room where the Ten Miles Sword God was in seclusion back then. But now, after taking 174 steps, there was only a wall in front of them! ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did Grandpa Sword God sit against the wall in seclusion back then?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice came from behind. Lin Ran didn¡¯t turn around, but he knew that Huo Qiyun had a suspicious expression on his face. ¡°Wait a minute. Something¡¯s wrong.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he pressed his hand on the stone wall and sent his divine sense into it. However, within a hundred meters radius, he sensed nothing but hard rocks. ¡°I think I took the wrong way¡­¡± Lin Ran replied awkwardly. Although he felt that it was impossible, it was the only explanation for the disappearance of the stone room and the Sword God¡¯s remains outside. ¡°Wrong way?¡± Huo Qiyun sneered and turned around to walk in the direction of the cave entrance. After walking back for more than a hundred steps, the two of them were dumbfounded. The cave entrance from which they came in had disappeared. Instead, there was another stone wall. Huo Qiyun was furious. He turned around and glared at Lin Ran. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What trick are you playing?¡± ¡°Are you stupid? Why would I play tricks to trap myself here?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and walked past Huo Qiyun. He pressed his hand against the stone wall. After sensing carefully for a moment, his face turned pale. ¡°This is strange!¡± Huo Qiyun suddenly grabbed Lin Ran¡¯s shoulder and turned his body towards him. Suspicion was written all over his childish face. ¡°Are you lying to me? No wonder you wanted me to wait for half a day at first. It was because¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Lin Ran suddenly shouted, and the aura of a Half-Saint erupted! Huo Qiyun was caught off guard and sent flying by this aura. The blood in his chest surged, and he spat out a mouthful of blood! Seeing Huo Qiyun¡¯s pale face, Lin Ran calmed down a little. He quickly retracted his aura and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my mind is in a mess now. Don¡¯t disturb me. Let me think about it carefully.¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say anything. He just held his chest and looked at Lin Ran, his eyes flickering as if he was in a deep thought. The fire-elemental sword energy dissipated, and the two of them were instantly swallowed by the darkness. In the endless silence, the atmosphere became subtle. Lin Ran knew that Huo Qiyun¡¯s suspicion of him had reached an unprecedented level, but his mind was filled with messy thoughts. First, the remains of Sword God had disappeared, and now it was this stone room. Could it be that everything he had experienced here was an illusion caused by the killing intent in the sword mark? No, that was impossible. The half Dragon Roar Sword that Lin Ran found in the stone room was at his waist. The black and white Yin-Yang Sword was still lying quietly in the Divine Sword Technique Manual, along with the Ten Mile Sword God¡¯s letter, sword technique, and the remaining internal energy of Sword God. These were all things that Lin Ran had obtained. If that experience was an illusion, where did these things come from? ¡°No, something must be wrong¡­¡± Lin Ran frowned and fell into deep thought. He subconsciously held the hilt of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar with his left hand. ¡°Wait!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression suddenly changed slightly. At this moment, he did not activate his sword intent, but when he held the sword hilt, he could clearly feel that the Ten Miles Dragon Roar was vibrating at an almost unnoticeable frequency! ¡°Huo.¡± Lin Ran shouted, and the fire attribute sword energy lit up again. He saw Huo Qiyun squatting 30 steps away from him, holding the hilt of his sword and staring at him warily. ¡°What?¡± Huo Qiyun asked with obvious suspicion in his voice. Lin Ran was speechless, but he was in no mood to care. He paused for a moment and hurriedly asked, ¡°Feel your sword carefully. Is there anything unusual about it? For example¡­ vibration?¡± Huo Qiyun was silent for a few seconds before saying, ¡°No!¡± ¡°Is that really the case?¡± Lin Ran was overjoyed. He vaguely felt that he had grasped something important, but he still needed to confirm it. With a thought, the mahogany sword appeared in his hand. ¡°No.¡± Lin Ran muttered. With a flash of white light in his hand, the mahogany sword turned into a black and white Yin-Yang sword. ¡°Still nothing.¡± The Yin Yang Sword turned into the Blue Mountain Sword, the Blue Mountain Sword turned into the Golden Astral Sword, followed by the Wood Spirit Sword, the Great Abyss Sword, the Fire Phoenix Sword¡­ Huo Qiyun squatted 30 steps away and watched as Lin Ran conjured divine swords out of nowhere in shock. Finally, after the eighth divine sword disappeared, no new divine sword appeared in Lin Ran¡¯s hand. Almost at the same time, Lin Ran slapped his thigh and said excitedly, ¡°I understand it now!¡± His voice was filled with endless excitement. Huo Qiyun was shocked and rolled his eyes at Lin Ran. ¡°If you have something to say, say it. Why are you shouting?¡± Lin Ran was not angry at all. He quickly untied the Ten Miles Dragon Roar from his waist and handed the hilt to Huo Qiyun, indicating for him to hold it. Huo Qiyun looked suspicious. ¡°What tricks are you up to now?¡± ¡°Cut the crap! If you want to see the sword technique, hurry up!¡± Lin Ran urged. Huo Qiyun hesitated for a few seconds before reaching out to grab the hilt. Almost at the same time, he felt the hilt vibrate slightly. Huo Qiyun held his sword hilt again. After a moment of silence, he shook his head. ¡°Still nothing¡­ What¡¯s going on? Is it a coincidence?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Lin Ran shook his head with an unconcealable smile on his face. He was so excited that it was as if he had won the lottery. ¡°Including your sword, I¡¯ve tested a total of ten swords, but only the Ten Miles Dragon Roar vibrates. This can¡¯t be a coincidence!¡± Huo Qiyun thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°That makes sense, but what does that mean?¡± ¡°This means that the phenomenon we encountered here must be related to the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. I¡¯ve never seen the Ten Miles Dragon Roar react to something. Therefore, something must have changed when we came here this time.¡± At this point, Lin Ran placed the Ten Miles Dragon Roar on his lap and gently tapped the gorgeous scabbard that was encrusted with gems. ¡°I couldn¡¯t figure out why Sword God would use such a gorgeous scabbard when he¡¯s such a frugal person.¡± Lin Ran looked at Huo Qiyun and continued, ¡°It wasn¡¯t until just now that I realized that Sword God chose these materials because they can be used to make array formations¡­¡± At this point, Lin Ran raised his hand and drew a circle around the two of them. ¡°We¡¯re trapped by an array formation.¡± Chapter 100 - Breaking Through The Array Formation With Brute Force Chapter 100: Breaking Through The Array Formation With Brute Force Huo Qiyun subconsciously looked around and frowned slightly, as if he was a little suspicious. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± Lin Ran nodded firmly and said, ¡°Gold, silver, and gems are not the best materials for making array formations, but compared to those rare stones, these materials are already very good. Most importantly, you can get them with money.¡± As if afraid that Huo Qiyun wouldn¡¯t believe him, Lin Ran added, ¡°I saw this in Sword God¡¯s letter.¡± Actually, Lin Ran came to know that gold and silver could be used to create array formation in the secret room of the Hidden Sword Pavilion. The Five Elements Seal on the stone door was made of pure gold. The nature of this precious metal was extremely stable. In order for an array formation to survive for as long as possible, the stability of the array formation was quite important. However, Hidden Sword Pavilion¡¯s secret room was one of the greatest secrets of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Lin Ran was not sure if Huo Qiyun knew about it, so he could only tell him an insignificant lie. As expected, when he heard that Lin Ran knew it from the Ten Miles Sword God¡¯s letter, Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say anything else. He just raised his hand and gestured for Lin Ran to continue. Lin Ran rubbed the complicated patterns on the scabbard with his fingertips, looking hesitant. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, this should be a spatial array formation. I¡¯m not sure about the exact principle and effect, but it should be related to the situation we¡¯re in.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded, his eyes filled with anticipation. ¡°Then can you break this array formation and let us out?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes. ¡°This is an array formation personally left behind by Ten Miles Sword God.¡± Huo Qiyun knew that other than being skilled in sword techniques, the Ten Miles Sword God was also unparalleled in creating array formations. Lin Ran¡¯s answer was basically a negative answer. After a short silence, Huo Qiyun immediately became a little irritable. He punched the stone wall and said angrily, ¡°Then what¡¯s the use of saying so much? If we can¡¯t break the array formation, we can¡¯t get out!¡± With that, Huo Qiyun suddenly thought of something and his eyes lit up. ¡°Why don¡¯t we dig it out?¡± Lin Ran looked at Huo Qiyun as if he was looking at an idiot. He picked up a rock and handed it over. ¡°Come, try breaking it.¡± Without hesitation, Huo Qiyun unsheathed his sword and split the rock into two. ¡°And then?¡± Lin Ran frowned and threw the stone at Huo Qiyun. ¡°You can¡¯t use a sword!¡± ¡°Tsk! Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier!¡± As Huo Qiyun spoke, he picked up a stone the size of an egg and crushed it into pieces using his internal energy, Lin Ran handed him another fist-sized stone. ¡°Try this again.¡± After Huo Qiyun crushed it again, Lin Ran handed him another stone the size of a human head. Huo Qiyun took a deep breath. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t reply. Huo Qiyun took it. This stone was too big to hold, so he could only crush it with both hands. ¡°Did you notice?¡± Lin Ran asked without rhyme or reason, his expression mysterious under the flickering flames. Huo Qiyun was about to shake his head when he suddenly thought of something and said in confusion, ¡°Why is the hardness of these stones different?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Stones in Mount Sword are very strange. The larger the stone, the harder it is.¡± Lin Ran nodded and patted the stone wall in front of him. ¡°And what you¡¯re going to dig now is the main peak of Mount Sword. Do you know how big it is? Do you know how hard it is? Do you know how long it will take you to dig it out?¡± The three ¡°do you know¡± questions silenced Huo Qiyun. Lin Ran sighed and turned his attention to the sheath of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. ¡°Speaking of which, do you know why the Ten Miles Dragon Roar and the sheath are stored separately?¡± Huo Qiyun shook his head. ¡°When I was with Grandpa Sword God back then, this sword had a scabbard. It should have been left in the palace as a token when he went into seclusion, right?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the key.¡± Lin Ran muttered to himself and suddenly remembered the secret room under the Hidden Sword Pavilion. There was a secret passage leading to Mount Sword that was opened by a necklace passed down from generation to generation in the royal family. Since that secret passage was left behind by the Ten Mile Sword God, could there be a similar thing on Mount Sword? Before Lin Ran could think further, Huo Qiyun suddenly asked, ¡°Is the Ten Miles Dragon Roar still vibrating?¡± Lin Ran held the hilt of his sword and nodded. Huo Qiyun said, ¡°That means that this array formation is still active¡­ When did you discover this situation?¡± ¡°Just now.¡± Lin Ran replied casually. After saying that, he felt that something was wrong. It seemed that he had felt the vibration of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar earlier, but at that time, he was busy looking for the remains of the Ten Miles Sword God, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. In that case¡­ ¡°It was when I first entered Mount Sword.¡± Lin Ran corrected his answer and paused for a moment before saying, ¡°The vibration at that time was stronger than now. I thought that the Ten Miles Dragon Roar resonated with the sword intent here, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.¡± ¡°In that case, there should be at least two array formations here.¡± Huo Qiyun thought for a moment and placed his hand on the stone wall that blocked the entrance. He continued, ¡°If there¡¯s only one array formation, this stone wall will appear when the only array formation is activated. It¡¯s impossible for us to enter¡­¡± Halfway through, Huo Qiyun suddenly closed his eyes. After a moment, he shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re right. This is a spatial array formation. We¡¯re no longer in our original positions.¡± Lin Ran was not surprised. After experiencing a series of phenomenons, he felt that everything could happen here. Holding the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, Lin Ran said, ¡°There¡¯s good news now. The vibration has weakened.¡± Huo Qiyun frowned. ¡°What kind of good news is this?¡± Lin Ran patted the stone wall beside him. ¡°As long as the array formation is still working, this stone path will keep moving us through the mountain. Let¡¯s put it this way. Our position is constantly changing. It¡¯s impossible to dig our way out because we don¡¯t know where we are.¡± Huo Qiyun instantly understood what Lin Ran meant and continued, ¡°So we know that when the array formation stops, we might return to our previous positions. Even if we can¡¯t, our position is relatively fixed, so we can dig it out at that time¡­ But didn¡¯t you say that this stone is very hard?¡± ¡°In the current situation, we can only use force to break through.¡± Lin Ran leaned against the stone wall. It was obvious that he had already begun to give up. As he spoke, he threw the Ten Miles Dragon Roar to Huo Qiyun. ¡°Why don¡¯t you study the array formation on it? You might be able to control the array formation to send us out.¡± Huo Qiyun caught the Ten Miles Dragon Roar and looked at the complicated patterns. He felt dizzy and quickly returned it to Lin Ran. ¡°Let¡¯s do it your way. Your way is quite good.¡± With that, Huo Qiyun also sat down against the stone wall. Lin Ran extinguished the fire attribute spiritual energy, and the darkness swallowed the two of them again. Chapter 101 - Perseverance Is Victory Chapter 101: Perseverance Is Victory After an unknown period of time. Huo Qiyun asked in the darkness, ¡°Is it still vibrating?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡­ ¡°And now?¡± ¡°¡­ Same.¡± ¡­ ¡°Can we do it now?¡± ¡°¡­ Not yet.¡± ¡­ It was unknown how much time had passed in the darkness. It might have been an hour or a day. Lin Ran finally perked up again. ¡°Get up and get to work!¡± Huo Qiyun sighed and stood up. After sitting for so long, his legs were numb! After checking the thickness of the stone walls, Huo Qiyun shook his head at Lin Ran. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. These stone walls are more than 300 feet thick. The sword intent here is too strong. I can¡¯t break it.¡± Lin Ran nodded and pressed on a stone wall. He shook his head and pressed on another stone wall. A moment later, Lin Ran finally retracted his hand. Huo Qiyun quickly asked, ¡°How is it?¡± Lin Ran replied with a strange expression, ¡°A thousand feet.¡± ¡°You can break a stone of this size. You¡¯re indeed a monster!¡± Huo Qiyun exclaimed and began to calculate. ¡°When I was waiting just now, I tested the hardness of the stone wall. With my strength, I can dig about 100 feet a day, which is ten days¡­ But you¡¯re definitely faster than me. Start digging now. We¡¯ll be out in five days!¡± Lin Ran smacked his lips and said with a strange expression, ¡°Maybe I didn¡¯t say it clearly. My divine sense can only reach a thousand feet, but it¡¯s by no means the end.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Then what should we do? We don¡¯t know which direction is shorter. Do we have to rely on luck?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Lin Ran asked with a calm expression. ¡°After waiting for so long, I¡¯ve already thought it through. Even if I have to dig all the way from the foot of the mountain to the top, I¡¯ll do it!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran raised his hand and summoned the Yin-Yang Sword to slash the stone. Tens of thousands of extremely sharp sword energies appeared in the air, spinning crazily and converging in one place. Like an indestructible steel torrent, they roared and blasted against the pitch-black stone wall! Boom! With a loud bang, the huge sound wave caused a terrifying echo in the enclosed cave passage. Huo Qiyun immediately felt his entire body tremble and almost spat out a mouthful of blood! The explosive sound gradually disappeared after a quarter of an hour. When the dust dissipated, a black hole more than ten feet wide and nearly ten feet deep appeared on the stone wall in front of Lin Ran. Huo Qiyun looked at the figure standing in front of the cave in shock, as if he had just met Lin Ran today! He knew how hard the stone wall was. With his current strength, it would take him at least a day to dig a hundred feet. But Lin Ran only used one strike. In the past, when Huo Qiyun followed Lin Ran to find the sects involved in the rebellion, he thought that he had seen Lin Ran¡¯s full strength. But now, it seemed that Lin Ran was holding back a lot at that time! ¡°Is this the strength of a Half-Saint? Or is he still holding back?¡± Huo Qiyun muttered to himself. Suddenly, he saw Lin Ran raise his sword again. The sword at his waist was immediately unsheathed half an inch, and hundreds of sword energy formed a barrier that instantly surrounded Huo Qiyun. Boom¡ª With another loud bang, Huo Qiyun¡¯s sword energy barrier shattered. It was as if a heavy hammer had smashed into his chest, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood! Seeing Lin Ran raise his sword for the third time, Huo Qiyun hurriedly shouted, ¡°Wait!¡± Lin Ran stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Huo Qiyun in confusion. ¡°Do you have a good idea?¡± ¡°No.¡± Huo Qiyun shook his head and took the opportunity to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. ¡°But can you hold back a little? Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to hold on until you dig it out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to speed up the process!¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he raised his sword again. ¡°Bear with it for a while longer. When the depth is enough, I¡¯ll go in. You¡¯ll feel better then.¡± With that, another sword energy rang out. A loud buzzing sound swept over from all directions. Huo Qiyun even had the illusion that the entire main peak of Mount Sword was shaken by this sword energy! However, perhaps because the explosion was quite far away, Huo Qiyun did not spat out blood this time. Just as he was about to say something, he saw Lin Ran flash into the cave. Almost at the same time, a huge wave of air blew out with gravel! Seeing the rocks hit the stone wall and cause sparks, Huo Qiyun immediately gave up on the idea of following him in. Instead, he found the furthest spot and began to circulate his energy to heal. There was another long wait. Huo Qiyun¡¯s injuries had almost recovered, but the rumbling that seemed to shake the entire mountain did not stop. ¡°It can¡¯t be that deep, right?¡± Huo Qiyun muttered softly and looked at the dark hole in the distance. Perhaps because Lin Han had dug far enough, there was only thin dust spewing out from it. At this moment, the sound coming from the depths of the hole suddenly stopped. The sudden silence made Huo Qiyun uncomfortable for a moment, but then he realized that this meant that Lin Ran had already dug a way out! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! After a series of whooshing sounds, Lin Ran appeared in the passage. His clothes and face were covered in dust. However, his eyes were shining with excitement and his mouth was wide open. Huo Qiyun could even see his molars! ¡°I finally dug it out!¡± Lin Ran shouted, his excited voice echoing in the stone passage. ¡°So be it! Why are you shouting? You don¡¯t look like a Half-Saint at all!¡± Huo Qiyun habitually talked back, but there was also an excited smile on his face. Lin Ran snorted in disdain. ¡°What should a Half-Saint be like? Why do you keep a straight face every day? Just looking at you makes me tired!¡± Huo Qiyun smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. He was suddenly a little touched because Lin Ran didn¡¯t leave after digging a way out. Instead, he came back to tell him. Although this distance might not be much to Lin Ran, the fact that he made this choice meant that Huo Qiyun still had a place in his heart. Rubbing the corners of his eyes, Huo Qiyun stood up and urged, ¡°Cut the crap and get out quickly. I don¡¯t want to stay in this godforsaken place for another minute!¡± Lin Ran gestured at the entrance of the cave. Just as Huo Qiyun was about to enter, he suddenly heard a faint buzzing sound, and it was very close. The two of them looked at each other in confusion and lowered their heads to look at the source of the buzzing¡ª On the Ten Miles Dragon Roar at Lin Ran¡¯s waist, the dragon gem flickered with a red light again¡­ Chapter 102 - Three Chapter 102: Three-dimensional Maze ¡°Oh, there you go again. Why isn¡¯t it over yet?¡± Lin Ran slapped his forehead and stomped. Huo Qiyun¡¯s face turned pale. He patted Lin Ran and urged, ¡°Cut the crap! Run!¡± With that, his figure rushed into the cave like an arrow leaving the bow! Lin Ran reacted and followed closely behind. This time, they saw a jaw-dropping scene inside the mountain. Unlike the orderly stone passage at the beginning, the stone passage that Lin Ran dug out had become uneven under the continuous attacks of the sword energy. Countless sharp stone spikes were like the fangs of a ferocious beast, covering every inch of the stone wall. As the dragon gem on the Dragon Roar Sword began to flicker, these fangs slowly moved. Some rose and fell, and some moved left and right. It was as if the entire mountain had become a monster. Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun were running quickly in the monster¡¯s mouth! ¡°Damn! This mountain is alive?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s surprised shout came from behind. Only then did Lin Ran realize that he had already run to the front. After slowing down a little, Lin Ran turned around and shouted, ¡°No! This mountain is made of countless scattered stones. It¡¯s just that the gaps between the stones are too small, so it looks like a whole!¡± At this moment, Lin Ran completely understood that the main peak of Mount Sword was actually a mechanical mountain, like a huge Rubik¡¯s Cube. When the array formation was activated, it was as if a pair of invisible hands were twisting the Cube. All the space inside would be rearranged. The only problem was that Lin Ran didn¡¯t know if this arrangement was orderly or disorderly. Therefore, they had to get out before this stone passage disappeared. Otherwise, they would be moved elsewhere, and everything they had done before would be in vain! While thinking, Lin Ran did not slow down. Soon, he saw the hazy sunlight in the distance and shouted, ¡°Hold on! Victory is ahead!¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran flew hundreds of feet away. However, just as he was about to speed up, he suddenly felt that something was wrong. Why didn¡¯t Huo Qiyun reply? Thinking back, he had never heard Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice again after he explained the structure of this mountain. Lin Ran subconsciously turned around and his pupils dilated! In the stone passage behind him, there was only a slowly moving stone wall. Where was Huo Qiyun? ¡°Oh no!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His first reaction was to go back and save him. However, after weighing the pros and cons, he gave up on this idea and ran towards the light at the entrance of the cave. The changes in this mechanical mountain were still ongoing. No one knew where Huo Qiyun had been moved to. Finding a person in such a huge and moving three-dimensional maze was no less difficult than finding a drop of water in the deep sea. Therefore, Lin Ran instantly made the best judgment in his heart. Leave this place, crack the array formation, and save Huo Qiyun! Whoosh¡ª With the sound of clothes fluttering, Lin Ran rushed out of the gap that was only a foot wide. When he stood still and looked back, there was only a gap less than the width of a palm that was quickly closing. If he had hesitated for even a second, he would have been trapped inside with Huo Qiyun in two different places. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. I did it to save you.¡± Lin Ran muttered to the closed gap and began to look around to find where he was. After looking around, his expression immediately changed. The hole that Lin Ran opened was about 100 feet away from the ground in the northeast direction of the mountain. The tunnel he dug was about 4,000 feet long. The diameter of the mountain at this height was only more than 5,000 feet¡­ In other words, if Lin Ran had dug a hole in the stone passage from the opposite direction, he would have been able to get out in just 1,000 feet. However, he chose the longest path. ¡°It has to be the unluckiest thing in my life.¡± Lin Ran turned around and looked at the completely sealed mountain wall. Just as he was about to leave, his pupils suddenly constricted. He saw that as the rock moved, a jade-like bone was brought out of the mountain. Although it was just a bone, it contained an incomparably pure sword intent. Lin Ran recognized it almost instantly. It was the sword intent of Ten Miles Sword God. In that case, the Sword God¡¯s remains that Lin Ran buried at the top of the mountain had been ¡°carried¡± away by the mechanism in the mountain. However, there was only one bone here, and the rest¡­ Looking at this towering mountain and thinking that the remains of Sword God might already be scattered in every corner of the mountain, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel bad. At this moment, Lin Ran only hoped that Huo Qiyun, who was trapped in the mountain, would not stumble across one of them. ¡°I¡¯ll come back to save you!¡± After making an oath to Huo Qiyun, Lin Ran immediately soared up into the sky from the ground. The red light on the dragon gem was completely extinguished. As Lin Ran walked out of the mountain-protecting array formation, the sword also stopped vibrating. This made Lin Ran even more certain that the array formation on Mount Sword¡¯s main peak was activated by the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. The key was why the sword and scabbard were stored separately. As for the answer to this question, probably only one person in the world knew. At the same time, in the palace. The doors and windows of the imperial study were closed. Li Tianyi stood at the door with a tai chi whisk on his arm, looking worried. In front of him, the ministers of the imperial court, led by the Grand Secretary, Zhang Yueheng, knelt in the spacious yard. In the imperial study. The empress sat in front of the desk, but she was dealing with state affairs as usual. Instead, she carried a seven or eight-year-old little girl on her lap and read a story slowly with a gentle expression. ¡°¡­The prince and the commoner went to a place where no one could find them. From then on, they lived a happy life.¡± After reading the last sentence, the empress¡¯s gentle gaze landed on the little girl¡¯s face. ¡°Xiao Huai, do you like this story?¡± At this moment, she was no longer the supreme ruler of the world, but a gentle big sister. Xiao Huai¡ªthat was the seven or eight-year-old girl¡ªsmiled strangely, as if a pair of invisible hands were tugging at the corners of her mouth. She clapped excitedly. ¡°Interesting! How interesting!¡± Chapter 103 - Lin Rans Return to The Palace Chapter 103: Lin Ran¡¯s Return to The Palace Xiao Huai¡¯s smile was completely different from a human¡¯s, but the empress did not seem to notice it at all. Her eyes were still filled with tenderness. ¡°Since you like it, I¡¯ll read you another one, okay?¡± As the empress spoke, she took out another book from the side. However, before she could open it, a small hand stopped her. ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t want to hear stories anymore.¡± Xiao Huai held the empress¡¯s face with his two small hands. Her black eyes were hollow. ¡°I want to go out and play. Let¡¯s go to the imperial prison to play, okay?¡± There was a hint of hesitation in the empress¡¯s eyes, but it was instantly replaced by gentleness. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go wherever Little Huai wants to go.¡± ¡°Really? Sister is so good!¡± Xiao Huai clapped her hands excitedly, and the smile on her face became even stranger. ¡°Then can we go to the Hidden Sword Pavilion to play too? I want to go to the secret room under the Hidden Sword Pavilion!¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± Just as the empress was about to agree, under the dragon robe, the ruby necklace that had been passed down in the royal family for generations suddenly exploded with a red light! ¡­ Mingzhao Hall. Lin Ran quietly sneaked into the hall, changed into the clothes of the guard commander, and put the Ten Miles Dragon Roar into the Divine Sword Technique Manual. Then, he walked out with his sword. Although he knew that time was tight, he had already taken off the mask on his face and could only walk around the palace as himself. When he arrived at the imperial study and saw the yard filled with important ministers, Lin Ran was shocked. ¡°Lords, are you¡­ sunbathing?¡± Zhang Yueheng, who was kneeling at the front, looked back and shouted sternly, ¡°Get out! You¡¯re just a small guard commander. You have no right to speak here!¡± Zhang Yueheng was very aggressive, but his voice was already weak, as if he had not slept for a few days. Just as Lin Ran was feeling strange, he saw Li Tianyi running towards him. Because the road in the middle was filled with important ministers of the imperial court, he had to bypass them. However, Li Tianyi was very fast. In just two to three breaths, he arrived in front of Lin Ran. Seeing this old enemy, Lin Ran immediately felt a headache coming on. Before the other party could speak, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Eunuch Li, I have something urgent to discuss with His Majesty. I don¡¯t have time to bicker with you. Hurry up and inform him, or I¡¯ll go in myself!¡± ¡°Alright! I was waiting for you to say that!¡± Li Tianyi suddenly clapped his hands with an indescribable excitement on his face. He pulled Lin Ran up and walked towards the imperial study. ¡°You have to persuade His Majesty. These ministers have been kneeling for three days. If this continues, someone will die!¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Lin Ran pulled his hand out of Li Tianyi¡¯s grip. He looked at Li Tianyi and asked suspiciously, ¡°What did you mean just now? Why do I have to persuade His Majesty? Why are they kneeling? Did they make His Majesty angry?¡± ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case.¡± Li Tianyi looked helpless. Seeing that Zhang Yueheng was looking at him, he pulled Lin Ran to a corner of the yard and explained in a low voice, ¡°If anyone really angers His Majesty, His Majesty can just kill them. But if this situation isn¡¯t resolved¡­¡± At this point, Li Tianyi suddenly stopped and looked around before saying carefully, ¡°Don¡¯t be a blabbermouth, but if this situation isn¡¯t resolved, our Heavenly Saint Dynasty will probably be finished!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression froze. He knew that although Li Tianyi was a little greedy and bad, as an elder of three dynasties, he was still quite loyal. Now, even Li Tianyi said that the Heavenly Saint Dynasty would be finished. How troublesome the situation could be? ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Lin Ran probed with a solemn expression, ¡°Is His Majesty about to die?¡± ¡°Pfft, pfft, pfft!¡± Li Tian spat on Lin Ran¡¯s face, wiped the corner of his mouth, and continued, ¡°We have to start from seven or eight days ago. That day, His Majesty got a little girl from somewhere, and he likes her a lot!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a girl. I didn¡¯t take it seriously, but I didn¡¯t expect that from that day onwards, His Majesty never left the imperial study. He didn¡¯t go to the imperial court meeting either.¡± ¡°On the third day, Lord Zhang couldn¡¯t take it anymore and came to the imperial study to persuade His Majesty to stop being idle. Before he could say more than three sentences, His Majesty asked the guards to drag him out and flog him fifty times! If I didn¡¯t protect the guards, Lord Zhang would have been beaten to death!¡± Lin Ran listened quietly, and his expression gradually changed. Seven or eight days ago¡­ Wasn¡¯t the little girl¡­ the one he brought back from the Eight Directional Mountain? At that time, the little girl was possessed by a wisp of evil energy and turned into a puppet. After Lin Ran absorbed the evil energy in her body, he didn¡¯t know where to put her, so he brought her into the palace to be taken care of by the empress. Although that little girl was quite cute, she couldn¡¯t be so cute as to stop the empress, who had always been diligent, from attending the court meeting, right? Li Tianyi could tell that something was wrong with Lin Ran¡¯s expression. He paused for a moment and asked, ¡°Lord Lin, why do you look like this? Do you know something?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know anything!¡± Lin Ran shook his head. Then, he looked at Li Tianyi seriously. ¡°What do you want me to persuade His Majesty? Tell me, I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Li Tian quickly grabbed Lin Ran¡¯s hand and said worriedly, ¡°Actually, I just want you to persuade His Majesty to care more about the country. It¡¯s a good thing to like children, but you can play with the children all the time, right?¡± ¡°Eunuch Li, you are right!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s attitude was so good that Li Tianyi found it hard to believe. However, Li Tianyi couldn¡¯t be bothered with why Lin Ran changed. He waved his hand and said worriedly, ¡°Now that you¡¯re highly valued and trusted by His Majesty, if you persuade him, His Majesty might listen¡­ Come with me.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them walked around the yard to the door of the imperial study. Li Tianyi knocked twice and carefully called out, ¡°Your Majesty, the commander of the imperial guards, Lin Ran, requests an audience!¡± ¡°Let him in!¡± The empress immediately replied, her voice sounding weak. Li Tianyi was overjoyed. He turned around and gave Lin Ran an encouraging look. ¡°Many people have come to see His Majesty these past few days, but they weren¡¯t allowed to enter. It¡¯s a good sign that His Majesty is willing to see you now. Don¡¯t disappoint us!¡± Zhang Yueheng also got up from the ground and limped to Lin Ran¡¯s side. ¡°Lord Lin, I apologize for offending you just now. Please don¡¯t take it to heart. The big picture is more important!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone!¡± Lin Ran nodded heavily at the ministers of the imperial court. Then, with a guilty conscience, he slowly pushed open the door of the imperial study. Chapter 104 - A Fatal Mistake, Anger Without a Place to Vent Chapter 104: A Fatal Mistake, Anger Without a Place to Vent The scene in the imperial study was still familiar, but Lin Ran felt that the atmosphere here was a little strange. Lin Ran walked in and saw the empress behind the desk and the little girl sitting on her lap. The little girl sat obediently on the empress¡¯s lap like when Lin Ran first saw her. She looked at Lin Ran blankly with her big black eyes, as if this was the first time she had seen him. ¡°The last time we met, she was controlled by the evil aura. After the evil aura was removed, she fainted. It¡¯s indeed the first time we met.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. As for the empress, she was sitting behind the desk with a frown on her face. Her eyes were filled with complicated emotions, and a few veins were bulging on her fair neck. The expression on her face could almost be described as ferocious! This surprised Lin Ran. In his impression, the empress did not show her emotions most of the time. Even when King Zhao rebelled, she did not show this kind of expression. What exactly could make her so angry? As he thought about this, Lin Ran closed the door and walked quickly towards the empress. ¡°Your Majesty, I know you¡¯re very angry now, but I have something urgent to tell you. Huo Qiyun is in a dangerous situation now. I can save him, but I need your help!¡± The empress slowly turned her head with difficulty and looked at Lin Ran with an extremely complicated gaze. She gritted her teeth and squeezed out two words.¡±Help me¡­¡± ¡°Not to help you, but to help me.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and was about to say something when he suddenly realized that inside the collar of the empress¡¯s dragon robe, it was flickering with red light. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn. He reached out to help the empress up. At this moment, the little girl suddenly leaped up into the air, flipped over the desk, and landed on the ground. She knocked open the door and rushed out! The moment the little girl leaped up, Lin Ran suddenly felt a familiar evil aura. However, when he flashed to the door, only Li Tianyi and the ministers were outside with panicked expressions. Lin Ran suddenly realized something and his eyes were filled with shock. He flashed back to the empress¡¯s side. Just as he released his divine sense, he realized that there was a wisp of evil aura lingering around the empress! ¡°I was deceived!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly summoned the Yin-Yang Sword and absorbed the evil aura lingering around the empress. When the last trace of black fog fused into the Yin-Yang Sword, the red light on the collar of the dragon robe was extinguished. The empress spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted in Lin Ran¡¯s arms. The scarlet blood on the empress¡¯s fair skin was dazzling. Looking at her exhausted face, Lin Ran was filled with self-blame. He did not know how the demon managed to control the little girl again, or if the little girl was the demon¡¯s true body. In short, he personally sent the most dangerous thing in the world to the empress. Not only that, but in just one day, Lin Ran had made two fatal mistakes! First, in Mount Sword, because he was in a hurry to move the Sword God¡¯s remains, he did not notice the abnormality of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. Now, because he was in a hurry to save Huo Qiyun, he did not notice the faint evil aura. The first mistake caused Huo Qiyun to be trapped in the mountain, and the second mistake caused the empress to be severely injured. Anger burned in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, and the blood in his body surged out of control, making his eardrums buzz. Li Tianyi was shouting something at the side. Someone rushed over to pull Lin Ran away, and someone went forward to carry the empress away. He couldn¡¯t feel any of this. At this moment, he could only feel the anger born from extreme guilt and the huge killing intent in his heart that was strong enough to destroy the world! However, at this moment, Lin Ran didn¡¯t know how to vent his anger. He wanted to save Huo Qiyun, but he didn¡¯t know how. He wanted to use brute force to shatter the main peak of Mount Sword inch by inch, but that would definitely affect Huo Qiyun, who was trapped in the mountain. He wanted to kill the demon, but he didn¡¯t know where it was. Anger, anger that had nowhere to vent. Like a red-hot iron rod that was electrified, it stirred in Lin Ran¡¯s mind mercilessly. After a sharp and intense pain, Lin Ran spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted. After an unknown period of time, when Lin Ran woke up again, he realized that he was lying in the guard¡¯s barrack. His chest still hurt a little. Zhou Hao sat by the bed. He was probably here to take care of Lin Ran, but he was sleeping soundly. Seeing that the sky was already dark outside the window, Lin Ran thought of Huo Qiyun, who was trapped, and looked at Zhou Hao, who was still sleeping soundly. He flashed out of the house and flashed towards the empress¡¯s bedroom under the cover of the night. When Lin Ran walked into the bedroom, the empress was already awake, but her face was still pale. The empress was reclining on the dragon couch with Li Tianyi standing beside her and feeding her chicken soup patiently. Seeing Lin Ran, the empress smiled weakly and moved her fingers. Li Tianyi nodded and left with the palace eunuchs. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Lin Ran and the empress spoke almost at the same time. Then, the two of them were stunned at the same time. The empress revealed a helpless smile, while Lin Ran had a solemn expression. After a short silence, the empress spoke again. ¡°Thank you. If you didn¡¯t come in time today, I¡¯m afraid I would have been completely possessed by that demon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Lin Ran walked to the side of the dragon couch with a dejected expression and picked up the soup bowl left behind by Li Tianyi. As he fed the empress, he told her in detail about the demon breaking out of the seal. He only omitted the part where the Sword God died and lied that the Sword God left to chase after the demon. The empress listened quietly. Perhaps because she was too weak, she didn¡¯t react until Lin Ran finished speaking. After a long silence, Lin Ran finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say? You can reproach me or hit me.¡± ¡°Why should I reproach you?¡± The empress chuckled and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°You¡¯ve already done a lot for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Besides, it¡¯s not your fault that the demon escaped.¡± ¡°But I brought the demon to the palace.¡± Lin Ran looked at the empress apologetically and whispered in an almost imperceptible voice, ¡°I caused you to become like this.¡± Looking at Lin Ran, who was always happy-go-lucky, suddenly became so vulnerable, the empress couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart ache. After thinking for a moment, the empress¡¯s gaze gradually became firm. For Lin Ran, she had to make a decision that went against the rules her ancestors set up. Chapter 105 - The Secret of the Royal Family, The Secret of the Ruby Necklace Chapter 105: The Secret of the Royal Family, The Secret of the Ruby Necklace ¡°Lin Ran.¡± The empress called out softly. Seeing Lin Ran look up at her, she pointed at herself. ¡°Help me take off the necklace. I don¡¯t have the strength now.¡± Lin Ran looked at the empress in confusion, not knowing what she wanted to do. She didn¡¯t call him ¡°Lord Lin¡±, which gave him a strange feeling. Seeing that Lin Ran didn¡¯t move, the empress frowned slightly. ¡°Quick, do it before I change my mind.¡± Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before reaching out to touch the empress¡¯s neck. The empress had always worn the ruby necklace that had been passed down for generations next to her skin. This meant that if Lin Ran wanted to get the necklace, he had to lift her collar. A large area of snow-white skin was exposed. Even under the dim candlelight, it was still so fair and attempting. The empress¡¯s face was red, and Lin Ran¡¯s heart was racing when his fingertips touched her skin. However, he still calmed himself down and quickly took off the necklace. This was the first time Lin Ran had observed this necklace so closely. Unlike the ropes or chains of other necklaces, the ropes of this necklace were connected by metal rods the thickness of a chopstick and the length of a knuckle. The pendant of the necklace was a ruby embedded in the golden base. There was an exquisite pattern engraved on the edge of the base. Now, Lin Ran could recognize that those were runes specially used in array formations, and they were quite ancient. After looking at it carefully for a while, Lin Ran looked at the empress and forced a smile. ¡°This thing is quite heavy. It must be uncomfortable to wear it all day long. No wonder you wanted to take it off.¡± The empress smiled and did not reply. Her gaze was fixed on one of the metal rods. ¡°You can unscrew the third rod from the right.¡± Lin Ran found the third rod and exerted a little force, causing a horizontal pattern to appear on the metal rod. After spinning a few more times, the metal rod came off. It looked not much thicker than a strand of hair. Even so, one could still see exquisite patterns engraved on it. ¡°This is a key.¡± The empress looked at the small metal rod and said softly, ¡°There¡¯s a small hole on the base of the third pillar on the left of the Hundred Fragrance Palace. After opening it, there¡¯s everything you want to know.¡± When Lin Ran heard this, his eyes widened in shock. ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything yet. How do you know what I want to know?¡± ¡°Whatever you want to know.¡± The empress replied indirectly with a hint of helplessness and struggle in her eyes. ¡°This is the greatest secret of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty because all the secrets are inside. Even Grandpa Sword God doesn¡¯t know¡­ Go quickly. Don¡¯t wait until I change my mind.¡± Lin Ran looked at the empress with a complicated expression. Although her tone was casual, he knew that this was not an easy decision. ¡°Thank you.¡± After a moment of silence, Lin Ran said softly without expression. The empress smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. After tonight, I will pretend nothing happened. You can¡¯t tell anyone about what you see there, including me.¡± Lin Ran nodded to show that he understood, but he did not leave immediately. Instead, he put away the necklace, picked up the soup bowl, and continued to feed the empress. ¡°By the way.¡± The empress swallowed a mouthful of chicken soup and suddenly looked at Lin Ran as if she had thought of something. ¡°After you get there, can you bring me something?¡± Lin Ran was puzzled. ¡°I can¡¯t tell anyone the secret inside, but I can bring something out?¡± ¡°You are not supposed to.¡± The empress smiled, and for the first time, her voice was filled with pleading. ¡°But this thing is very important to me. It¡¯s a green jade hairpin with irises carved on it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Ran nodded without hesitation. Although he didn¡¯t know if it was dangerous there, the danger he had to face was nothing compared to the courage the empress needed to make this decision. By the time he finished feeding the bowl of soup, it was already midnight. After letting the empress rest, Lin Ran went straight to the Hundred Fragrance Palace. The Hundred Fragrance Palace was one of the most remote palaces in the northwest corner of the imperial palace. Because it was too remote, no one had set foot in it for countless years. The trees that were not trimmed grew into strange shapes. Weeds grew wantonly through the cracks in the heavy limestone, and the entire yard was filled with a strange but surging vitality. Lin Ran descended from the sky and landed in the yard. In a flash, he arrived beside the third pillar. After walking halfway around, he found a round hole on the stone base. This hole was really too small, almost the size of a needle. He took out the key and inserted it into the small hole. The surroundings were quiet, and nothing seemed to have changed. Lin Ran tried to turn the key left and right again when he suddenly heard a muffled sound coming from the ground in the middle of the yard, as if some machinery had been activated. Then, under Lin Ran¡¯s gaze, the stone bricks in the middle of the yard slowly raised, revealing a staircase that went straight down. When he landed in the yard and used his divine sense to investigate, it was clearly solid ground. ¡°Is this the greatest secret of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡­¡± Lin Ran recalled what the empress had said previously and couldn¡¯t help but look serious. This secret room could not even be detected by the divine sense of a Half-Saint. It was obvious that it must have taken a lot of effort to build it back then. From this, it could be seen that every secret that could be hidden here was extraordinary. Clang! With the sound of a sharp blade being unsheathed, Lin Ran slashed out a few fire attribute sword energy that surrounded him and slowly walked down the stone steps. As Lin Ran disappeared from the ground, the stone bricks returned to their original place. Silence returned to the desolate yard. The leaves and weeds rustled as the breeze blew past, as if someone was whispering in the night. The next morning. When the first ray of sunlight shone into the deserted courtyard of the Hundred Fragrance Palace, a series of muffled sounds suddenly sounded from underground. A few stone bricks in the middle began to slowly rise. Just as the stone bricks were halfway up, a figure rushed out of the gap. When he landed, he turned around and pressed down on the stone bricks that were still rising. He actually used his strength to force them down! Almost at the same time, something hit the stone bricks with a loud bang. The stone bricks that had just been pressed down were instantly pushed up a few inches! Chapter 106 - A Place Not to Be Entered Unless The Country Is Under Siege Chapter 106: A Place Not to Be Entered Unless The Country Is Under Siege That person was clearly shocked, but he did not panic. After pressing down on the stone bricks again, he waved his hand and summoned a golden sword. He stabbed it into the crack at lightning speed and twisted the sword, blocking the secret door. However, this was only the beginning. In the blink of an eye, that person took out three long swords of different colors from thin air and stuck them into the secret door. Then, he lay on the secret door and hooked his hands and feet around the hilts of his swords. After he was done, the banging began again. This time, the force was clearly stronger than before. However, with the help of the four swords, the secret door could no longer be pushed open, but the huge force still shook that person until he almost vomited blood. The morning breeze blew past, blowing up his messy hair, revealing Lin Ran¡¯s exhausted face filled with some lingering fear. After holding on for nearly fifteen minutes, the thing that was hitting the secret door finally stopped. ¡°Phew¡ªit finally stopped!¡± Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. As a Half-Saint and the number one swordsman in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, at this moment, he actually looked relieved that he had survived a disaster. After another hour, Lin Ran finally had the strength to get up from the ground. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be such a thing under the palace. What were the people who built it back then thinking?¡± Lin Ran muttered to himself. Then, he rode the sword straight to the empress¡¯s bedroom. In the bedroom. After a night of rest, the empress had mostly recovered. However, the imperial physician told her not to go out as much as possible, so she got someone to move all the scrolls to the bedroom. After a few days of idling around, the scrolls were piled up like mountains. The empress felt dizzy after reading a few scrolls. Just as she was about to go to the dragon couch to rest, she turned around and saw a ragged person climbing into her bedroom from the window. ¡°Guard¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t shout! It¡¯s me!¡± A familiar voice sounded. The empress was stunned for a moment before asking, ¡°Lord Lin?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Yes.¡± Lin Ran brushed his messy hair away and smiled awkwardly. The empress burst into laughter. ¡°Lord Lin, you¡¯ve always taken your appearance very seriously, but why do you look like a beggar today? Why do you have to get in through the window like a thief when you can walk through the door?¡± ¡°You still have the cheek to ask me that? It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Lin Ran crawled past the window and arrived in front of the empress in a few steps. He probed with a serious expression, ¡°Have you been to that place yourself?¡± The smile on the empress¡¯s face instantly disappeared. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Lord Lin is talking about.¡± ¡°Stop pretending!¡± Lin Ran stomped his feet angrily and took out a ruby necklace and a green jade hairpin that had been passed down in the royal family for generations. When she saw the ruby necklace, the empress did not react. However, when she saw the hairpin, her expression instantly changed. ¡°Give it to me!¡± As the empress spoke, she reached out to snatch it, but how could Lin Ran let her have her way? In a flash, he appeared dozens of feet away. In another flash, he appeared on the other side of the empress, almost knocking down the small mountain of scrolls. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡± Lin Ran patted his chest and said anxiously, ¡°I¡¯m not in full control of myself now. If you continue like this, I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen.¡± Hearing the seriousness and anxiety in Lin Ran¡¯s tone, the empress calmed down a little and said worriedly, ¡°What do you mean you are not in full control of yourself?¡± ¡°My cultivation.¡± Lin Ran replied with a complicated expression, ¡°After coming out of that place, my cultivation seemed to have gone out of control. I wanted to ride my sword to your bedroom, but in the blink of an eye, I was already outside the city.¡± The empress looked at Lin Ran in confusion, clearly not understanding what he meant. Lin Ran didn¡¯t explain. He placed the ruby necklace on the table and asked seriously, ¡°Now tell me if you have ever been to that place.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± The empress hesitated for a long time before shaking her head in silence. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lin Ran suddenly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°If you had been there but didn¡¯t warn me, I would have been very angry with you¡­ Since you haven¡¯t been there, it¡¯s fine.¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran placed the jade hairpin on the table. The empress immediately took it away and held it tightly with both hands, as if she was afraid that Lin Ran would snatch it back. Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled. ¡°Is this hairpin that important? I¡¯ve seen it. The material is just ordinary green jade without any divine sense attached. Why do you value it so much?¡± ¡°This is my mother¡¯s belongings.¡± Lin Ran smacked his lips. ¡°My condolences, but why is this thing in that place? Is it also a secret?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The empress shook her head and replied, ¡°This hairpin had always been by my side, but since I ascended the throne, I haven¡¯t seen it. After that, I secretly investigated for a long time before I realized that the hairpin might be there.¡± Lin Ran immediately sensed that something was wrong. ¡°Since you know the whereabouts of the hairpin, didn¡¯t you think of getting it yourself?¡± ¡°According to the royal family¡¯s rules, the secret place is not to be entered unless the country is under siege.¡± The empress sighed and replied. Suddenly, she thought of something and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°By the way, you said that I didn¡¯t warn you. What should I warn you about? Is there danger in the secret place?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s a¡­ a¡­ um¡­¡± Lin Ran nodded, but he didn¡¯t continue. He frowned as if he didn¡¯t know how to describe it. After a long time, he continued, ¡°Something very powerful and dangerous.¡± ¡°How powerful?¡± ¡°More powerful than me anyway.¡± Lin Ran shrugged and replied, as if he was talking about something ordinary. ¡°I almost died there.¡± The empress¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°With your current strength, you can be said to be unrivaled in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. There¡¯s actually someone more powerful than you?!¡± ¡°I have to correct you on two things. First of all, I¡¯m not unrivaled. I¡¯m invincible.¡± Lin Ran said this without intending to show off. Then, his expression turned strange. ¡°Secondly, that thing is not human. I don¡¯t know what it is, but it¡¯s definitely not human. It¡¯s impossible for a human to be so powerful, not even a Saint!¡± The more the empress listened, the more confused she became. ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, how can you come out alive?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lin Ran shook his head honestly. ¡°But I think it should be related to something special about that place.¡± Chapter 107 - Inside Mount Sword, Stellar Transposition Array Chapter 107: Inside Mount Sword, Stellar Transposition Array Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s description, the empress couldn¡¯t help but find it strange. When her father told her about the existence of the secret place, he only said that it was the place where all the secrets of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty were stored. He did not mention how dangerous it was or what was special about it. But from what Lin Ran said, it didn¡¯t seem to be an ordinary place. As if knowing that the empress was curious, Lin Ran took the initiative to say, ¡°That feeling is very strange. You can think of it as me becoming stronger after staying there for a period of time.¡± ¡°Is it an increase in realms?¡± The empress probed, ¡°Just like you did in the secret room of the Hidden Sword Pavilion?¡± ¡°My realm hasn¡¯t changed. I¡¯ve just become stronger.¡± LSeeing that the empress didn¡¯t understand, he thought for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way. If the strength I can unleash is 100, I can unleash 300 or more strength in the secret place.¡± ¡°Moreover, this strength will continue to increase with time. It¡¯s as if there¡¯s a force restricting my cultivation and I can only unleash a few percent of my true strength.¡± ¡°However, there¡¯s no such restriction in the secret place. My cultivation seems to have gone out of control. It¡¯s also because of this that I was able to escape from that thing. If it were outside, it should be at the peak of the Senior Grandmaster Realm, no more than the first level of the Half-Saint Realm.¡± The empress was dumbfounded. If this guess that some kind of force was restricting the strength of cultivators was confirmed, it would cause a huge uproar in the world. Seeing the empress¡¯s horrified expression, Lin Ran knew that she understood. He paused for a moment and said casually, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. Perhaps I was wrong. I was in a hurry to get out of the secret place and didn¡¯t have time to study it.¡± The empress smiled, but her eyes were still filled with unconcealable fear. However, she did not dare to continue that topic. She changed the topic and asked, ¡°Have you found the secret you want to know?¡± Lin Ran nodded and revealed a helpless expression. ¡°I know only a portion of it, but there¡¯s not enough time. That place is much larger than I thought. It took me a lot of time to find the hairpin.¡± The empress looked at the green jade hairpin in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not stand on ceremony with me!¡± Lin Ran smiled indifferently and said with a serious expression, ¡°Fortunately, I found out the way to save Huo Qiyun.¡± ¡°Save Qiyun?¡± The empress immediately looked worried. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before he remembered that he had yet to tell the empress about what happened to Huo Qiyun. ¡°He¡¯s trapped in Mount Sword. The situation is a little complicated. I¡¯ll tell you in detail when I come back!¡± As Lin Ran spoke, a strong wind blew up from the ground in the bedroom, and all the scrolls were instantly blown into the air. When the scrolls fell again, Lin Ran was no longer in the bedroom. The doors and windows were still closed. The empress didn¡¯t know how he disappeared. After being stunned for a moment, the empress looked at the green jade hairpin in her hand. The empress took a deep breath and gently pricked her fingertips with the tip of the hairpin. She squeezed out a drop of blood and gently applied it to the irises carved on the end of the hairpin. Then, she tucked the hairpin into her black hair. ¡°Wan¡¯er¡­¡± When the familiar voice sounded in her mind, the empress instantly burst into tears. ¡­ Mount Sword. With a short but deafening sonic boom, a figure fell to the ground like a meteor and smashed into the depths of Mount Sword. At the foot of Mount Sword, in a deep pit dozens of feet wide. Lin Ran appeared outside the pit in a flash. After quickly looking around to make sure that no one was around, he patted his chest and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Although the effect is much weaker, I still can¡¯t control my strength well¡­ Fortunately, no one saw it!¡± As he spoke, with a thought, the Ten Miles Dragon Roar appeared in his hand. The dragon gem on the hilt began to flicker with a red light again, but this time, Lin Ran was no longer as confused as before. ¡°The sun and the moon shine together, the sky and the earth live together, the sea changes, and the stars move¡­¡± Lin Ran muttered softly and put the Ten Miles Dragon Roar horizontally in front of him. After gathering sword intent on his fingertips, he pressed the gems on the scabbard in a certain pattern. When the last gem was pressed, the scabbard made of gold and silver seemed to have suddenly come to life! The golden threads that formed the scabbard began to flow like water. The gems began to change positions. At the same time, a rustling sound came from inside Mount Sword, and a deep cave entrance the height of a person slowly appeared in front of Lin Ran. ¡°Is this the Stellar Transposition Array? Sword God is indeed powerful!¡± Lin Ran praised from the bottom of his heart. Then, his figure flashed and he instantly disappeared into the cave. In the darkness, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t even see the ground under his feet clearly, but he still sped up because he was full of confidence this time. Soon, Lin Ran felt that he had arrived at an open space. The air was filled with violent sword intent and pure killing intent that made even Lin Ran shiver. In a daze, he even felt that he had returned to the day when he was in the secret cave at the top of the mountain. However, the killing intent here was far stronger than the killing intent generated by the demon in the secret cave! Lin Ran activated the Three Essence Sword Technique to calm his mind. At the same time, he stopped in his tracks. The Ten Miles Dragon Roar on his waist was unsheathed half an inch, and hundreds of fire-elemental sword energy instantly filled the entire space. When the place lit up, Lin Ran saw that this was an empty space inside the mountain. It was about a thousand feet square, but the height was unknown. He slashed out a few fire-elemental sword energies more than a thousand feet above him, but he still could not see the top of this space. There was a pool of black water on the ground. From time to time, ripples would appear on the surface, as if something was swimming below. Countless weapons covered almost every corner of the black pool, and the soaring killing intent and sword intent were emitted from these weapons. Yes, weapons. The Heavenly Saint Dynasty advocated the Sword Dao, and martial artists also used swords as their weapons. However, in this black water pool, there were all kinds of weapons from axes to spears. Some of which LIn Ran couldn¡¯t even name. The only thing these complicated weapons had in common was that they were all broken. It was different from the divine swords in Mount Sword that were still as sharp as before after a hundred or even a thousand years. The blades of the weapons in the black water pool were shattered, and the bodies of the spears were broken. At least, among the hundred or so weapons by the pool, not a single one was intact. However, Lin Ran knew why, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. In the center of the black pool, a black stone platform ten steps wide poked out of the water. At this moment, a white-robed figure was sitting cross-legged on it. Chapter 108 - Hidden Danger in the Black Pool Chapter 108: Hidden Danger in the Black Pool At a glance, Lin Ran recognized that it was Huo Qiyun, who had been separated from him. Lin Ran originally wanted to use this space as the starting point to activate the Stellar Transposition Array again. This way, no matter where Huo Qiyun was trapped in the mountain, he would be sent here. However, he didn¡¯t expect Huo Qiyun to already be here. This really saved Lin Ran a lot of time and trouble. ¡°Huo Qiyun!¡± Lin Ran took a deep breath and shouted. On the stone platform, Huo Qiyun immediately opened his eyes. When he saw Lin Ran, he was stunned for a moment before waving anxiously and shouting something. However, this space was too big. Lin Ran¡¯s echo overlapped with Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice, making it impossible to hear anything clearly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll come to save you!¡± Lin Ran shouted again and flew towards the stone platform on his sword. In the blink of an eye, Lin Ran was less than 100 feet away from the stone platform. At this moment, he finally heard what Huo Qiyun was shouting. ¡°Don¡¯t come over! There¡¯s something in the water!¡± Before Lin Ran could react, with a bang, a black water curtain was morphed, blocking LIn Ran¡¯s way. Water droplets splattered everywhere. Lin Ran¡¯s clothes only touched a few drops before they immediately started to sizzle and burn. ¡°The water here is corrosive!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart tightened. He had found a book about the secrets of Mount Sword in the Hundred Fragrance Palace, but he was attacked by the thing before he could read it. If he had known that this place was so dangerous, he wouldn¡¯t have made such a move so rashly. While feeling regretful, Lin Ran stopped in his tracks. At this moment, he was less than half an inch away from the pitch-black water curtain. Then, with the flames, he could even see his reflection on the water! Before he could have time to calm down, another water curtain exploded beside him. Lin Ran hurriedly rushed to the side, but the water curtain seemed to have targeted him. It kept exploding in the air, chasing after him like an endless tsunami! ¡°Don¡¯t use internal force, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Huo Qiyun shouted. Lin Ran wanted to complain at that time. He was flying in the air on his sword. If he didn¡¯t use his internal force, he would fall and die! Looking back at the water curtain that was chasing behind him, Lin Ran made up his mind and shifted his weight to his back feet. He flew upward into pitch-black cave top. In the blink of an eye, Lin Ran flew hundreds of feet up. A water curtain soared into the sky below him, but when it reached a height of about 100 feet, it fell. ¡°Phew¡ª That was close!¡± Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief and straightened his body in the air. He looked down and saw that a large part of his clothes had been corroded. If he had not made the prompt decision to fly to a high place, he would probably have turned into a pile of bones¡­ No, judging from the corrosiveness of the black water, there might not even be bones left. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Lin Ran circled in the air and came to a spot twenty to thirty feet away from the stone platform. Lin Ran didn¡¯t dare to get too close. The water curtain was still surging below him. If he got too close, it would accidentally splash on Huo Qiyun. After stabilizing himself, Lin Ran shouted, ¡°Hey! Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Huo Qiyun shouted back, ¡°Why do you look so disheveled like a beggar?!¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes. ¡°Cut the crap! Come up!¡± ¡°No!¡± Huo Qiyun stomped his feet. ¡°I¡¯m not as fast as you. The stone platform is so small. If the water explodes, I¡¯ll be dead! Why don¡¯t you come down and pick me up?¡± Lin Ran was speechless. ¡°When I fly over, won¡¯t the water explode too?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fly then!¡± Huo Qiyun shouted and made a long jump posture. ¡°Jump over!¡± Lin Ran looked down. There was a gap twenty to thirty feet below him. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Lin Ran shouted angrily, ¡°I can stop my internal force at the moment I jump. What if I fall? Without the protection of internal force at this height, I¡¯ll fall to my death!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll catch you!¡± As Huo Qiyun spoke, he patted his arm, as if to show that he was very strong. Lin Ran snorted in disdain. When he was bandaging Huo Qiyun previously, he had seen Huo Qiyun¡¯s figure. His arm was as thin as a chopstick. The only thing that could be considered good was his fair skin. Seeing that Lin Ran didn¡¯t believe him, Huo Qiyun suddenly turned a somersault and stood upside down on the ground. After quickly doing ten upside-down push-ups, he flipped back. ¡°Do you see that? I can really catch you!¡± This time, Lin Ran was finally tempted, mainly because he had no choice. He couldn¡¯t keep wasting time here, right? After hesitating for a moment, Lin Ran shouted, ¡°Are you sure you can do it? I¡¯m heavier than you. Coupled with this height¡­ I¡¯m not sure!¡± ¡°Trust me!¡± ¡°You swear?¡± ¡°I swear! I¡¯ll catch you!¡± ¡°So be it!¡± Lin Ran roared and activated his internal force to jump high up in the direction of the stone platform. At the same time, he stopped circulating his internal force as quickly as possible. Without the help of his internal force, Lin Ran began to fall quickly. At the same time, his surroundings were instantly swallowed by darkness. Only then did Lin Ran suddenly remember something very important. The lighting here relied entirely on his fire attribute sword energy. If he stopped circulating his internal force, the fire attribute sword energy would instantly dissipate. Without internal force, there was no light. Without light, Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t see where he would land at all! In the darkness, Lin Ran subconsciously wanted to activate his internal force, but at this moment, he suddenly realized that the stone platform in the middle of the black pool was covered in a faint halo¡­ The halo was really very faint. At most, it could illuminate less than five feet of space. Even if Huo Qiyun was standing on the stone platform, he could only barely see his face. Just as Lin Ran was wondering where this halo came from, he suddenly saw Huo Qiyun smile at him and take a big step back! ¡°He tricked me!¡± This was the last thought that flashed through Lin Ran¡¯s mind. Before he could think why Huo Qiyun did this, his forehead hit the stone platform. However, after a few seconds, the pain he imagined did not come. He did not even feel like he was falling from a high place. ¡°Is this the feeling of death? I didn¡¯t expect it to be quite comfortable¡­¡± Just as Lin Ran was muttering to himself, he heard Huo Qiyun laugh. ¡°Are you scared to death? How can a Half-Saint be so cowardly?¡± Chapter 109 - 109 Strange Vacuum Zone of Sword Intent 109 Strange Vacuum Zone of Sword Intent Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After being stunned for a moment, Lin Ran suddenly realized that he was not dead. He immediately stood up and grabbed Huo Qiyun¡¯s collar. ¡°Rascal! Didn¡¯t you say you would catch me?¡± Huo Qiyun raised his hand in surrender with a bright smile. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry! If I didn¡¯t say that, how would you dare to jump down?¡± At the mention of this, Lin Ran suddenly felt a little strange. He quickly squatted down and touched the stone platform. It was cold and hard, like an ordinary stone. Then why did he feel nothing when he hit it from a height of more than a hundred feet? It was as if all the inertia had disappeared in an instant. Looking up and seeing Huo Qiyun¡¯s faint smile, Lin Ran frowned. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± Huo Qiyun shrugged and suddenly punched the stone platform heavily. ¡°Damn! Is there something wrong with you?¡± Lin Ran was shocked. Although a martial artist¡¯s body was much stronger than an ordinary person¡¯s, that was mainly because of the protection of the internal force. Now, they could not use their internal force, and their strength had also decreased drastically. Huo Qiyun¡¯s punch was so powerful that at best, his skin and flesh would be lacerated, and at worst, his bones and tendons would be broken! However, when Lin Ran picked up Huo Qiyun¡¯s hand, he realized that there was only a shallow red mark on it. It wasn¡¯t even bruised. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lin Ran immediately looked puzzled. As he spoke, he punched the stone platform too. The moment his fist touched the stone platform, he realized that the strength he exerted seemed to have disappeared. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the exact reason, but this thing seems to be able to absorb force.¡± Huo Qiyun stomped his feet. Clearly, he was referring to the stone platform under their feet. ¡°Besides¡­¡± Huo Qiyun spoke again and looked at Lin Ran excitedly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice anything different here?¡± Lin Ran looked around. Actually, from just now, he had felt that something was different around him, but when he wanted to find what was the difference, he realized that he had no clue. He originally thought that it was just his illusion, but he did not expect Huo Qiyun to have the same feeling. ¡°Is it this stone platform?¡± Lin Ran probed. This stone platform seemed to be able to absorb power and emit a halo. From a certain perspective, it was considered ¡°abnormal¡±. Huo Qiyun shook his head and said, ¡°The sword intent in the middle of this space is even more ferocious than in Mount Sword. We don¡¯t have internal force to protect us now, but we¡¯re still fine.¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran immediately felt enlightened. ¡°Is this stone platform devoid of Sword Intent?¡± Huo Qiyun nodded slightly with a solemn expression. This expression that seemed to belong to an adult made Huo Qiyun look strangely comical. However, Lin Ran was no longer in the mood to mock him because this discovery was too shocking! In this world, sword intent was almost omnipresent like air. The only difference was the intensity. Lin Ran was already used to being in the sword intent. Now that the sword intent suddenly disappeared, it was as if all the air had suddenly disappeared. However, he could still breathe. But that was impossible. Just as the air would not suddenly disappear, and neither would the sword intent. With Lin Ran¡¯s current cultivation, he could disperse sword intent within a certain range to cause this phenomenon, but it would only last for a short time. Because of the existence of those old and dilapidated weapons, the sword intent in the air was even more intense than in the depths of Mount Sword. Even he could not create this ¡°vacuum of sword intent¡± phenomenon Therefore, when Lin Ran discovered this situation, his first reaction was suspicion. However, when he saw Huo Qiyun, he knew that he had to believe it. After knowing that internal force would trigger the attack of the mysterious creature in the black water pool, Lin Ran had a question. Chapter 110 - 110 Mount Sword, Birth of The Demon 110 Mount Sword, Birth of The Demon Although the two of them could not use their internal force, they could still be hurt by the sword. Feeling the chill on his neck, Lin Ran subconsciously wanted to activate his internal force to protect himself. After holding it in, he said angrily, ¡°Put away your sword! I didn¡¯t come all the way here to save you so that you could point a sword at me!¡± Huo Qiyun relaxed and sheathed his sword. ¡°It¡¯s indeed you. Others won¡¯t talk like that¡­ But why do you know so much?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t tell you.¡± Lin Ran hesitated for a moment and shook his head. Seeing that Huo Qiyun was about to draw his sword again, he hurriedly added, ¡°Your empress sister didn¡¯t want me to tell you. If you want to know, go back and ask her. If she agrees, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± At the mention of the empress, Huo Qiyun calmed down. He lowered his shoulders and said helplessly, ¡°Then tell me what this place is first. How can we get out?¡± ¡°This is a Sword Grave¡­¡± As soon as Lin Ran spoke, Huo Qiyun said angrily, ¡°I know this is a Sword Grave. It¡¯s not only here, but everything within a hundred kilometers is a Sword Grave!¡± Lin Ran asked after a pause, ¡°Do you know where all the swords in Mount Sword come from?¡± Huo Qiyun replied without thinking, ¡°After the founding war of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, many swords have been collected here because they are tainted with the sword intent of their master.¡± ¡°This sword intent is too strong. If it¡¯s not collected, it will cause harm to ordinary people. Therefore, the Heavenly Saint Emperor built Mount Sword to store these divine weapons¡­ Grandpa Sword God told me this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s about right.¡± Lin Ran nodded. Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t know about the secret room of the Hidden Sword Pavilion, so Lin Ran naturally wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to mention it. He paused for a moment and asked, ¡°Then do you know where the weapons here came from?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression immediately changed, as if he was stumped by this question. ¡°Since it¡¯s a war, there has to be both sides involved. The swords stored in Mount Sword are the weapons of the past generals in the history of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, and here¡­¡± Lin Ran pointed at the darkness that the two of them couldn¡¯t see. ¡°All the weapons here are from the enemies of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± Seeing that Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t seem to understand, Lin Ran explained, ¡°Because they are the enemy¡¯s weapons, they naturally contain hostility towards the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Such weapons can¡¯t appear in the world, at least not within the territory of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, so they¡¯re all imprisoned here.¡± Huo Qiyun frowned and caught the point of Lin Ran¡¯s words. ¡°Imprisoned?¡± Lin Ran nodded. ¡°In addition to being hostile to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, these weapons are also filled with strong killing intent and resentment. When these things are mixed together, they will become spirits over time¡­ In other words, they¡¯re all alive.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s face instantly turned pale. He had heard a lot of rumors about weapons choosing their owners, so it was not strange for a weapon to have a spirit. However, when he heard that there were actually tens of thousands of weapons that had become spirits, Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill run down his spine. He subconsciously looked around. The halo emitted by the stone platform could only cover an area of ten feet. The old weapons in the black water reflected a pale white light, and further away was complete darkness. But for some reason, Huo Qiyun felt that there were countless pairs of eyes staring at him¡­ ¡°Pfft!¡± Suddenly, a chuckle broke the strange atmosphere. Huo Qiyun turned around and saw Lin Ran¡¯s smug smile. The fear in his heart was instantly dispelled by anger! ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± Huo Qiyun widened his eyes and was about to draw his sword again when Lin Ran hurriedly raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Calm down, calm down. I¡¯m not kidding you. It¡¯s just that this place is not as terrifying as you think because the spirits the weapon turned into have already escaped.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Huo Qiyun was stunned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that there¡¯s no way out?¡± ¡°Actually, there¡¯s still a way.¡± Lin Ran pointed up. ¡°There¡¯s a Five Elemental Seal on the top of the cave, the height of which I have no clue. Decades ago, the spirit born from countless killing intent and resentment escaped from there.¡± ¡°Five Elemental Seal? Decades ago?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression instantly turned extremely ugly. ¡°Are you talking about the demon? The spirit that the weapons turned into is the demon that Grandpa Sword God sealed here back then? The demon actually ran out?!¡± Looking at Huo Qiyun¡¯s shocked expression, Lin Ran had no intention of mocking him because when he found out about this in the Hundred Fragrance Palace, his reaction was even greater than Huo Qiyun¡¯s. After Huo Qiyun calmed down a little, Lin Ran explained, ¡°Actually, many years ago, there were no demons in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± ¡°Back then, Sword God didn¡¯t defeat the demon and seal it here. Instead, the demon was born here. Sword God sealed it to prevent it from escaping.¡± ¡°The so-called demon is something born from the killing intent, resentment, and all kinds of negative emotions in these weapons. However, this process took a long time, and it¡¯s longer than you can imagine.¡± ¡°But no matter how long it took, knowing that this outcome would come sooner or later one day, the Heavenly Saint Emperor built Mount Sword¡­¡± At this point, Lin Ran suddenly paused and pointed at the surrounding darkness. ¡°You should have realized that this main peak is more like a mechanism than an array formation. This is because in the era of the founder of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, array formations weren¡¯t as advanced as now.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded thoughtfully. ¡°So the Heavenly Saint Emperor built Mount Sword and imprisoned these weapons here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Lin Ran snapped his fingers. ¡°In addition to this mountain, the divine swords outside have the same effect. Their sword intent can suppress the evil aura here and delay the birth of the demon.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right though. If what you said is true, the weapons here should have been here when Mount Sword was built.¡± Huo Qiyun frowned. ¡°Even if it was a founding war, the enemy couldn¡¯t possibly have so many divine weapons. Moreover, what about the weapons captured in the subsequent wars? Should we build another Mount Sword to keep them too?¡± ¡°That brings us to the second function of this mountain.¡± Lin Ran stuck out two fingers and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know the route at all, but you still came here¡­ Do you think it¡¯s luck?¡± Huo Qiyun thought for a moment and understood. ¡°Are you saying that the mechanism here can transport anything inside the mountain here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Ran nodded. ¡°Other than the secret passage where we came in, there are many other passages hidden in this mountain. As long as the weapons are placed in the passage, they will eventually end up being here.¡± Chapter 111 - 111 Imminent Crisis 111 Imminent Crisis After Huo Qiyun took a while to absorb everything, Lin Ran continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the initial activation method was, but later on, Sword God set up an array formation and used the scabbard of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar as the key. It¡¯s also because of this special use that the scabbard has been stored in the palace.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Huo Qiyun nodded in realization, still looking a little confused. After all, this matter involved all the history of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. To him, it was too much information. After a few more minutes, Huo Qiyun asked tentatively, ¡°So if we want to get out, we have to go up to the cave top and open the Five Elemental Seal?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand with a confident smile. ¡°I¡¯ve already completely mastered the array formation. As long as I can get ashore, I can reverse the array formation and get the mechanism to rotate the mountain to send us out.¡± Huo Qiyun was stunned. ¡°But in that case, won¡¯t the thing trapped in here come out with us?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overly worried. How can a demon be born so quickly?¡± Lin Ran burst out laughing. ¡°Ever since the founder of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty built Mount Sword, only one demon has been born. The next one will be at least a few hundred years later. If you enter the Saint Realm, you might be able to live long enough to see that day.¡± Only then did Huo Qiyun heave a sigh of relief. He changed the topic and asked, ¡°By the way, when that demon broke out of the seal, what was his cultivation level?¡± ¡°Half-Saint. Otherwise, Sword God wouldn¡¯t have lost to him.¡± Lin Ran replied casually. As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that something was wrong. He suddenly looked up at Huo Qiyun, who was also looking at him. The two of them looked at each other. Huo Qiyun probed with a subtle expression, ¡°When the demon was just born¡­ what was its cultivation level?¡± ¡°¡­Maybe Warrior?¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and answered with uncertainty. Actually, Lin Ran didn¡¯t know either, but the demon definitely wasn¡¯t a Half-Saint when it was born. Otherwise, Sword God wouldn¡¯t have said that the demon was cunning and sinister. How long would it take to cultivate from ¡°Warrior¡± to ¡°Half-Saint¡±? Lin Ran did it in six years, but a genius like him was rare. For example, Huo Qiyun, who was also known as a ¡°genius¡±, had cultivated for more than decades and was only at the peak of the Senior Martial Master Realm. The Ten Miles Sword God, who also had the Formless Sword Body, had cultivated diligently for a hundred years but still had not entered the Half-Saint Realm. As Lin Ran was deep in thought, suddenly, there was the sound of water splashing in the darkness, as if something was approaching them. The sound of water was very soft, but in the silence, it sounded like thunder! In an instant, Huo Qiyun drew his sword and assumed a defensive posture. Lin Ran stood up faster than Huo Qiyun, but after unsheathing his sword, he stopped. He looked at the broken Ten Miles Dragon Roar in his hand with a dejected expression. Because this platform was devoid of sword intent, even the Ten Miles Dragon Roar was only an ordinary sword at this moment. Lin Ran was really not confident that this broken sword could protect him from danger. However, he could not use internal force here, so he could not change his sword from the Divine Sword Technique Manual. After thinking for a moment, he sheathed his sword. Then, he held the hilt of the sword with both hands and raised the sheathed Ten Miles Dragon Roar like a baseball bat. At the same time, the sound of water in the darkness was much closer. It sounded like it was almost at the edge of the halo on the stone platform. The two of them held their breaths at the same time and stared in the direction of the sound of water, wanting to see what could move freely in this extremely corrosive black water. Whoosh¡ª As soon as the ripples spread from the darkness to the halo, Huo Qiyun subconsciously pointed the tip of his sword in that direction. However, at this moment, the sound of water in the darkness suddenly disappeared. The silence fell again, but the sense of danger in the air did not weaken at all. The two of them, who could not use their internal force, could only maintain a vigilant posture and not move. As Huo Qiyun was on guard, he asked softly, ¡°I forgot to ask just now. Since you know this place so well, do you know what¡¯s in the water?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Hearing this question, Lin Ran immediately looked embarrassed. ¡°That place is quite dangerous. Something happened before I had the chance to find out about this¡­¡± Huo Qiyun was speechless. ¡°What was wrong with you? Why did you miss the most important part?¡± ¡°What could I do? Do you not start reading a book from the first page?¡± At this moment, there was another splash in the darkness, but this time, it appeared in another direction! The two of them quickly turned around. Lin Ran asked anxiously in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯ve been here for so long. Do you know how long it will be before we get to the shore?¡± ¡°The stone platform will reach the shore once every two hours.¡± As Huo Qiyun spoke, he thought for a moment. ¡°There¡¯s still about 15 minutes before we approach the shore.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be too late.¡± Lin Ran replied softly with an unprecedented solemn expression, ¡°I can feel that the thing in the water is running out of patience. It will attack soon.¡± As if to confirm Lin Ran¡¯s guess, another sound of water splashing came from the darkness, this time on their left. Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression turned solemn too. ¡°But we can¡¯t use internal force now. Otherwise, if this water explodes, everyone¡­ What are you doing?¡± Before he could finish speaking, Huo Qiyun saw Lin Ran raise the Ten Miles Dragon Roar in one hand and start to take off his clothes with the other. ¡°I have a plan, but I need you to take a risk.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he took off the outermost layer of his clothes and began to unbuckle his belt. ¡°I¡¯ll give you my clothes later. As for me, I¡¯ll fly to the shore on my sword. You said before that it¡¯s fine to use internal force on the shore.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll illuminate this place and use my sword to lure the thing away from us. Take the opportunity to activate your internal force and jump ashore.¡± ¡°And what you have to do is protect yourself with my clothes when the water explodes.¡± ¡°No!¡± Huo Qiyun immediately refused. Although Lin Ran asked him to take the risk, this plan sounded more risky for Lin Ran. ¡°This place is too close to the water. You won¡¯t be able to dodge it.¡± ¡°How will we know if we don¡¯t try?¡± Lin Ran turned around with a casual smile on his face. Before Huo Qiyun could speak, he suddenly jumped up and flashed away! Almost at the same time, a pitch-black water curtain exploded and instantly swallowed Lin Ran! Chapter 112 - 112 Risk and Opportunity Coexist 112 Risk and Opportunity Coexist ¡°Lin Ran.¡± Huo Qiyun let out a heart-wrenching roar, but what answered him was only the sound of the extremely corrosive black water. Countless drops of black water fell like raindrops. Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t have time to think too much. He immediately grabbed Lin Ran¡¯s clothes and shook them. However, in just a few seconds, the entire clothes were corroded until only a few pieces of cloth were left. The burning pain came from all over his body. Huo Qiyun quickly tore off his clothes and continued to shake them. At the same time, he took a few steps back and stopped at the edge of the stone platform. Countless black water droplets fell down. The burning pain made Huo Qiyun go crazy. He could even hear his skin sizzle due to corrosion. ¡°I almost died this time because that stupid guy¡­¡± Huo Qiyun cursed under his breath. The pain made him fall to the ground uncontrollably. In front of him were countless black water droplets that reflected cold light. Suddenly, the entire cave was illuminated by dazzling flames! The sudden light made Huo Qiyun subconsciously close his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Lin Ran flying in the air on the Yin-Yang Sword! Water curtains exploded one after another behind Lin Ran. At the same time, Lin Ran¡¯s roar came from afar. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Move!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not dead!¡± Huo Qiyun was overjoyed. His heart, which had already fallen into despair, suddenly surged with endless power! ¡°Hold on!¡± Huo Qiyun roared back and quickly looked around to find the edge closest to the shore. The internal force in his body that had been dormant for a long time erupted with a bang. Endless power began to surge. Then, Huo Qiyun roared and jumped towards the shore hundreds of feet away! ¡°Don¡¯t jump! Go back!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s roar was heard. Before Huo Qiyun could react, he saw the water under his feet explode! At this moment, Huo Qiyun had just jumped up and was less than five feet above the water. It was so close that even Lin Ran might not be able to dodge! As he thought about how he would fall into the water and be melted by the black water until not a bone was left, Huo Qiyun¡¯s face turned as pale as paper. Time seemed to slow down at this moment. Huo Qiyun watched as the water curtain slowly surged up like glue. White smoke began to emit from the soles of his shoes. Then, more and more white smoke appeared, and he began to feel a burning pain from his feet. ¡°Why in the world would I believe him just now?¡± This was the last thought that flashed through Huo Qiyun¡¯s mind. Then, his vision blurred, and the water curtain under his feet turned into a solid ground. A majestic violent sword intent swept over, swallowing him like a hungry ferocious beast. However, this feeling only lasted for a moment. After that, the violent sword intent disappeared, revealing Lin Ran¡¯s face in front of Huo Qiyun. When Huo Qiyun came back to his senses, he realized that he was wrapped in Lin Ran¡¯s sword energy cage. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Huo Qiyun asked in confusion. He turned around and looked at his position. It was more than 300 feet away from the pool of black water. ¡°How did I get here in an instant?¡± ¡°I activated my Mystic Sword Technique, but only those who have reached the Senior Grandmaster Realm can learn it, so I can¡¯t teach you now.¡± Lin Ran explained casually, then complained, ¡°What was wrong with you just now? I told you not to jump. Why did you still jump out? If I wasn¡¯t fast enough, you would be gone!¡± ¡°You still have the cheek to say that!¡± Huo Qiyun glared at him and said angrily, ¡°You only told me not to jump when I was already in the air. Do you think it¡¯s so easy to retract the internal force once it¡¯s activated¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Lin Ran suddenly stabbed the Dragon Roar Sword a few times, and the sword energy cage around the two of them started flickering as if it was about to be dispelled. After the sword energy cage stabilized again, Lin Ran shrugged and said casually, ¡°Isn¡¯t this very easy?¡± Huo Qiyun gritted his teeth so hard that they were about to shatter. After a pause, he changed the topic and asked, ¡°What happened just now? Didn¡¯t you already lure that thing away?¡± Lin Ran looked embarrassed. ¡°I made a wrong judgment.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Huo Qiyun was confused. ¡°There¡¯s more than one thing in the water?¡± ¡°There is only one, but¡­¡± Lin Ran stammered as if he didn¡¯t know how to describe it. After a moment, he held the hilt of his sword and said, ¡°See for yourself.¡± Hundreds of fire attribute sword energy spiraled down from the sky, illuminating the entire space. Huo Qiyun turned around and saw a shocking scene¡ª As the fire attribute sword energy approached, the entire pitch-black water began to surge violently. The tens of thousands of weapons inserted in it seemed to resonate and vibrate violently, creating sharp and ear-piercing cries. Huo Qiyun was so shocked by this scene that he was speechless. After half a minute, he said in surprise, ¡°Your fire attribute sword energy is already so powerful? It can even stir the water.¡± ¡°Are you blind or stupid?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he pointed at the black pool not far away. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? We always thought that there was something in the water, but in fact, this water itself is that thing!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Huo Qiyun exclaimed and looked over again. He realized that it was indeed a little strange. Although the entire water was surging, the extent was different. Where the fire elemental sword energy was slightly higher, the water was relatively calm. Where the fire elemental sword energy was lower, the water was surging violently. It was as if this black water was a naughty child reaching out to touch the fire attribute sword energy, but because of the scorching heat, it did not dare to get closer. This discovery surprised Huo Qiyun, but at the same time, he was puzzled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to us if this water is alive. We¡¯re already ashore. You should hurry up and get out.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Since this thing is alive, I have a bold idea.¡± Lin Ran squatted at the edge of the sword energy cage. He stared straight at the pool of black water and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s expression, Huo Qiyun immediately had an ominous feeling. This was not the first time Huo Qiyun had seen this expression. In the past, every time he saw this expression, it meant that Lin Ran had a rather unreliable idea. As expected. Less than a second after Lin Ran finished speaking, a gap as wide as a person suddenly opened in the sword energy cage in front of him. Before Huo Qiyun could react, Lin Ran had already stood up and walked out of the sword energy cage. Then, he jumped into the black water pool without hesitation! Chapter 113 - 113 Escape, Strange Black Sword 113 Escape, Strange Black Sword A large amount of white smoke rose into the air. When the smoke dissipated, Lin Ran was nowhere to be seen. At this moment, Huo Qiyun was really hopeless. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere if you want to die, but at least show me the way out before you jump!¡± Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but curse. As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly realized that something was wrong. The sword energy cage was powered by Lin Ran¡¯s internal force. Now that Lin Ran had jumped into the black water, why was the sword energy cage still running? ¡°Is he still alive?¡± Just as Huo Qiyun thought this, he saw the surging black water suddenly calm down. It was so fast that it was as if what happened just now was just an illusion. Immediately after, the sound of water splashing could be heard. Ripples appeared on the calm water surface again, but it was not as violent as before. Instead, it was like a stream of quietly flowing water. Huo Qiyun watched dumbfoundedly as all the water gathered at the place where Lin Ran jumped into the water and slowly twisted into an increasingly huge vortex. As the vortex continued to expand, the water level began to lower rapidly. The old weapons that were submerged in the water started to come out, and dense worm-like holes appeared on them! Just as Huo Qiyun was wondering what was going on, he suddenly saw Lin Ran¡¯s head sticking out of the water surface. His face was red and he was gritting his teeth, as if he was enduring some extremely intense pain. Huo Qiyun knew that it was the pain of the black water corroding him, but compared to feeling sorry for Lin Ran, he was more curious why Lin Ran wasn¡¯t dead. It had to be known that just a few drops of black water had already caused Huo Qiyun immense pain. Now that Lin Ran was soaked in the black water, shouldn¡¯t he be corroded to the point where not even ashes were left? At this moment, the pitch-black water was still lowering rapidly. Soon, Lin Ran¡¯s upper body was revealed from the water. His clothes had been corroded clean, and his muscles were exposed to the air. His skin was as red as his face. ¡°Lin Ran.¡± Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Are you dead? If you¡¯re not, just make a sound!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! Lend me some of your internal force!¡± Lin Ran closed his eyes and squeezed out these words from between his teeth. Almost at the same time, the fire attribute sword energy that lit up the cave was extinguished, and the sword energy cage around Huo Qiyun quietly collapsed. Without the protection of the sword energy cage, endless violent sword intent instantly swept over! Perhaps Huo Qiyun had already gotten used to it, but after being exposed to the sword intent this time, although he felt like his entire body was being cut by a knife, it was not as painful as before. Huo Qiyun was puzzled, but he didn¡¯t have time to think too much about it. He grabbed his sword and activated his internal force. He pointed at Lin Ran¡¯s position and the majestic pure internal force immediately shot out from his sword! A storm of sword intent wreaked havoc outside his body, and the internal force in his body was quickly dissipating. In just a few seconds, Huo Qiyun began to feel his vision go dark. His consciousness began to dissipate bit by bit as his internal force was consumed¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me? Why do I risk my life for him?¡± The last thought flashed across Huo Qiyun¡¯s mind. Then, he couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and fainted. After an unknown period of time, Huo Qiyun was woken up by the dazzling light. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a magnificent scene¡ª The burning sun emitted a warm hue, dyeing a large area of the sky red. Beside him, Lin Ran was leaning against a large rock with his eyes closed. The strange redness on his body had already receded, and his shoulder-length black hair fluttered in the evening breeze. There was only a rag around his waist, and that rag looked a little familiar. Huo Qiyun looked down at his body. As expected, half of his clothes were gone. ¡°Lin Ran.¡± Huo Qiyun roared and sat up. ¡°Are you out of your mind?! Why did you tear my clothes off?!¡± ¡°Aiya, I¡¯ll give you a new set of clothes when I get back!¡± Lin Ran replied lazily with his eyes closed, looking exhausted. ¡°Besides, I saved you. Isn¡¯t your life worth a piece of tattered clothes?¡± Seeing that he was so tired, Huo Qiyun was less angry. He sighed and asked, ¡°What happened just now? Why didn¡¯t you die when you jumped into the water?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that?¡± Lin Ran chuckled and raised his chin at Huo Qiyun. ¡°Aren¡¯t you fine too?¡± Huo Qiyun had also come into physical contact with a lot of black water previously, and his clothes had long been turned into tatters. He thought that his body would be covered in scars, so he did not dare to look at it. After hesitating for a moment, he looked down and realized that there were no scars at all. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but ask in surprise. As he spoke, he looked at a few places where he clearly remembered being corroded, but he still didn¡¯t find any signs of scars. Lin Ran shrugged with his eyes closed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. Perhaps this insect is vegetarian?¡± ¡°Insect?¡± Huo Qiyun was about to ask something when he saw Lin Ran pick up a sword from the ground beside him. The sword was black, and so was the ground. ¡°See for yourself!¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he threw the sword over. Huo Qiyun caught it and realized that something was wrong. Firstly, this sword was much heavier than he had imagined. Secondly, the blade was as black as ink and as smooth as a mirror. However, when he held it in his hand, the surface felt very rough, as if there were many invisible particles attached to it. Huo Qiyun held the hilt of the sword and waved it gently. He immediately decided that it was impossible for this sword to be used in actual combat because the center of gravity was too strange. Usually, a long sword¡¯s center of gravity was closer to the hilt so that the sword holder could dance with it, while a heavy sword¡¯s center of gravity was closer to the tip of the sword, so that its slash could cause more damage. The shape of this sword was clearly that of a long sword, but it had the center of gravity of a heavy sword, giving people the feeling that the sword would fly out if the sword holder didn¡¯t control his strength well while wielding it. In short, in Huo Qiyun¡¯s opinion, there was almost nothing desirable about this sword. As a sword, it didn¡¯t even have the most basic sword intent. He really didn¡¯t understand what Lin Ran wanted him to see. ¡°Lin Ran, this sword¡­¡± Huo Qiyun was puzzled and was about to ask when he realized that Lin Ran was smiling. Then, the black sword began to melt in his hand! Chapter 114 - 114 Demon 114 Demon-Slaying Divine Artifact The black sword melted extremely quickly, like a sword made of snow falling into a pot of boiling water. However, the snow was black. Almost instantly, the entire sword melted into black water and flowed down between Huo Qiyun¡¯s fingers to the ground. Huo Qiyun felt a familiar burning sensation and saw a strange red color on his hand where the black water touched. Shock immediately appeared in his eyes. He suddenly looked at Lin Ran and asked in surprise, ¡°That black water is actually a sword?!¡± ¡°That ¡®water¡¯ is actually a large swarm of insects, but I condensed it into a sword.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he waved his hand, and the black water on the ground immediately began to gather. In just a few seconds, it condensed into the shape of a sword. Huo Qiyun still looked puzzled. Lin Ran could only continue to explain, ¡°These insects are extremely small and have to be connected to their companions. The more insects there are, the more active they will be. However, once they leave the swarm, they will immediately lose their vitality.¡± ¡°In addition, I realized that other than metal, they also feed on sword intent and evil aura, so I activated sword intent to gather them to form a sword.¡± ¡°Your idea¡­ is quite unique.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded with a strange expression. ¡°But why do you want such a sword?¡± ¡°To slay the demon.¡± Lin Ran opened his eyes, his fighting spirit soaring high. ¡°Actually¡­ I met the demon a while back.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn. ¡°What did you say? You¡¯ve actually seen the demon? Then why didn¡¯t you just kill it?¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t kill.¡± Lin Ran replied with a forced smile. Then, he recounted the conversation he had with the demon at the Eight Directional Mountain. At that time, when the demon said that it was unkillable, it didn¡¯t say it out of mockery, but a plain statement of fact. Therefore, Lin Ran had always been curious why he couldn¡¯t kill it. It was only today that he finally found the answer. ¡°The so-called demon is actually a spirit born from the violent sword intent. From a certain perspective, it¡¯s also another kind of ¡°sword intent¡±.¡± Huo Qiyun analyzed it tentatively. Seeing Lin Ran nod, his face immediately revealed fear. ¡°No one can kill the sword intent, just like no one can kill the air!¡± ¡°Not necessarily, as long as you have a vacuum pump.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he raised his hand and waved. The black sword soared into the sky and landed steadily in his hand. ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s a sword that can devour evil aura.¡± ¡°These insects will feed on evil aura. I guess the Heavenly Saint Emperor put it there to delay the birth of evil spirits. As long as I have this sword, even if I can¡¯t kill the demon, I¡¯m confident that I can severely injure it!¡± Looking at the sword made of small insects, Huo Qiyun suddenly felt hope, but he quickly felt that something was wrong. ¡°Since these insects can delay the birth of evil spirits, what will happen in Sword Grave if you take them away now?¡± Huo Qiyun frowned and asked worriedly, ¡°Without these insects, won¡¯t the next demon appear faster?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lin Ran was speechless. Seeing that Huo Qiyun was about to fly into a rage, he hurriedly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I still left half of them in Sword Grave. Moreover, I¡¯m only borrowing these insects. I¡¯ll return them after I kill the demon!¡± Only then did Huo Qiyun hold back his curses. He paused for a moment and said worriedly, ¡°But even so, it¡¯s still very risky¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we have to kill the demon as soon as possible and return these insects.¡± Lin Ran interrupted Huo Qiyun and walked over to hold his shoulder. He said sincerely, ¡°This is the only way to minimize the risk, right?¡± ¡°Right, right¡­¡± Huo Qiyun looked at Lin Ran¡¯s sincere eyes and nodded in agreement. However, he felt that this idea was a little unreliable, and he had an ominous feeling. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Huo Qiyun asked seriously, ¡°Do you know where the demon is?¡± Lin Ran smiled and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I know where it wants to go.¡± ¡­ In the palace. Under the deep starry sky, two figures flashed across the sky like lightning and flew straight in the direction of Mingzhao Hall! The palace guards along the way noticed the abnormality and were about to attack when a surging sword intent suddenly descended from the sky. Everyone immediately knew who the figure was and sheathed their swords to continue patrolling. In Mingzhao Hall. After Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun washed up, they changed into clean clothes. Then, Lin Ran took out a jade token and handed it to Huo Qiyun. ¡°Give this to His Majesty¡­ By the way, she should be in the bedroom.¡± ¡°Bedroom?¡± Huo Qiyun was stunned when he heard this. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t she be dealing with state affairs in the imperial study at this hour?¡± ¡°Something happened. Go and ask her yourself.¡± Lin Ran sent Huo Qiyun away. After the sky turned completely dark, he sneaked all the way to the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Although the Hidden Sword Pavilion was a forbidden area in the palace, it was usually not guarded by anyone. Only a few teams of guards would pass by occasionally. After all, the array formation in the pavilion was enough to protect the secret. Suddenly, a breeze blew past and Lin Ran quietly appeared in the yard. At this moment, the door of the Hidden Sword Pavilion was open, and the brass lock had been shattered and thrown to the ground. Lin Ran was not surprised at all. He only smiled and walked into the Hidden Sword Pavilion. After passing through the rows of ebony shelves, he arrived at the empty space in the center of the Hidden Sword Pavilion. A seven or eight-year-old girl was sitting there, drawing something in the air with a rattle drum. Other than emptiness in her big black eyes, there was also a hint of anxiety and confusion. Seeing Lin Ran walk over, the little girl only glanced at him indifferently before continuing to draw something in the air. Lin Ran already knew that this little girl was the incarnation of the demon, but when he saw her again, he was in no hurry to attack. When he was seven or eight steps away, he sat down opposite the little girl. ¡°Last time, you fooled me.¡± Lin Ran smiled at the little girl, his eyes flickering. ¡°How about we talk again? As usual, every time each person asks a question, the other party has to answer honestly.¡± The little girl originally ignored him, but when she heard the last sentence, her hand that was drawing in the air suddenly stopped. She turned her big black eyes to Lin Ran. ¡°How do I find the secret room of the Hidden Sword Pavilion?¡± Chapter 115 - 115 Setting Up Ambush 115 Setting Up Ambush After receiving the little girl¡¯s response, Lin Ran knew that his plan could begin. Although he was secretly happy, Lin Ran didn¡¯t show it on his face. He just said with a sincere expression, ¡°That route is very troublesome. It¡¯ll take too much time to tell you. I can lead the way.¡± The little girl¡¯s hollow eyes seemed to light up. ¡°It¡¯s your turn to ask questions.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Lin Ran asked casually without hesitation. Before the other party could speak, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not plotting anything. I just suddenly remembered how I¡¯ve known you for a long time but still didn¡¯t know your name. Also¡­ I don¡¯t kill nameless people.¡± Hearing the last sentence, the little girl suddenly revealed a strange smile, as if an invisible hand was tugging at the corner of her mouth. ¡°What makes you think you can kill me?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later.¡± Lin Ran replied with a smile, ¡°According to the rules, you have to answer my question first.¡± The little girl didn¡¯t say anything immediately. She just stared at Lin Ran with hollow eyes, as if she wanted to see through him. However, in the end, the little girl still did not find anything. She could only reply in a reluctant tone, ¡°I don¡¯t have a name. You can call me Xiao Huai. This is the name that that woman gave me¡­ What makes you think you can kill me?¡± ¡°Because I found something good.¡± Lin Ran said cockily, ¡°It¡¯s a sword. It has some special uses. I think I can use it to kill you¡­ How old are you this year? I mean your actual age, not what you look like.¡± ¡°370 years old¡­ Is that the sword you have that can absorb evil aura?¡± The little girl quickly asked back, but she had no intention of letting Lin Ran answer. She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be disappointed. That sword can only absorb the evil aura I emit. As long as I seal the evil aura in my body, you won¡¯t be able to absorb anything.¡± ¡°Not that one. It¡¯s another sword.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he summoned the Yin-Yang Sword from the Divine Sword Technique Manual and threw it into the yard, as if to say, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t need to use this sword.¡± The little girl looked at Lin Ran and then at the Yin-Yang Sword standing in the yard. There was a hint of vigilance in her hollow eyes. ¡°It¡¯s your turn to ask questions.¡± Lin Ran suddenly hesitated. He propped his chin on his hand and pondered seriously. ¡°Let me think about what to ask.¡± The little girl looked at Lin Ran, who was deep in thought, and the ominous feeling in her heart intensified. However, she couldn¡¯t leave because she still had something very important to figure out¡ªthe sword that Lin Ran said could kill her. Because of this reason, the little girl could only wait patiently. However, she did not know that while she was being held back by Lin Ran, something was quietly happening in the palace. Under the empress¡¯s orders¡ªto be precise, Lin Ran¡¯s orders¡ªall the palace eunuchs left quickly and quietly within ten miles of the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Huo Qiyun stood on a roof three miles away. Although he couldn¡¯t see the scene inside the Hidden Sword Pavilion, he could see the black and white sword in the courtyard. After confirming that it was Lin Ran¡¯s Yin-Yang Sword, Huo Qiyun leaned back and quietly landed on the ground. Immediately, a guard commander came over. ¡°Senior Huo, how is the situation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already begun.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded. ¡°How¡¯s the preparation?¡± ¡°Everything is done as you instructed.¡± As the guard commander spoke, he brought Huo Qiyun to the back of a palace wall. There were already hundreds of people lying in ambush here. They all hid their auras and lined up against the palace wall. ¡°300 people. The lowest is at the first level of Senior Martial Master Realm.¡± The guard commander who led the way introduced in a low voice, ¡°As long as you give the order, we can instantly drown the Hidden Sword Pavilion with sword energy. Even a fly can not fly out!¡± Huo Qiyun nodded. ¡°Not bad!¡± ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Senior Huo!¡± The guard commander cupped his hands and probed, ¡°However¡­ Who are we ambushing? Tell us a little so that we know who the enemy is.¡± ¡°Do what you are told to do. Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask.¡± Huo Qiyun replied coldly. With that, he jumped onto the roof of the watchtower and placed a small whistle by his mouth, blowing out a few short notes. At the same time, in the Hidden Sword Pavilion. A short sound of bird cry was heard. The little girl was immediately on guard. However, before she could divert her attention to investigate the source of the sound, she was attracted by the crisp sound of clapping. ¡°I thought of a good question!¡± Lin Ran clapped his hands and said excitedly, ¡°You¡¯re already more than 300 years old. Why did you turn into a little girl? Is it because you¡¯re a pervert?¡± ¡°You!¡± A hint of anger instantly appeared on the little girl¡¯s face, but in the end, she suppressed her anger and replied seriously, ¡°It¡¯s to confuse that old man. He¡¯s very powerful. Even though I¡¯ve already broken through to the Half-Saint Realm, I was not confident that I could defeat him.¡± Lin Ran nodded. So this was what the Ten Miles Sword God meant by ¡°the demon is cunning and sinister¡±. The Ten Miles Sword God was an upright person. When he suddenly realized that a little girl had appeared in the secret place where he was in seclusion, he would not be too vigilant even if he felt that it was strange. It was probably because of this that the demon found a chance to sneak attack him. Just as Lin Ran was thinking to himself, the little girl asked, ¡°What sword is that that can kill me?¡± Lin Ran came back to his senses and quickly replied, ¡°An ebony black sword.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± The little girl was so shocked that her eyes widened even more, looking like they were about to roll out of her eye sockets. ¡°It¡¯s called ebony black sword.¡± Lin Ran repeated seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve heard of it. I named it myself. Anyway, I won¡¯t need to use it again after I kill you. There¡¯s no need to think of a nice name for it.¡± The little girl did not speak, but her hollow eyes had already turned cold. Ever since she came into being, she had killed the Sword God and annihilated Eight Directional Mountain. But now, Lin Ran kept saying ¡°kill her¡±. He simply didn¡¯t take her seriously! ¡°Draw your sword!¡± The little girl shouted coldly and stood up from the ground. ¡°Let me see your ebony something sword!¡± ¡°It¡¯s called ebony black sword.¡± Lin Ran repeated it again, but he sat rooted to the ground and didn¡¯t move. He just waved his hand and said calmly, ¡°You¡¯ll die as soon as my sword is out. Don¡¯t be in such a hurry. Let¡¯s chat for a while more.¡± ¡°Chat my ass!¡± The little girl was completely enraged by Lin Ran¡¯s words. Her black pupils dilated and instantly covered the whites of her eyes. ¡°Since you want to die so much, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish!¡± Chapter 116 - 116 Staying Calm in Danger. Be a Useful Person 116 Staying Calm in Danger. Be a Useful Person As Xiao Huai spoke, she suddenly began to spin the rattle drum in her hand. Accompanied by the rapid drumbeat, all the standard swords in the Hidden Sword Pavilion vibrated! Clang¡ª Clang¡ª Clang¡ª The sharp whistle caused by the unsheathing of the swords instantly drowned out the drumbeats. All the standard swords were unsheathed out of thin air and gathered together like a school of fish in the deep sea. In an instant, the entire Hidden Sword Pavilion flickered with a cold light, and surging sword intent wreaked havoc, almost materializing! Xiao Huai¡¯s figure slowly rose into the air, and traces of an extremely sinister evil aura spread out from her body, lingering around her like a pitch-black poisonous fog. Soon, Xiao Huai¡¯s figure could no longer be seen clearly. Only her hollow black eyes were hidden in the depths of the evil fog, staring at Lin Ran with malice! All of this happened in an instant. On the watchtower outside the Hidden Sword Pavilion, Huo Qiyun widened his eyes. The entire Hidden Sword Pavilion was enveloped by a pitch-black fog. Even when the wind blew, it did not dissipate. ¡°Oh no! Something happened!¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to rush in with the guards to save Lin Ran, he suddenly stopped. He didn¡¯t see Lin Ran¡¯s signal. According to their plan, Lin Ran would send out three signals to indicate three things. The first signal was the Yin-Yang Sword. If Huo Qiyun saw this sword land in the yard, it meant that Lin Ran had already found the demon and wanted the people outside to be prepared as soon as possible. The signal indicating everything was prepared outside was the sound of bird cry. The second signal was Fire Sword Energy. Once Lin Ran was ready to fight the demon, he would shoot three fire-elemental sword energies into the sky. At that time, under Huo Qiyun¡¯s lead, the 2,400 guards in ambush would use their sword energy to raze the Hidden Sword Pavilion to the ground as soon as possible and catch the demon off guard. As for the third signal, it was the sword intent of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. If the demon¡¯s strength exceeded Lin Ran¡¯s expectations, he would immediately release the sword intent of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. At that time, everyone in the entire palace would have to be evacuated immediately because that meant that Lin Ran and the demon, two Half-Saints, were about to fight to the death. Now that the entire Hidden Sword Pavilion was enveloped in black fog, logically speaking, a fight should have broken out inside. However, Lin Ran¡¯s fire sword energy was still not seen, so Huo Qiyun did not dare to act rashly. Just as Huo Qiyun was hesitating, In the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Lin Ran was surrounded by thick fog. He could feel the extremely sinister aura adhering to his skin. A bone-chilling coldness seeped into his body. If it were anyone else, they would probably have been infected by the evil aura and become a puppet of the demon. However, Lin Ran still sat on the ground calmly. He had no intention of summoning the Yin-Yang Sword. He tilted his head and looked in the direction in the thick fog. Although there was only thick fog in front of him, he knew that Xiao Huai was at that place. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you drawing your sword? Aren¡¯t you afraid of death?¡± Xiao Huai¡¯s voice seemed to come from all directions, accompanied by a clanging sound, as if a big metal bird was shaking its sharp feathers in the depths of the fog. Hearing Xiao Huai¡¯s voice, Lin Ran burst out laughing. ¡°How can anyone not be afraid of death? But I know you won¡¯t kill me. I¡¯m useful to you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°You need me to take you to the secret room.¡± Lin Ran replied with a smile, his deep eyes as unfathomable as the sea. ¡°The secret room of Hidden Sword Pavilion.¡± The surrounding fog stilled, and then there was a long silence. Just as Lin Ran was wondering if the demon had escaped under the cover of the thick fog, Xiao Huai suddenly said, ¡°Take me there.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Ran nodded and stood up. With a light wave of his hand, a sword energy shot out and easily cut open the fog in front of him. In just a few seconds, he stood in front of the huge black boulder. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± As soon as Lin Ran spoke, a thick fog immediately hit the rock. With a sizzle sound, a large amount of white smoke rose from the place where the black fog touched the boulder! From the thick fog came the sound of Xiao Huai gasping in pain, followed by an extremely resentful roar. ¡°You fooled me!¡± The clanging sounds were almost ringing in Lin Ran¡¯s ears. He could even feel the coldness coming from the sharp swords! Even so, Lin Ran did not panic at all. He shrugged and replied, ¡°There¡¯s a protective array formation set up by Sword God on it. Anyone who wants to barge in will be injured. Who asked you to act rashly?¡± Xiao Huai was silent for a moment before asking again, ¡°From what you said, you seem to know how to open it?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Lin Ran nodded. Before Xiao Huai could ask further, he continued, ¡°After this array formation is opened, there¡¯s another stone passage below. At the end of the stone passage is the secret room you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°However, there¡¯s another Five Elements Seal at the entrance of the secret room. It¡¯s the one that trapped you on Mount Sword. If I¡¯m not wrong, you must have spent a lot of effort to break that seal last time, right?¡± Xiao Huai didn¡¯t say anything. Lin Ran put on a casual smile. ¡°I can help you remove the seals, but I have a condition.¡± ¡°What condition?¡± ¡°Two seals for two questions.¡± Lin Ran extended two fingers and added, ¡°Think about it carefully. I don¡¯t have to ask those two questions, but without me removing the seals, you won¡¯t be able to enter the secret room.¡± A few minutes after he finished speaking, the surrounding fog suddenly dissipated. Xiao Huai walked out with a rattle drum. As Xiao Huai appeared, a huge sword formed by countless standard swords slowly appeared from the thick fog. The sharp tip of the sword was less than half an inch away from Lin Ran¡¯s back. As long as Xiao Huai wanted, these thousands of standard swords would instantly tear Lin Ran apart! Xiao Huai¡¯s hollow eyes landed on the boulder. ¡°Remove this seal first, and I¡¯ll answer you two questions.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Ran agreed without hesitation. Then, he summoned the Ten Miles Dragon Roar and stabbed it into the sword mark on the boulder! Chapter 117 - 117 Tacit Understanding and Unconditional Trust 117 Tacit Understanding and Unconditional Trust Buzz¡ª As the Ten Miles Dragon Roar fit into the sword mark on the boulder, the dragon gems on the hilt began to flicker. Before Xiao Huai could react, the entire boulder shook at an extremely high frequency. Then, the ground and walls shook! Outside the Hidden Sword Pavilion, on the watchtower. Huo Qiyun was still hesitating when he suddenly heard a loud sound. He turned around and saw the black fog that enveloped the Hidden Sword Pavilion begin to roll violently, as if something huge was about to rush out! ¡°Something happened! Something big happened!¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression changed drastically. With a clang, he unsheathed his sword. ¡°Listen to my orders¡­¡± ¡°Wait!¡± A low shout suddenly sounded. Huo Qiyun looked down and realized that Lin Ran was actually standing below! Huo Qiyun looked at Lin Ran and then at the black fog rolling around the Hidden Sword Pavilion. He thought he was hallucinating. He asked in confusion, ¡°Aren¡¯t you inside? When did you come out?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Lin Ran was about to speak when he realized that the guards lying in ambush were all looking at them. He pulled Huo Qiyun a few steps away. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Sister Emperor?!¡± ¡°Lin Ran¡± nodded, and Huo Qiyun¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Why are you here? It¡¯s too dangerous here. Go back!¡± ¡°I came to supervise you.¡± The empress lowered her voice and said seriously, ¡°Lin Ran guessed that you would act rashly and specially asked me to keep an eye on you. If I hadn¡¯t arrived in time just now, you would have caused a big trouble!¡± Huo Qiyun was unconvinced. ¡°What do you mean? Do you know what¡¯s going on inside the Hidden Sword Pavilion? I¡¯m just playing it safe¡­¡± Before Huo Qiyun could finish, the empress asked calmly, ¡°Did you see his signal?¡± Huo Qiyun was speechless. After a few seconds, he said apologetically, ¡°No, but¡­¡± ¡°Did you see his signal?¡± Huo Qiyun opened his mouth a few times. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Sister Empress, why do you trust him so much?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The empress chuckled and shook her head, but her eyes were filled with determination. ¡°But I trust him.¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t know what to say. In the Hidden Sword Pavilion. A large amount of dust fell down. Xiao Huai immediately summoned a thick fog to cover her head and looked at Lin Ran with hollow eyes. ¡°What did you do?! Why is there such a huge commotion?!¡± In this earth-shattering scene, Lin Ran still had his arms crossed in calmness. The smile on his face did not change at all. ¡°It¡¯s normal for there to be some commotion when such a powerful array formation is activated¡­ Are you really a demon? Why are you so gun-shy?¡± Lin Ran replied with disdain, as if he had already forgotten how terrified he was when he first opened the array formation. Xiao Huai stared at Lin Ran, wanting to determine if he was telling the truth from his expression. However, before she could gain anything, all the vibrations suddenly stopped. A crack quietly appeared on the boulder. Then, the entire boulder began to split in half, revealing a stone staircase that went straight down. A surging sword intent swept out. Unlike Mount Sword or Sword Grave, the sword intent here contained a strong killing intent, but it did not feel violent. After all, in this secret room, there were the swords of famous generals. Xiao Huai¡¯s hollow eyes lit up. She raised her foot and was about to go down when a hand stopped her. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Lin Ran grabbed Xiao Huai and said seriously, ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my questions.¡± Xiao Huai¡¯s hollow eyes turned cold. The huge sword formed by countless swords easily cut through Lin Ran¡¯s clothes and pressed against his skin. ¡°Are you qualified to negotiate with me now?¡± Sensing the bone-piercing coldness on his back, Lin Ran actually smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about whether you can kill me or not. Even if you can, after you go down, someone will come in and close the array formation.¡± Xiao Huai¡¯s expression changed slightly. The smile on Lin Ran¡¯s face widened. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be trapped down there forever, do you?¡± Xiao Huai stared at Lin Ran. ¡°How do I know if you¡¯re playing tricks with me or not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. I¡¯ll prove it to you.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he took out a standard sword from the huge sword. Then, with a flip of his wrist, a bright fire attribute sword energy immediately soared into the sky! Boom! A crack was cut open on the roof of the Hidden Sword Pavilion. At the same time, the people lying in ambush outside also saw the fire that shot up into the sky! ¡°There¡¯s a signal!¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes lit up and he was about to make a move, but he hesitated. ¡°Why is there only one signal? Aren¡¯t there supposed to be three signals?¡± The empress, who was disguised as Lin Ran, thought for a moment and seemed to understand something. ¡°Try slashing a sword energy first.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Huo Qiyun agreed and jumped up. He slashed in the direction of the Hidden Sword Pavilion. A sword energy rushed into the black fog and disappeared without a trace. The black fog was still rolling, as if it was not affected at all. Seeing this, Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn. He did not use his full strength in that strike just now, but it was enough to cut open the door of the Hidden Sword Pavilion a mile away. However, this strike was almost ineffective, which meant that the defense of the black fog was far beyond what he could contend with. If even a peak level Senior Martial Master like him could not do it, let alone the other guards. Thinking of this, Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but feel gloomy. At the same time, he began to wonder if Lin Ran¡¯s plan was really feasible¡­ Meanwhile, in the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Xiao Huai¡¯s hollow eyes suddenly flashed, as if she had sensed something. Lin Ran smiled and said calmly, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve already noticed. Can I ask questions now?¡± Xiao Huai nodded. Lin Ran¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. ¡°How many people have you killed since you broke out of the seal?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡± Xiao Huai shook her head and looked at Lin Ran in confusion. ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± Lin Ran had a smile on his face, but his tone was as cold as ice. ¡°I want to know how many people you¡¯ve killed so that I can decide how painful your death should be.¡± Xiao Huai nodded and did not seem to take it seriously. After thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°About a thousand?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes turned colder and colder, and he couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists. ¡°Sixty years ago, more than 3,000 people were killed by you in the seven villages around Mount Sword alone!¡± Facing the murderous Lin Ran, Xiao Huai frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°What villages? What are you talking about?¡± Chapter 118 - 118 Unexpected Situation 118 Unexpected Situation Seeing that Xiao Huai actually denied her crime, even Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be infuriated. Lin Ran flipped his wrist and pointed the standard sword at Xiao Huai¡¯s throat. ¡°You still want to deny it? The villagers died exactly the same way as those people from the Eight Directional Mountain. Are you still going to deny it?¡± Xiao Huai glanced at the shiny sword at her neck, her hollow eyes filled with disdain. ¡°I always thought you were a smart person, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be a fool¡­ If I did it, why wouldn¡¯t I dare to admit it?¡± Lin Ran was speechless. That¡¯s right. Xiao Huai had already admitted that she had killed more than a thousand people. Why would she care about adding a few thousand more? If she was afraid that Lin Ran would make her die too miserably, it would be even more ridiculous. She was a demon born in Sword Grave. The so-called ¡°pain¡± was nothing in front of her. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran moved the blade back half an inch. ¡°Did you really not kill the people in those villages? Then who did you kill?¡± ¡°Those people from the Eight Directional Mountain.¡± Xiao Huai replied without hesitation, ¡°Only killing those with evil intentions can help me cultivate. Killing others is meaningless to me.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes at Xiao Huai. His rationality kept telling him that the person in front of him was a demon who would do anything to achieve her goal, so he couldn¡¯t believe everything she said! However, at the same time, Lin Ran had a strong feeling that Xiao Huai was not lying. The remains of the Sword God in the secret passage of Mount Sword were proof of that. There were no clothes on the bones of the Eight Directional Mountain. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know if it had been sucked away by Xiao Huai, but there were thousands of bones, which was enough to show that Xiao Huai had a habit of sucking flesh and blood. When Lin Ran discovered the Sword God¡¯s remains, it was clearly covered in clothes. This meant that the Sword God¡¯s flesh and blood weren¡¯t sucked away, and it also verified Xiao Huai¡¯s words that only those with evil intentions could help her cultivate. However, if the people from the seven villages were not killed by Xiao Huai, who would do such a cruel thing? After being conflicted for a while, Lin Ran finally made up his mind and threw the sword in his hand far away. ¡°I believe you.¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and looked at Xiao Huai, his originally calm face filled with conflict. ¡°Second question, why are you looking for this secret room?¡± ¡°In order to shatter the void and ascend.¡± Xiao Huai replied frankly, ¡°There¡¯s a secret room in the Hidden Sword Pavilion. I want to find a sword inside¡­ Don¡¯t ask. I don¡¯t know the name of that sword, but that person said that as long as I enter the secret room, I¡¯ll know which sword I¡¯m looking for.¡± ¡°That person?¡± Lin Ran instantly grasped the key. There was something he couldn¡¯t figure out previously. It was Xiao Huai¡¯s first time in the palace. How could she know about the secret room of the Hidden Sword Pavilion? It had to be noted that this was not a famous place. Even the old people who had been in the palace for decades might not know about the existence of the secret room. From the looks of it, Xiao Huai seemed to have been used by someone. Thinking of this, Lin Ran hurriedly asked, ¡°Who is the ¡®that person¡¯ you mentioned? Why did he help you?¡± Xiao Huai looked straight at Lin Ran with hollow eyes. ¡°I¡¯m done answering you two questions.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and looked at the Ten Miles Dragon Roar that was inches away from him. After weighing the pros and cons for a moment, he finally raised his foot and stepped on the stone staircase. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll open the door for you.¡± Xiao Huai nodded and shook the rattle drum in her hand a few times. A few standard swords separated from the ¡°huge sword¡± and pointed at Lin Ran¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t play tricks, or I¡¯ll kill you immediately.¡± Xiao Huai said coldly with a murderous aura. Lin Ran shrugged and walked down the stone staircase and quickly disappeared into the darkness. Xiao Huai waited for a while more before following down. As she left the Hidden Sword Pavilion, the black fog began to dissipate, and the Hidden Sword Pavilion, which was already wrapped in black fog, slowly appeared. As the last wisp of black fog flowed into the secret passage, the ¡°huge sword¡± floating in the air lost control and fell to the ground with a clang. The sound of blades colliding spread in the night. Huo Qiyun moved his ears and jumped onto the roof. The empress also heard the sound, but because she couldn¡¯t jump so high, she could only ask anxiously from below, ¡°Qiyun! What¡¯s going on over there?¡± Huo Qiyun quickly said, ¡°The black fog around the Hidden Sword Pavilion has dissipated, but it¡¯s quiet inside. I don¡¯t know what exactly is going on.¡± The empress frowned slightly. ¡°Is there a signal?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Is there anything abnormal?¡± Huo Qiyun thought for a moment before jumping to the ground. He looked at the empress and asked seriously, ¡°Everything is normal¡­ Is it considered abnormal?¡± ¡°Everything is normal?¡± The empress¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn. Lin Ran and the demon were both Half-Saints. She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Hidden Sword Pavilion was reduced to ashes, but now, there was no movement at all. It was indeed abnormal. In the empress¡¯s opinion, there were only two possibilities. The first possibility was that the demon had been convinced by Lin Ran, so the two of them did not fight, but the possibility was almost zero. The second possibility was that the demon or Lin Ran was abnormally powerful. One of them was instantly killed before he could make a move. ¡°Wait another fifteen minutes.¡± After weighing the pros and cons, the empress said, ¡°In fifteen minutes, if there¡¯s still no signal from Lin Ran, we¡¯ll rush in!¡± ¡°Not you though.¡± Huo Qiyun corrected her softly. Then, he looked at the empress seriously. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll wait for another fifteen minutes, but you have to leave immediately!¡± Before the empress could say anything, Huo Qiyun continued, ¡°There¡¯s no room for negotiation on this matter. If things really develop to that extent, everyone in the palace will have to leave. Only you can give this order!¡± The empress frowned at Huo Qiyun. It was obvious that she was still hesitating, but in the end, she nodded. ¡°Be careful. No matter what happens, you have to come back alive!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t lived enough!¡± Huo Qiyun smiled. After the empress walked away, the smile on his face instantly disappeared. ¡°Commander Chen.¡± Huo Qiyun called the guard commander over and instructed seriously, ¡°If I don¡¯t come back in 15 minutes, retreat immediately.¡± Commander Chen was stunned when he heard that. ¡°Come back? Where are you going?¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say anything. He just looked in the direction of the Hidden Sword Pavilion, his eyes gradually turning solemn. Chapter 119 - 119 The Mastermind Behind the Scenes 119 The Mastermind Behind the Scenes On the stone staircase of the Hidden Sword Pavilion¡¯s secret room. Lin Ran slowly walked down the stone staircase step by step. Behind him were a few standard swords that were hanging in the air and pressing against his back. A few more steps back was Xiao Huai, who was holding a rattle drum with a vigilant expression. After walking down dozens of steps, Xiao Huai finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for a long time. How far is it?¡± ¡°About¡­ seven to eight miles?¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and said, ¡°These swords are pressed against my back. I don¡¯t dare to use my internal energy, so I can only walk.¡± ¡°Then take your time.¡± Xiao Huai replied in a low voice with a hint of smugness in her tone, ¡°Don¡¯t get smart with me. If I find out that you use any internal energy, I¡¯ll kill you immediately!¡± ¡°Threatening me isn¡¯t gonna get us anywhere.¡± Lin Ran chuckled without looking back. In fact, he was extremely nervous. Along the way, he had tested it many times and had already figured out the limit of internal energy fluctuations that Xiao Huai could sense. Without being detected by Xiao Huai, Lin Ran could use a very small amount of internal energy to activate the Mystic Gate Sword Technique, but he could only move about ten steps at most. It was far from the standard of ¡°safe distance¡±. However, this was not why Lin Ran was nervous. He had changed his plan at the last minute and didn¡¯t have time to inform people outside. It had been nearly fifteen minutes since the last time he sent the signal. He was worried that Huo Qiyun would rush in impatiently. If Xiao Huai found out, she would definitely kill him. ¡°I hope the empress can keep an eye on him¡­¡± As Lin Ran walked down the stone staircase, he prayed in his heart. However, he did not know that Huo Qiyun had already arrived outside the door of the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Seeing the broken brass lock, Huo Qiyun subconsciously placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. He listened for a moment to make sure that there was no movement, then leaned close to the crack in the door and shouted softly, ¡°Lin Ran? Are you there?¡± No one answered. He shouted a few more times, but it was the same. A hesitant expression appeared on Huo Qiyun¡¯s face. After a moment, he took a deep breath, pushed open the door a crack, and flashed in. The Hidden Sword Pavilion was quiet, but the sword intent in the air was much stronger than usual. Huo Qiyun thought that it was Lin Ran who did it, so he didn¡¯t think too much of it. Under the cover of the wooden racks, he continued to walk in and suddenly had a strange feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. If Lin Ran were here, he would definitely stay where he was and rack his brains to figure out what happened, but Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t. Almost as soon as he realized that something was wrong, he immediately retreated the way he came. After a while, he returned to the door.. After taking another deep breath, Huo Qiyun pushed open the door and flashed in. He continued to feel his way forward. The only difference was that this time, he began to observe the surrounding environment carefully. After walking around two wooden racks, Huo Qiyun found the problem. There were no weapons on the wooden racks here. Although there was no rule that the wooden racks of the Hidden Sword Pavilion had to be filled with weapons, the two wooden racks he passed were both empty, and it was by no means normal. ¡°Is it Lin Ran who did it?¡± There was no need for Lin Ran to do this. To a Half-Saint, these standard swords were useless, not to mention that Lin Ran already had so many divine swords. Since it wasn¡¯t Lin Ran who did it, there was only one possibility. Huo Qiyun narrowed his eyes, his childish face filled with seriousness. Although he didn¡¯t know what was happening in the Hidden Sword Pavilion, he acutely sensed that the whereabouts of these standard swords might be the key! Closing his eyes and carefully sensing the sword intent in the air, Huo Qiyun quickly realized that the sword intent in one direction was especially strong. Then, he hid his aura and sneaked in that direction. After going around more than ten wooden racks, Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression became strange because he realized that he had returned to where he was. Moreover, the powerful sword intent had changed to a completely different direction! Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t know what the Mystic Gate Array formation was. He thought that the sword intent was continuously moving. After resting for a while, he went on chasing after it but he didn¡¯t realize that he had been circling a very small area¡­ At the same time, in the staircase. Lin Ran and Xiao Huai were sitting on the steps to rest. ¡°Even a Half-Saint¡¯s body can¡¯t withstand walking a few miles without using internal energy,¡± Lin Ran explained to Xiao Huai. At this moment, almost half an hour had passed since Lin Ran last sent the signal. Lin Ran was a little relieved that there was no movement coming from the hidden sword pavilion. After taking a few breaths, Lin Ran pretended to be tired and asked, ¡°I feel like I have to rest for a while. Anyway, we have nothing to do. Do you want to talk more?¡± ¡°No.¡± Xiao Huai refused without hesitation. Her destination was right in front of her, and she had nothing to talk to Lin Ran about. ¡°Come on!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s tone softened as he began to persuade her. ¡°There must be something else you want to know. Tell me who the person who told you about this secret room. Then, you can ask me two questions, okay?¡± Xiao Huai was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Ten questions.¡± Lin Ran almost spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°How can you bargain like that? Three! No more!¡± ¡°Nine.¡± ¡°Four! Let¡¯s do four. Nine is too many for you to ask.¡± ¡°Eight.¡± ¡°Five!¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Xiao Huai clapped her hands, and a hazy light suddenly lit up in the pitch-black staircase. Lin Ran subconsciously narrowed his eyes and saw that the standard swords were still following behind him. Xiao Huai was sitting on the stone more than ten steps behind him, clearly still wary of him. ¡°Sigh¡­ This distance is a little awkward.¡± Lin Ran sighed silently in his heart. He suddenly felt that this hazy light looked a little familiar. Before Lin Ran had time to recall, Xiao Huai suddenly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know that person. He¡¯s very old and his face is covered in wrinkles. He¡¯s also very powerful¡­ Oh, right! You smell like him!¡± Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this. He thought to himself that he had just taken a shower today and only smelled of soap. However, on second thought, he felt that something was wrong. The smell Xiao Huai mentioned might not be the smell of his body. For some reason, Lin Ran recalled the time Huo Qiyun discovered him pretending to be the Sword God. At that time, Huo Qiyun said that he had the sword intent of the Ten Miles Sword God. Could it be that Xiao Huai was also talking about this sword intent? The person who told her to come to the Hidden Sword Pavilion to find the secret room was actually the Ten Miles Sword God?! Chapter 120 - 120 Seeing Is Believing 120 Seeing Is Believing As soon as this thought appeared, Lin Ran felt his back drenched in cold sweat. In an instant, Lin Ran¡¯s mind was filled with all kinds of messy thoughts. He asked, ¡°Did you see that person on Mount Sword? The place where you came into being.¡± Xiao Huai nodded, and there was actually a hint of warmth in her hollow eyes. ¡°At that time, I had just walked out of that cave. My realm was still unstable. He helped me consolidate my cultivation and even told me to come to the secret room here to find a sword.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. When the Ten Miles Sword God was in seclusion, he had been guarding near the seal. From the looks of it, the answer was basically certain. However, Lin Ran still refused to believe it. After thinking for a moment, he turned around and said, ¡°I¡¯ll slash a sword mark. Come and see if it¡¯s from the person you mentioned.¡± Xiao Huai thought for a moment and nodded. The rattle shook twice and the swords pointed at Lin Ran retreated a few inches. Lin Ran took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He condensed the sword energy on his fingers and waved them gently, causing a small sword mark to appear on the stone wall in front of him. Xiao Huai stood up and walked towards the sword mark. Lin Ran lowered his head with a complicated expression, looking forward to the answer but also afraid of hearing it. Xiao Huai said softly, ¡°It¡¯s not this person.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Lin Ran was shocked. After thinking for a moment, he asked, ¡°Take a closer look. Don¡¯t you find it familiar at all?¡± Xiao Huai gently stroked the sword mark for a while longer before shaking her head. Lin Ran was stunned. He wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say that this sword mark completely restored the sword intent of the Ten Miles Sword God, but it at least was very close. ¡°Is that person not the Ten Miles Sword God?¡± However, there were only a few people on Mount Sword. It couldn¡¯t be Daoist Li, right? Did he smell like Daoist Li? Thinking of the unkempt blind Daoist, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill run down his spine. It was true that Daoist Li was a senior that Lin Ran respected very much, but he was only in his twenties after all. He really didn¡¯t want to smell like an unkempt old man. ¡°No! There¡¯s another person!¡± Lin Ran suddenly remembered that before he inherited the internal energy of the Ten Miles Sword God, he had also obtained another person¡¯s internal energy! Dragon Elephant Divine Master! At that time, Lin Ran was still a mountain guardian. One time, he found a heavy sword called ¡°Dragon Elephant¡± in the mountain. After wiping it, the system gave him 30% of Dragon Elephant Divine Master¡¯s internal energy! In Lin Ran¡¯s body, other than his own internal energy and the remaining internal energy of the Ten Miles Sword God, there was only 30% of Dragon Elephant Divine Master¡¯s internal energy! ¡°Xiao Huai! Look again and see if it¡¯s this person!¡± Lin Ran shouted hurriedly. Ignoring the sharp swords that were pointing at him, he activated his internal energy! An extremely domineering force instantly surged through Lin Ran¡¯s body, forcing the standard swords back a few inches! Xiao Huai immediately nodded and shouted, ¡°Yes, this is the person!¡± ¡°As expected!¡± Lin Ran thought to himself and couldn¡¯t help but smile. If that mysterious person was Dragon Elephant Divine Master, then everything made sense! ¡°Dragon Elephant Divine Master, born in the year 203 of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. His original name was Liu Hongshan. He was born with extraordinary strength and entered the realm of Martial Master at the age of seven. At the age of 19, he became a general of the Western Garrison. At the age of 71, he entered the realm of Grandmaster and was asked to leave the army.¡± ¡°After that, he wandered the martial world and pursued extreme power. He called himself Dragon Elephant Divine Master and went into seclusion on Mount Sword at about 130 years old. After that, he disappeared without a trace.¡± These were all the clues Lin Ran had found after obtaining 30% of Dragon Elephant Divine Master¡¯s internal energy. At that time, Lin Ran thought that Dragon Elephant Divine Master died on Mount Sword, which was why the Dragon Elephant Sword was left in the mountain. But now, it seemed that not only was Dragon Elephant Divine Master not dead, but he was very likely plotting a huge scheme! Thinking of this, the smile on Lin Ran¡¯s face slowly disappeared, and his aura changed. ¡°Put these things away.¡± Lin Ran looked at the standard swords hanging in front of him and said calmly, ¡°They can¡¯t hurt me at all.¡± ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t¡­¡± Xiao Huai sneered and was about to say something when she saw Lin Ran pull off his shirt. All the skin on his upper body was covered in a layer of pitch-black liquid. As if seeing her nemesis, Xiao Huai¡¯s expression instantly turned ugly as she stared at Lin Ran with hollow eyes. ¡°W-Where did this come from?¡± ¡°You should be familiar with it, right?¡± As Lin Ran spoke, the black liquid on his body began to flow towards his right hand. A moment later, a slender sword slowly took shape in his hand. Buzz¡ª An invisible ripple spread out, and the swords hanging in the air fell to the ground with a crisp clang. Lin Ran held the black sword and looked at Xiao Huai coldly. ¡°Surrender. I¡¯ll bring you back to Mount Sword or continue to resist and die here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going back! I don¡¯t want to go back to that place!¡± Xiao Huai let out a heart-wrenching cry. As the rattle drum in her hand shook crazily, a majestic aura swept out in all directions with her as the center! Lin Ran was hit in the chest by this aura, but his expression did not change because although this aura was majestic, it was far from being ¡°lethal¡± to him. After figuring out Xiao Huai¡¯s real strength, Lin Ran¡¯s eyes darkened. Previously, because of the letter of the Ten Miles Sword God, Lin Ran thought that the demon was a Half-Saint, but he had never really checked it in person. The reason why he suddenly confronted Xiao Huai was to check her full strength¡ª It turned out that she was only at the ninth level of the Grandmaster Realm. With such a realm, no matter what tricks she had up her sleeve, it was impossible for her to defeat the Ten Miles Sword God, who was at the peak of the Senior Grandmaster Realm. Now, Lin Ran was 100% sure that the Ten Miles Sword God was not killed by the demon. The demon might not even be the one who broke the Five Elements Seal. Someone was secretly plotting and facilitating all of this. And this person was most likely Dragon Elephant Divine Master, who had been missing for hundreds of years! Chapter 121 - 121 Stupid Teammate 121 Stupid Teammate Lin Ran thought for a moment and things cleared up. Although Lin Ran still didn¡¯t know what Dragon Elephant Divine Master was plotting, the demon breaking the seal and the death of Sword God should be just part of his plan. At the same time, he instigated Xiao Huai to take the risk to obtain the sword. It was obvious that this sword would play a vital role in his subsequent plan. However, this was only Lin Ran¡¯s analysis at the moment. There were a few key things that needed to be verified. Thinking of this, Lin Ran¡¯s eyes narrowed for a moment before he came up with a plan¡­ On the stone staircase not far away, Xiao Huai had already fallen into madness. Because the rattle drum in her hand was spinning too quickly, it was almost invisible to the naked eye. Under the control of her evil aura, a few standard swords began to circle in the air in a specific pattern and became faster and faster! A violent sword intent spread out, but Lin Ran still looked indifferent. Not only were there the personal swords of famous generals, but there was also the Sacred Abyss Sword of the founding emperor, the Heavenly Saint Emperor. The abundant righteousness and killing intent in it were really the natural nemesis of these evil auras! Not to mention that Xiao Huai was only at the peak of the Grandmaster Realm. Even if she had entered the Half-Saint Realm like Lin Ran, she could only exert 60 to 70% of her strength in this secret passage. From the moment he stepped into the secret passage, Lin Ran had already gained the upper hand. In addition, he had the Dark Insect Sword that liked to feed on evil aura. In the blink of an eye, the standard swords suddenly seemed to have disappeared. There was howling wind blowing in the secret passage, but there were no sword shadows. This meant that their speed had reached its peak! Xiao Huai¡¯s eyes dilated. Not only did the dense darkness seep into her eyes, but strange black patterns also appeared gradually around her eyes. An extremely sinister evil aura accompanied by a violent sword intent instantly erupted with a bang! A strong wind blew past Lin Ran. He stood proudly on the stone staircase with the Black Insect Sword in his hand. He was as tall as a mountain and did not move at all. Only the shirt fluttered in the wind. The strong wind was like a knife when it brushed past people, but even if it was a real knife, it was nothing to the current Lin Ran. However, not everything was as invincible as Lin Ran. Crack! Crack! Crack! With some crisp sounds, the surrounding stone walls and stone steps exploded into a spiderweb-like pattern. Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. This secret passage was made of the same material as the peaks of Mount Sword. It was unimaginably hard. Even if he wanted to crack this stone wall, it would probably take him a lot of effort! From the looks of it, this demon was indeed extraordinary. If she had such strength at the Grandmaster Realm, what would happen when she entered the Half-Saint Realm? Thinking of this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but clench the hilt of his sword tightly. Sticky black liquid seeped out from between his fingers and solidified again. In the blink of an eye, the Black Insect Sword and his right hand became one. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance!¡± Lin Ran shouted into the strong wind, ¡°Surrender and I¡¯ll bring you back to Mount Sword. Or continue to resist and I¡¯ll let you die here!¡± A resentful expression appeared on Xiao Huai¡¯s stiff face, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Lin Ran didn¡¯t ask further, and the surging sword intent of the Half-Saint Realm erupted! The two sword intents, one good and one evil, collided head-on in the narrow passage. Accompanied by a deafening explosion, invisible ripples were created in the air. If anyone stood between the two of them at this moment, they would definitely be torn to pieces by this violent sword intent storm! ¡°Fortunately, we are far down from the ground. Otherwise, with such a huge commotion, the people above would think that it was an earthquake,¡± Lin Ran muttered to himself. Soon, the violent sword intent in the air began to retreat. Seeing that the situation had turned around against her, Xiao Huai immediately bit her lip and spat out a mouthful of blood on the rattle drum. Then, she grabbed the drum handle with both hands and smashed it at Lin Ran with difficulty, as if she was holding a thousand-pound hammer! Dong¡ª A loud gong sound erupted in the air. A few standard swords connected into a line, tore through the storm, and flew straight towards Lin Ran¡¯s chest! Before the sword arrived, Lin Ran could already feel the heavy sword energy pressing on his chest. He narrowed his eyes and was about to counterattack when his eyes suddenly narrowed! ¡°Damn demon! Go to hell!¡± With a shout, a figure flew down from above the secret passage. The sword in his hand emitted tens of thousands of cold lights before it converged into a line and pierced straight into the back of Xiao Huai! ¡°Huo Qiyun?!¡± Lin Ran recognized the figure and shouted in shock, ¡°Don¡¯t come over! You¡¯re not her¡ª¡± Before he could say that word ¡®match¡¯, Huo Qiyun was already ten steps away from Xiao Huai. The dazzling cold light was already pressed against Xiao Huai¡¯s back! However, at this moment, a deafening clang sounded in the air, followed by the shattering of the cold light. ¡°How is this possible?!¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes widened in shock. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Huai disappeared into the thin air. At the same time, a cold hand grabbed Huo Qiyun¡¯s throat like a poisonous snake. ¡°Move again and I¡¯ll kill him!¡± Xiao Huai¡¯s young voice sounded, but the killing intent and madness in it made people know that she was not joking. The sword intent storm in the air instantly calmed down. Lin Ran looked at Huo Qiyun, who was held hostage, helplessly. He really wanted to kick this stupid teammate of his to death! Only then did Huo Qiyun understand what just happened. After a moment, his eyes flickered as he shouted sternly, ¡°Lin Ran! Don¡¯t back off! If you let the demon go today, the world will be finished!¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and roared angrily. He waved the Black Insect Sword in his hand, and sword energy shot out and slapped Huo Qiyun¡¯s face heavily. Huo Qiyun was stunned by this sword energy slap. Xiao Huai, who was grabbing Huo Qiyun¡¯s throat, was also stunned. Lin Ran¡¯s attack just now was extremely fast and without warning. If this sword was aimed at her, there was no way she could dodge it¡­ Could it be that he had missed the mark? As Xiao Huai was thinking, Lin Ran waved his hand again and slapped Huo Qiyun on the other side of the face. This time, the two of them understood that Lin Ran was only trying to slap Huo Qiyun. Two sword energy slaps landed squarely on his face. Even Huo Qiyun, who was at the peak of the Senior Martial Master Realm, couldn¡¯t withstand them. His cheeks quickly swelled up like a hamster with its mouth filled with food. He looked at Lin Ran aggrievedly. ¡°Why did you hit me? Hit her!¡± ¡°I just want to hit you!¡± Lin Ran glared at him and said angrily, ¡°Who asked you to come down? You ruined my perfect plan!¡± Chapter 122 - 122 Strange Peace 122 Strange Peace Huo Qiyun was confused and felt aggrieved. At the end of the day, he was just trying to help Lin Ran. Although he was being held hostage, he didn¡¯t do it on purpose. He did it out of good intention but wasn¡¯t strong enough. Was it his fault? The more Huo Qiyun thought about it, the angrier he became. He couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Cut the crap! Every time something happens, you push the blame to me. What right do you have to talk to me like that?¡± ¡°Oh? You think you¡¯re in the right?¡± Lin Ran was so angry that he laughed. ¡°Tell me, how many times have you messed up my plan because you¡¯re not strong enough? How many times have I told you to stay away and not cause trouble for me? You agreed readily every time, but what happened in the end?¡± Huo Qiyun was instantly rendered speechless. After a few seconds, he replied guiltily in a low voice, ¡°Well, I just want to help you¡­¡± ¡°Should I say thank you?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes. The Dark Insect Sword turned into liquid again and covered his body. He crossed his arms and said angrily, ¡°Then use your brain to think about what to do now.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Huo Qiyun was speechless. In Huo Qiyun¡¯s opinion, Lin Ran should kill him and the demon together, but he knew that Lin Ran wouldn¡¯t do that. Seeing that Huo Qiyun was clueless, Lin Ran was not surprised. He sighed and looked at Xiao Huai. ¡°Tell me, what should we do now?¡± ¡°Take me to the secret room.¡± Xiao Huai replied coldly, ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll kill him!¡± Lin Ran sneered. ¡°Stop scaring me. He¡¯s your shield. If you kill him, you¡¯ll die.¡± Xiao Huai looked a little embarrassed after being exposed by Lin Ran. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Lin Ran suddenly waved his hand, put on his clothes, and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to the secret room¡­ I was going to bring you there anyway.¡± Xiao Huai was stunned when she heard that. She didn¡¯t understand what Lin Ran meant by ¡°I was going to bring you there anyway¡±, but before she could ask, Lin Ran had already turned around and walked down the stone staircase. At this moment, Xiao Huai was lying on Huo Qiyun¡¯s back. Seeing that Lin Ran left in a hurry, she didn¡¯t have time to think too much. She clamped her legs around Huo Qiyun. ¡°Giddyup!¡± ¡°You!¡± Huo Qiyun glared at Xiao Huai, but then he felt the hand on his neck tighten. He could only suppress his anger and follow Lin Ran down obediently. The three of them set off again. The only difference was that this time, Lin Ran was not being pushed. After exchanging a few moves just now, Xiao Huai also had a new understanding of Lin Ran¡¯s strength. She knew that the standard swords couldn¡¯t hurt him, so she gave up doing that. Anyway, she had Huo Qiyun in her hand, which was more useful than any weapon. After a while, Lin Ran suddenly stopped and turned around. Xiao Huai¡¯s heart tightened. She hurriedly grabbed Huo Qiyun¡¯s throat and asked coldly, ¡°What do you want to do? Why aren¡¯t you moving?¡± Lin Ran ignored Xiao Huai and looked at Huo Qiyun in confusion. ¡°I couldn¡¯t figure out how you came down just now.¡± Huo Qiyun was caught off guard by the question. ¡°When I saw the stone staircase and felt the sword intent surging up, I came down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m asking!¡± Lin Ran clapped his hands, and the confusion on his face became even more obvious. ¡°There¡¯s a Mystic Gate Array in the Hidden Sword Pavilion to protect the entrance. With your level, how can you find it?¡± ¡°Oh! You mean those wooden racks?¡± At the mention of this, Huo Qiyun¡¯s face immediately revealed a proud expression. ¡°I walked around there for a long time and realized that I kept getting lost. I felt that it was the problem with those wooden racks, so I destroyed them all.¡± Lin Ran was enlightened. And So was Xiao Huai. The two of them looked at each other and saw embarrassment in each other¡¯s eyes, especially Xiao Huai. If she could think of such a simple and obvious way, she would have found the entrance long ago! However, on second thought, opening the entrance required the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. Even if she found the entrance, it would be useless. Only then did Xiao Huai feel better. Lin Ran sighed with mixed emotions and turned around to continue walking down. ¡°By the way, Xiao Huai, do you still remember when I asked you why you wanted to look like a little girl?¡± Xiao Huai didn¡¯t know why Lin Ran asked this, but she still answered, ¡°I remember.¡± ¡°At that time, you said that it was because the old man you fought was very powerful. Even if you had already broken through to the Half-Saint Realm, you were still not his match.¡± Lin Ran walked on the stone staircase and asked casually without looking back, ¡°Since you had already broken through to the Half-Saint Realm at that time, why were you only at the peak of the Grandmaster Realm when you fought me just now?¡± When he said ¡°the peak of Grandmaster Realm¡±, Lin Ran deliberately emphasized it as if he was reminding someone. At the same time, Huo Qiyun, who was walking silently, turned pale and quickly stopped activating his internal energy. Just as he was about to sneak attack Xiao Huai, Lin Ran suddenly said this. It was obvious that Lin Ran was reminding him. But how did Lin Ran know what was on his mind? Even Xiao Huai, who was on his back, did not notice it. Could it be that Lin Ran¡¯s perception had already reached such a terrifying level? Huo Qiyun was filled with shock, but he didn¡¯t show it. As expected, Xiao Huai did not notice anything unusual. She only paused for a moment before replying calmly, ¡°When I came out of that cave, I was indeed at the Half-Saint Realm.¡± ¡°But that old man is too strong. Even if I used this appearance to confuse him, I was still severely injured by him and my realm fell to the Senior Martial Master Realm.¡± Huo Qiyun immediately became excited. He suddenly turned to look at Xiao Huai. ¡°Back then, you used the appearance of a little girl to confuse Grandpa Sword God?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt!¡± Lin Ran shouted and turned around to give Xiao Huai a look, indicating her to continue. Xiao Huai glanced at Huo Qiyun and continued, ¡°After I was severely injured by him, I thought that I was dead for sure, but he didn¡¯t kill me. He even treated my injuries and consolidated my cultivation. After that, he asked me if I wanted to become stronger.¡± Lin Ran nodded and turned around to continue walking down. ¡°When you said I smell like that person, you mean him, right?¡± Xiao Huai nodded. ¡°But why are you asking this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just a random question.¡± Lin Ran suddenly thought of something and looked at Xiao Huai. ¡°Did you see the Ten Miles Dragon Roar at that time? It¡¯s the sword I used to open the secret passage.¡± ¡°I did, but¡­¡± At this point, Xiao Huai suddenly paused for a few seconds before saying with a puzzled look, ¡°At that time, that sword was in the hands of a dead person, but the sword I saw back then¡­ was intact.¡± Chapter 123 - 123 The Truth About the Death of the Sword God 123 The Truth About the Death of the Sword God Hearing that the Ten Miles Dragon Roar that Xiao Huai saw was complete, Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun stopped in their tracks. Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression darkened as he asked coldly, ¡°Kid, are you sure the sword you saw is complete?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± Xiao Huai explained firmly, ¡°At that time, as soon as I came out of that cave, I noticed a very powerful aura on that sword, so I paid special attention to it.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes became colder. ¡°Lin Ran! Why is the Ten Miles Dragon Roar you got broken? What did you do to the sword?!¡± ¡°Nothing. It was broken when I got it.¡± Lin Ran said angrily without looking back. At this moment, he basically knew what was going on. When the Ten Miles Sword God was in seclusion, he was ambushed by Liu Hongshan, who was Dragon Elephant Divine Master. Then, the two of them fought. During the fight, perhaps because the seal was loosened or for some other reason, Xiao Huai escaped from Sword Grave and happened to see the scene of the two of them fighting and the Sword God dying. After that, in order to silence Xiao Huai, Liu Hongshan attacked her. However, after severely injuring her, for some reason, not only did he not kill her, but he even took the initiative to heal Xiao Huai and tried to teach her the way to obtain greater power. In the end, Xiao Huai left Mount Sword. After Liu Hongshan broke the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, he also left and started a massacre in seven villages near Mount Sword. From then on, his whereabouts were unknown. From the beginning to the end, Xiao Huai had never fought the Ten Miles Sword God. The ¡°old man¡± she mentioned and the Ten Miles Sword God were two different people! Although most of this was Lin Ran¡¯s guess, he was at least 70% confident that he was right. The remaining 30% lied in the ¡°letter¡± in the stone room at the top of Mount Sword. According to the letter, the situation back then was very simple. At the critical moment of breaking through to the Half-Saint Realm, the Ten Miles Sword God was ambushed by the demon who had entered the Half-Saint Realm ahead of time. In the battle, the Ten Miles Dragon Roar was destroyed, and the demon escaped. The Sword God used his last breath to leave a letter and died. However, there were many questions about this letter. For example, the Ten Miles Dragon Roar was destroyed, but there were no fragments at the scene. There were many similar questions. In short, when Lin Ran first saw the letter, he felt admiration and helplessness. However, as he gathered more and more information, he felt that everything was strange. Actually, Lin Ran already had a reasonable guess about the questions in the letter, but he still needed to verify it, so he didn¡¯t intend to say it now. As he was thinking, Lin Ran suddenly felt someone grab his shoulder. He thought that Xiao Huai had taken the opportunity to sneak attack him, but when he turned around, he realized that it was the angry Huo Qiyun. ¡°What are you doing again?¡± Lin Ran sighed and asked helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re a hostage now, so you have to act like one. What do you think the demon will think if you move around without her permission? Even if she is not my match, you can¡¯t look down on her like this, right?¡± Xiao Huai pouted, her big black eyes filled with grievance. ¡°Why do I feel that you look down on me more¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and instantly flashed ten steps away. ¡°No matter what, remember to keep a distance.¡± Huo Qiyun was about to chase after him when he heard this. He put down his foot and looked at Lin Ran coldly. ¡°Again, why is the Ten Miles Dragon Roar you obtained a broken sword¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Seeing that Huo Qiyun was about to ask again, Lin Ran¡¯s expression darkened as he shouted coldly, ¡°Shut up! I¡¯ll tell you what you want to know, but not now! Are you so stupid as to bring up such a sensitive topic in front of the enemy?¡± Huo Qiyun was stunned. He subconsciously turned to look at Xiao Huai on his back and immediately bit his lower lip. Annoyed by the two of them, Xiao Huai tightened her grip and her nails dug into Huo Qiyun¡¯s flesh. ¡°Shut up, the two of you! If anyone says another word, I¡¯ll kill him immediately! Do you hear me?¡± After waiting for a few seconds without receiving a response, Xiao Huai asked again, ¡°Did you hear me? Are you all mute!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t let us talk.¡± Lin Ran shrugged. Xiao Huai was so angry that she was about to vomit blood. Ever since she came into being, she had never been looked down on like this! However, Xiao Huai was still relatively calm. She didn¡¯t do anything irrational because of anger. She waved her hand to signal Lin Ran to continue walking. The journey was silent. In the blink of an eye, half an hour passed and they finally reached the end of the long stone staircase. Lin Ran stood on the platform at the bottom of the stone staircase. Not far in front of him was a stone wall. On it was an exquisite and complicated array formation made of adamantine and five-colored gems. Huo Qiyun was held hostage by Xiao Huai and stopped on the steps more than ten steps away from the bottom. However, when he saw the array formation, he couldn¡¯t help but look shocked. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is there such a place under the palace?¡± Huo Qiyun widened his eyes in shock. ¡°And I actually never knew!¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t know. This is one of the greatest secrets of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. There are probably less than five people in the entire dynasty who know about the existence of this place.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he waved his hand, and the mahogany sword appeared in his hand. ¡°Xiao Huai, I¡¯m going to undo the seal next. I¡¯ll use a little internal energy. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t sneak attack you.¡± ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m not that timid!¡± Xiao Huai snorted coldly. However, she still widened her eyes and was vigilant of Lin Ran¡¯s every move. However, even if Xiao Huai was already so vigilant, she only saw Lin Ran raise his wooden sword and wave it. The stone wall collapsed into dust on the ground. From the beginning to the end, she did not sense any internal energy fluctuations. This meant that Lin Ran¡¯s understanding of the array formation was very deep. Xiao Huai instinctively became vigilant and made Huo Qiyun take a few steps back. After pulling a distance, she ordered, ¡°Go in first! Put your hand where I can see it¡­ If you dare to draw your sword, I¡¯ll kill him!¡± ¡°What a cowrd!¡± Lin Ran muttered under his breath and entered the secret room with his hands raised. Seeing Lin Ran disappear from the entrance, Xiao Huai waited for a while to make sure that nothing unexpected happened before giving Huo Qiyun a kick. ¡°Let¡¯s go in and take a look!¡± ¡°If you ride me like a horse again, believe it or not, I¡¯ll fight you to the death.¡± Huo Qiyun warned coldly. Actually, he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. After saying that, he almost jumped to the door. As soon as Huo Qiyun walked into the stone room, he was shocked speechless by the magnificent scene! There were countless divine swords lying around. When Huo Qiyun came back to his senses and looked around, his expression changed. Where was Lin Ran? Chapter 124 - 124 A little tacit understanding, but not much 124 A little tacit understanding, but not much At first, Huo Qiyun thought that he was wrong.. He took a closer look and his heart skipped a beat. Lin Ran was really gone! The secret room was not big. At most, it was only 60 square meters. There was nowhere to hide. As soon as Huo Qiyun entered, he was shocked by the divine weapons in the room. He had remained standing at the door the entire time. If Lin Ran could walk out of the room without being discovered by him, he might need to consider donating his eyes. But if Lin Ran didn¡¯t leave, why did he disappear into thin air? ¡°Could he be up there?¡± Huo Qiyun looked up. The top of the stone room was abnormally smooth, and there was no one there. Just as Huo Qiyun was racking his brains to figure out where Lin Ran had gone, a small hand suddenly reached out in front of him. ¡°Go over there!¡± Huo Qiyun turned around and saw Xiao Huai staring in a certain direction with an excited expression. He turned to look, and his face revealed fervent excitement. On the wall in front of them, an abnormally gorgeous sword was embedded in it. After seeing that sword, they felt that the divine weapons on the ground paled in comparison. It was as if they were just a group of loyal soldiers guarding the gorgeous sword in this small and cramped stone room. ¡°Sacred Abyss Sword¡­¡± Huo Qiyun muttered, shock written all over his face! Wasn¡¯t the Sacred Abyss Sword buried in Mount Sword? Why was it here? Who built this stone room? Why were there so many divine weapons? Questions popped up one after another. Huo Qiyun felt that his mind was about to explode! However, before he could think about it carefully, he felt the grip on his throat tighten. Xiao Huai urged anxiously, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand here! Go over! That¡¯s the sword I¡¯m looking for!¡± Huo Qiyun turned around and realized that Xiao Huai was focused on the Sacred Abyss Sword and did not seem to notice that Lin Ran was gone. Seeing this, Huo Qiyun decided to go with the flow, although he didn¡¯t know where Lin Ran went or what Lin Ran was going to do. Huo Qiyun shouted loudly. It sounded like he was dissatisfied with Xiao Huai, but in fact, he was trying to remind Lin Ran. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? I¡¯m just being careful.¡± Then, Huo Qiyun walked slowly past the divine swords on the ground towards the Sacred Abyss Sword on the wall. While slowing down, Huo Qiyun was also paying attention to his surroundings, preparing to cooperate immediately when he saw Lin Ran. However, when there were only two or three steps left before reaching the sacred abyss sword, nothing happened. Seeing that Xiao Huai was about to get her hand on the Sacred Abyss Sword, Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t stay calm anymore. Cold sweat broke out on his face. Although he didn¡¯t want to believe it, from the looks of it, Lin Ran had most likely run away! ¡°This coword!¡± Huo Qiyun cursed in his heart. At the same time, he suddenly exerted strength with the tip of his foot. As he did a backflip and jumped high, he grabbed Xiao Huai¡¯s ankle and pulled her off. Then, he threw her at the spot with the most divine weapons! At this moment, Xiao Huai was completely focused on the Sacred Abyss Sword and could not react in time. She screamed before her back collided heavily with a divine sword. The sharp blade pierced through her body and instantly split her thin figure into two! The two parts of her body landed on the ground with a heavy thud. Xiao Huai lay on the ground without moving, her big black eyes filled with fear, as if she had yet to realize that she was dead. At the same time, Huo Qiyun quietly landed on the ground. He immediately drew his sword and was on guard. However, when he saw Xiao Huai¡¯s corpse, his expression subconsciously became strange. ¡°She died just like that?¡± Huo Qiyun blinked in disbelief. After all, this was a famous demon. Wasn¡¯t it a little too easy to die like this? Just as Huo Qiyun was feeling puzzled, he suddenly saw wisps of black fog floating out of the two cross sections of Xiao Huai¡¯s corpse. This fog was like the tentacles of a creature as it slowly conjoined in the air. A moment later, the fog on both sides fused together and began to pull the two parts of Xiao Huai¡¯s body closer¡­ Under Huo Qiyun¡¯s shocked gaze, Xiao Huai¡¯s split body slowly pieced together. First, her spine returned to normal, then her internal organs, muscles, and skin¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t kill me.¡± Xiao Huai¡¯s muffled voice sounded. Then, she stood up and stared at Huo Qiyun with her big black eyes. There was a cold smile on her lips. ¡°You alone will never be able to kill me.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes were wide open. He was so frightened that he couldn¡¯t speak. He had been traveling all over the world all these years and had seen a lot of things. However, even so, the scene just now still blew his mind. ¡°But I can kill you.¡± Xiao Huai¡¯s voice sounded again, and her cold tone entered Huo Qiyun¡¯s ears like a poisonous snake. The sudden coldness made Huo Qiyun shudder. When he came back to his senses, he saw Xiao Huai gently shake the rattle drum. The three divine swords around her immediately rose from the ground, and a huge net of sword energy that flickered with a cold light swept towards Huo Qiyun! ¡°Oh no!¡± Huo Qiyun hurriedly slashed out a few sword energies to meet the sword net, but he forgot the power of these divine swords¡­ These were the swords of the famous generals of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. The sword intent and killing intent contained in them were far from what Huo Qiyun, who had only cultivated for decades, could compare to! Previously, Xiao Huai could control tens of thousands of standard swords with a wave of her hand in the Hidden Sword Pavilion, but here, she could only control three swords. The power of these swords was obvious. In just a moment, the sword energy Huo Qiyun slashed out dissipated like fire meeting water. The huge net of sword energy still came at him without even stopping for a moment! Huo Qiyun watched in a daze as the sword net quickly approached. Deep despair filled his heart, and he did not even know that his sword had fallen to the ground. ¡°I can¡¯t defeat her. There¡¯s no hope at all.¡± After this thought flashed through his mind, Huo Qiyun closed his eyes and prepared to die. At this moment, a strong wind suddenly whizzed past him from behind. Immediately after that, Huo Qiyun felt his collar tighten before he was pulled over by a huge force! When Huo Qiyun opened his eyes, he realized that he was lying in an unfamiliar stone passage. Lin Ran was standing at the side with his arms crossed, staring at him as if he wanted to kick him to death. Chapter 125 - 125 Brats Are All the Same 125 Brats Are All the Same Boom! Suddenly, there was a loud bang, as if something had smashed into the wall. Huo Qiyun was frightened by this commotion. He quickly stood up and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°What¡¯s this commotion? What happened just now? Where did you go? Why am I here? That stone room¡­¡± Slap! The crisp sound of a slap immediately shut Huo Qiyun up. Lin Ran gritted his teeth and said coldly, ¡°When can you stop making me worry?¡± ¡°I mean, I¡­¡± Slap! Lin Ran slapped him again. Then, he glared at him and said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t move or speak. Otherwise, I¡¯ll kick you to death! Even the Ten Miles Sword God won¡¯t be able to stop me!¡± With that, Lin Ran leaned against the stone wall and passed through it like air. Huo Qiyun held his swollen face and watched in shock as Lin Ran disappeared in front of him. However, when he touched the wall, it was clearly an extremely solid stone wall. But if this was really a stone wall, how did Lin Ran pass through it? Huo Qiyun was completely stunned. From the time he was born until now, he had never felt so stupid. At the same time, in the secret room of the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Lin Ran¡¯s figure slowly appeared on the other side of the stone wall. He saw that Xiao Huai had already walked to the wall and was only an inch away from touching the Sacred Abyss Sword Clang! Accompanied by the sound of a sharp blade being unsheathed, a sharp sword energy tore through the air and almost brushed past Xiao Huai¡¯s fingertips. Xiao Huai was so frightened by this sudden attack that she retracted her hand. She turned around and saw Lin Ran holding a heavy sword. Her hollow eyes couldn¡¯t help but reveal confusion. ¡°Didn¡¯t you disappear just now? Why did you show up again?¡± Lin Ran smiled and put the heavy sword back to its original place. He crossed his arms and said helplessly, ¡°With your intelligence, it¡¯s very difficult for me to explain it to you.¡± Xiao Huai¡¯s expression turned cold, and a strong killing intent erupted from her body. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m stupid?¡± A strong wind carrying killing intent spread out, causing the surrounding divine swords to buzz. Lin Ran¡¯s clothes fluttered in the wind, but the smile on his face did not change at all. ¡°You haven¡¯t realized that you¡¯ve been used by someone for so long. Your intelligence is even lower than Huo Qiyun¡¯s¡­ Oh, right, Huo Qiyun is the fool who carried you just now.¡± When Xiao Huai heard this, her eyes instantly turned pitch-black. As if she had been greatly insulted, she shouted hysterically, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Huai shook the rattle drum again. Three divine swords rose from the ground and formed an overwhelming sword net that enveloped Lin Ran! ¡°Sigh¡­ All brats are the same.¡± Lin Ran sighed helplessly and picked up a divine sword from the side. With a light wave, he shattered the destructive sword net into pieces. Xiao Huai¡¯s expression froze and she was about to attack again when she heard Lin Ran say lazily, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy. You can only control three divine swords at most, and I can use the divine swords here freely¡­ What are you going to use to fight me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Xiao Huai shouted angrily, but she didn¡¯t attack. Other than Huo Qiyun, she was probably the only one in the world who knew Lin Ran¡¯s strength the best. She had used almost all her strength to form the huge net of sword energy just now, but Lin Ran easily shattered it with a casual wave of his sword. The difference in strength was huge. Xiao Huai stole a glance at the Sacred Abyss Sword beside her and asked in a low voice, ¡°Tell me, what do you want me to do before I can take this sword away?¡± ¡°Huh? A stalling tactic?¡± Lin Ran smiled in surprise and exposed Xiao Huai. ¡°You want to run away with the sword while I¡¯m distracted, right? It seems that you¡¯ve learned a lot of things you shouldn¡¯t have after interacting with me a few times!¡± The corners of Xiao Huai¡¯s mouth twitched. She took a few steps away from the Sacred Abyss Sword and asked angrily, ¡°Are you relieved now?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything. He raised his hand and summoned the mahogany sword. After waving it a few times, the entrance of the stone room was sealed again. Seeing this, Xiao Huai¡¯s expression instantly froze. After all, with her current realm, it was impossible for her to break the Five Elements Seal by force. Moreover, Lin Ran wouldn¡¯t watch her break the seal without doing anything. Lin Ran¡¯s move had completely cut off Xiao Huai¡¯s escape route. ¡°What exactly do you want?!¡± Xiao Huai couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to take this sword away, why didn¡¯t you kill me just now? With your strength and that sword made of insects, you can definitely kill me, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I can indeed kill you and make you disappear completely¡­¡± As Lin Ran spoke, his clothes fluttered, and the Dark Insect Sword fell into his hand. ¡°But why would I do that?¡± ¡°What?¡± Xiao Huai was stunned, not understanding what Lin Ran meant. ¡°Why should I kill you?¡± Lin Ran repeated himself and looked straight into Xiao Huai¡¯s dark eyes. He said slowly, ¡°You¡¯re just a knife used by someone to kill, and my target is the person who uses the knife.¡± Xiao Huai¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°You mean¡­ I am being used?¡± Lin Ran nodded noncommittally. Xiao Huai immediately shouted excitedly, ¡°Impossible! That grandpa won¡¯t use me! He¡¯s so good and even helped me heal. He even told me what to do to become stronger¡­¡± ¡°Did he really tell you? He just asked you to come and get the sword, right?¡± Lin Ran said calmly, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, you weren¡¯t born from the sword, right?¡± ¡°You can use evil aura to control the sword, but you can¡¯t touch it. Not to mention divine swords, you can¡¯t even touch the standard swords. Just now, when you smashed into that sword, you were instantly split into two. It¡¯s not just because the sword is too sharp, right?¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Xiao Huai asked softly. It was unknown if she was in despair or shock, but her voice sounded extremely hoarse. ¡°I guessed it.¡± Lin Ran replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve long noticed that no matter how dangerous the situation is, you won¡¯t ¡®personally¡¯ pick up the sword to attack or defend.¡± ¡°For example, just now, you were so close to the Sacred Abyss Sword, but you still used your evil aura to control the other divine swords. If I¡¯m not wrong, your evil aura is not enough to control the Sacred Abyss Sword, right?¡± Xiao Huai didn¡¯t say anything, but looking at her gritted teeth, Lin Ran knew that he was right. ¡°You can¡¯t even touch a sword. Why is the way to make you stronger related to one of the strongest divine swords in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he walked up to Xiao Huai and lowered his body to look straight into her black eyes. He asked coldly, ¡°Now, do you still think he¡¯s doing this for your own good?¡± Chapter 126 - 126 See with New Eyes 126 See with New Eyes Faced with Lin Ran¡¯s continuous questioning, even Xiao Huai, who was not afraid of death, finally revealed a panicked expression. ¡°No, you¡¯re lying to me! He healed me¡­ He did it for my own good¡­ He won¡¯t use me¡­¡± Xiao Huai covered her ears and shook her head crazily to deny everything Lin Ran said. However, her voice became softer and softer. In the face of so much hard evidence, she finally couldn¡¯t convince herself. Lin Ran just watched quietly. When Xiao Huai fell silent, he sighed and said softly, ¡°I¡¯ve already said what needs to be said. I¡¯ll give you ten minutes to think about what to do.¡± With that, Lin Ran turned around and retreated to the wall before quietly passing the solid stone wall. Xiao Huai stared at the stone wall for a while with her big black eyes before turning to the Sacred Abyss Sword on the wall beside her. She hugged her knees and sat on the ground, burying her face in her arms. No one could see Xiao Huai¡¯s expression at this moment, but because she was gripping the rattle drum too hard, her joints were already slightly pale, indicating that she was in a dilemma. At the same time, in the secret passage. Huo Qiyun was also sitting on the ground. He frowned and stared at the stone wall in front of him, still wondering how Lin Ran had passed through it. At this moment, ripples suddenly appeared on the stone wall. Lin Ran walked out of the stone wall casually. Huo Qiyun was shocked and hurriedly went forward to check the stone wall, but he still didn¡¯t find anything. He could only cover his face and look at Lin Ran. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± When Lin Ran saw Huo Qiyun covering his face, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°You want to ask me how to pass through the wall, right? There¡¯s an array formation on the stone wall. This secret passage leads to Mount Sword.¡± ¡°This is the way out of the palace for the royal family in times of danger. Therefore, only the current emperor knows about the existence of the stone room¡­ Don¡¯t ask me how I know. If you¡¯re really curious, go back and ask your Sister Empress.¡± Huo Qiyun could only shut his mouth. After a few seconds, he asked again, ¡°By the way, how¡¯s the situation on the other end? Did you get rid of the demon?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Lin Ran shook his head. ¡°She was just used by someone. Not only is there no point in killing her, but it will also make it harder to catch the mastermind. That¡¯s why I gave her ten minutes to consider if she wants to help me.¡± ¡°Used by someone? Mastermind? To help you?¡± Huo Qiyun repeated a few key points, his face filled with the words ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡±. Lin Ran didn¡¯t want to explain at first because at this point, everything was only based on his guess. He hadn¡¯t found any concrete evidence yet. However, on second thought, since he had nothing to do now, and he might need Huo Qiyun¡¯s help later, he explained his guess about Dragon Elephant Divine Master being the mastermind in detail. It took three minutes to finish the story, but only after a full five minutes did Huo Qiyun come back to his senses and carefully ask, ¡°So you mean that Grandpa Sword God was not killed by the demon but by Elephant?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Dragon Elephant Divine Master.¡± Lin Ran corrected him and raised his chin in the direction of the stone room. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not difficult to understand. Think about it carefully. Is Xiao Huai a match for Sword God?¡± ¡°That makes sense¡­¡± Huo Qiyun subconsciously nodded. Then, he immediately thought of something. ¡°But isn¡¯t it a little too ridiculous? In the past sixty years, someone has been working on a conspiracy, but we didn¡¯t notice it at all¡­ Are we all fools?¡± ¡°You¡¯re worse than a fool! At least a fool knows how to follow a plan.¡± Lin Ran cursed in his heart, but he put on a serious expression. ¡°So after we get out, I¡¯m going to take you to Mount Sword again. I think there¡¯s something wrong with that letter.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Huo Qiyun looked puzzled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it with your own eyes¡­ Are you lying to me again?!¡± ¡°I did see it with my own eyes.¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes, then frowned slightly and said seriously, ¡°At that time, the letter was beside Sword God¡¯s remains, so I took it for granted that it must be left behind by Sword God. However, I¡¯ve never seen Sword God¡¯s handwriting, so I can¡¯t be sure. That¡¯s why I need you to look at it.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded, but the confusion on his face did not subside. ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that Grandpa Sword God wrote in the letter that he wanted you to protect Sister Empress? If the letter wasn¡¯t left behind by Grandpa Sword God, why would the person want you to protect Sister Empress.? ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Anyway, let¡¯s go and take a look first.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand tiredly. He had used his brain too much today and really didn¡¯t want to think about anything else. Huo Qiyun was about to continue asking when Lin Ran reached out and pulled Huo Qiyun to the side. Then, he went through the wall and entered the stone room. ¡°Have you considered it?¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he quickly walked forward. When he stood in front of Xiao Huai, the Dark Insect Sword in his hand took shape. Xiao Huai slowly raised her head, her big black eyes filled with tears. ¡°If I help you, can you promise me something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill him.¡± Xiao Huai said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. If he didn¡¯t show mercy back then, I might have died long ago. Therefore, even if he really used me, I hope you can keep him alive.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t answer immediately because he hadn¡¯t thought of how to deal with Liu Hongshan. Speaking of which, he wasn¡¯t even sure if this person really existed. All of Lin Ran¡¯s guess about Liu Hongshan was based on Xiao Huai¡¯s narration. This demon had deceived Lin Ran once in the Eight Directional Mountain and almost caused a disaster when she sneaked into the palace. Who could guarantee that she was telling the truth this time? Anyway, Lin Ran was not confident. Thinking of this, Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. That¡¯s right. What if Xiao Huai was lying to him this time as well? Chapter 127 - 127 Turning Enemies into Friends, Uniting All Powers That Can Be United 127 Turning Enemies into Friends, Uniting All Powers That Can Be United Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. At the same time, his mind began to race. If Xiao Huai was lying again, what was her motive? Moreover, when she lied at the Eight Directional Mountain last time, how did she know that Lin Ran would definitely send her to the palace? Even if everything was as Lin Ran had guessed, Liu Hongshan could already kill the Ten Miles Sword God alone 60 years ago. Now that 60 years had passed, his strength had increased to an unknown extent. When the time came, it was still uncertain who would kill whom! At the thought of this, Lin Ran felt a headache coming on. He put this problem to the back of his mind and pointed at Xiao Huai with the Dark Insect Sword. He said coldly, ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything now. If you help me, live. If you don¡¯t, die. Choose!¡± Xiao Huai subconsciously took a step back and looked at Lin Ran in shock, as if she did not expect him to be so unreasonable. After half a minute, Xiao Huai nodded reluctantly. ¡°I promised to help you¡­ What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet. I¡¯ll tell you when I have.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he waved the Black Insect Sword. Then, something that looked like ink fell on Xiao Huai. Xiao Huai was shocked. She screamed and stood up to run, but she realized that the ¡°ink¡± did not hurt her. In fact, even her clothes did not corrode. It only slowly flowed to her wrist and finally condensed into a pitch-black bracelet. ¡°This thing is controlled by my sword intent. It¡¯s more than enough to kill you!¡± Lin Ran replied coldly with a straight face. Actually, that ink was not that lethal at all. However, Xiao Huai was already scared out of her wits by Lin Ran¡¯s threat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promised to help you. I won¡¯t go back on my word!¡± Xiao Huai nodded repeatedly in fear. Then, she reached out her wrist to Lin Ran and murmured pitifully, ¡°Can you get rid of these insects first? I¡¯m really scared¡­¡± Lin Ran sneered. ¡°That¡¯s right. If you¡¯re not scared, how can I threaten you?¡± Xiao Huai was speechless. Lin Ran ignored her and turned around to return to the stone wall. He stuck his head in and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s safe now. Come out!¡± Huo Qiyun was in deep thought when he suddenly saw a head sticking out of the wall. He was so frightened that he almost died on the spot! Realizing what was going on, Huo Qiyun walked through the wall with widened eyes. Before he could flare up, he saw Xiao Huai. He was stunned for a moment before hurriedly asking, ¡°Why is she still here? Are you not her match?¡± ¡°Watch your words. She¡¯s on our side now.¡± Lin Ran replied as if nothing had happened. As he spoke, he patted Huo Qiyun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Go and carry her. We have to go back quickly.¡± ¡°Me? Carry her? Are you crazy?¡± Huo Qiyun exclaimed and raised his head to reveal the purple bruise on his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by her like this. This brat is ruthless! If you hadn¡¯t made a move in time just now, I would have been killed by her!¡± Lin Ran was about to open the door when he frowned and turned around. ¡°Are you going to carry her or not?¡± Huo Qiyun straightened his neck. ¡°No! Whoever wants to carry her can do it!¡± ¡­ Fifteen minutes later, the three of them returned to the Hidden Sword Pavilion through the stone staircase. Huo Qiyun squatted down and placed Xiao Huai on the ground. He rubbed his swollen face and muttered angrily, ¡°Weirdos are weirdos! If you have something to say, say it nicely. Why do you have to use violence?¡­¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered with Huo Qiyun. After putting away the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, he looked at the broken wooden racks and sighed. After Huo Qiyun caused a mess, other than the building not collapsing, the Hidden Sword Pavilion was almost in ruins. The mystic array formation couldn¡¯t be known by outsiders, and the reconstruction work here would definitely fall on Lin Ran again. At the thought of this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but want to slap Huo Qiyun. However, when he turned around and saw Huo Qiyun¡¯s pitiful appearance, he could only put down his hand resentfully. After taking a few breaths to calm himself down, Lin Ran instructed, ¡°Take Xiao Huai back to Mingzhao Hall first. I¡¯ll explain the situation to His Majesty.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded. ¡°Do you know where Sister Empress is?¡± Lin Ran looked at Huo Qiyun strangely. ¡°According to the plan, shouldn¡¯t she be waiting for my signal in the throne room?¡± ¡°That¡­ might not be the case.¡± Huo Qiyun said guiltily, ¡°The situation at that time was too dangerous, so I told Sister Empress that if I didn¡¯t come out in fifteen minutes, she must retreat out of the palace.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°When did you tell her?¡± Huo Qiyun lowered his head. ¡°About¡­ maybe¡­ maybe¡­ four hours ago?¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Lin Ran exclaimed and almost slapped him again! Everyone had left the palace four hours ago. If the empress was extra cautious, she would probably have left the capital by now! ¡°Huo Qiyun, Huo Qiyun, you really never cease to surprise me.¡± Lin Ran cursed angrily and jumped out of the window. In an instant, he traveled through most of the palace. As expected, there was no one! Fortunately, the empress was not extra cautious. After Lin Ran flew past Meridian Gate on his sword, he saw a large group of people gathered on the ground. In the middle was a golden dragon carriage. It must be where the empress was. However, Lin Ran was in his real identity now, so it was better for him not to show up on such an occasion. He hovered in midair and said in a deep voice, ¡°The threat has been removed! Your Majesty, you can return to the palace now!¡± With that, Lin Ran turned around and flew back to the palace. What he had to do next was to wait for everyone to go back to the palace. However, this was not an easy task. Even excluding the consorts, there were tens of thousands of eunuchs, guards, and palace maids. Coupled with all kinds of gold, silver, and clothes, it would be a few hours before they could enter the palace again and settle down. Fortunately, the empress was smart. When she saw Lin Ran appear, she immediately changed her clothes and mixed in with the eunuchs coming and going. She rushed to Mingzhao Hall as quickly as possible. ¡°Lord Lin, how is it?¡± As soon as the empress entered, she hurriedly asked. After saying that, she saw Xiao Huai standing beside Huo Qiyun and her face immediately revealed vigilance! Before the empress could ask further, Lin Ran quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. In short, she¡¯s on our side now. I¡¯ll explain the details later. There¡¯s an urgent matter that needs your help now.¡± The empress looked at Xiao Huai warily, but out of trust for Lin Ran, she retracted her gaze and asked in a low voice, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I want to borrow the Sacred Abyss Sword.¡± Chapter 128 - 128 There Will Be a Way Out 128 There Will Be a Way Out Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s request, the empress was stunned for a moment before asking with a smile, ¡°How about I lend you the throne for a few days?¡± ¡°The throne?¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and waved his hand. ¡°How can I do that? Besides, I don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°Oh, you actually know you are not supposed to do that?¡± The empress shouted sternly, and the smile on her face instantly disappeared. ¡°The Sacred Abyss Sword is more important than the imperial jade seal of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty! Even if I want to use the Sacred Abyss Sword, I have to hold a sacrificial ceremony to inform the previous emperors. How can I lend it just like that?¡± Lin Ran was shocked by the empress¡¯s reaction. He quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not making it clear. I want you to make a fake Sacred Abyss Sword and pretend to have lost the real Sacred Abyss Sword.¡± The empress blinked. ¡°What do you mean? Tell me clearly!¡± ¡°Can you just do as I said and I¡¯ll explain it to you later?¡± Lin Ran said helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s really a long story. A fake sword can¡¯t be made in a short time. I¡¯ll explain it to you when I have the time.¡± The empress still stood rooted to the ground. ¡°Explain first. I have a way to make a fake sword.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know what the empress could do to make a fake Sacred Abyss Sword in a short period of time, but he could tell that the empress was very determined. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran turned around and gave Huo Qiyun a look, asking him to take Xiao Huai away first. Then, he invited the empress to sit down and began to tell her what he had seen tonight and his guess about the Dragon Elephant Divine Master, Liu Hongshan. In order to make the empress trust him, Lin Ran explained everything in detail. This was the first time he was so honest with the empress. He only hid the part about the death of the Sword God and lied that the Sword God was seriously injured. By the time Lin Ran explained the cause and effect, it was already more than an hour later. ¡°Do you believe me now?¡± Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief and took a few more sips of tea before continuing to ask, ¡°Can you get someone to make the fake Sacred Abyss Sword?¡± The empress did not answer. Instead, she changed the topic and said, ¡°Your plan is to let Xiao Huai bring the fake sword back. Then, you will follow her all the way.¡± ¡°If you see Liu Hongshan, it means that Xiao Huai is not lying. If you don¡¯t see him, it means that this is another trap set up by Xiao Huai, and you kill her on the spot, right?¡± Lin Ran nodded. ¡°That¡¯s basically right. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a small problem.¡± The empress nodded slightly, her clear eyes filled with seriousness and worry. ¡°If your guess is confirmed, how do you want to deal with Liu Hongshan? Are you confident in defeating him?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Ran shook his head calmly. Before the empress could speak, he continued, ¡°There¡¯s always a way out. What I have to do now is to confirm if this person exists and what he did. As for how to deal with him, that¡¯s the next step.¡± Looking at the indifferent Lin Ran, the empress felt inexplicably uncertain. However, on second thought, Lin Ran seemed to have always been like this. On the surface, he looked carefree, but he knew what to do. The empress was not an indecisive person to begin with. After thinking it through, she no longer hesitated. After a pause, the empress said seriously, ¡°The body of the Sacred Abyss Sword is made of meteoric iron. It can cut iron like mud without leaving a trace, not to mention the emperor¡¯s sword intent contained in it.¡± ¡°Liu Hongshan once served as a general of the Western Garrison. He must have seen the Sacred Abyss Sword at a certain sacrificial ceremony. If he¡¯s really still alive, ordinary fake swords can¡¯t fool him.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart sank when he heard this. He really didn¡¯t expect the Sacred Abyss Sword to have so much story behind it. Was his plan going to be ruined before it even started? Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s disappointed expression, the empress smiled and continued, ¡°However, there¡¯s always a way out. If you get the Sacred Abyss Sword of Mount Sword, you might be able to fool him.¡± ¡°Sacred Abyss Sword of Mount Sword? Isn¡¯t that sword in the secret room of the Hidden Sword Pavilion?¡± Lin Ran asked subconsciously. After saying that, he suddenly thought of something and frowned. ¡°I remember you saying that the Heavenly Saint Dynasty only has one Sacred Abyss Sword.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s indeed only one real Sacred Abyss Sword.¡± The empress smiled playfully and explained, ¡°However, there¡¯s another replica of the Sacred Abyss Sword in Mount Sword. It¡¯s a pure sacrificial artifact. The real Sacred Abyss Sword will only be used during large-scale celebrations. As for the other small-scale sacrificial offerings, that sacrificial artifact will be used instead.¡± ¡°That sacrificial artifact was forged by the previous emperors. Although the material is not as good as the Sacred Abyss Sword, its appearance is almost the same. Moreover, it has been used by the emperors, so there is also some emperor¡¯s sword intent.¡± Lin Ran asked, ¡°Where is that sacrificial artifact?¡± ¡°In Sacred Sword Hall.¡± The empress replied casually. Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s confused expression, she added, ¡°It¡¯s the place where the Sacred Abyss Sword is said to be buried.¡± Hearing the empress¡¯s explanation, Lin Ran was still confused. ¡°Is there such a place on Mount Sword?¡± This time, it was the empress¡¯s turn to be confused. ¡°You¡¯ve been guarding Mount Sword for six years, but you actually don¡¯t know about the Sacred Sword Hall?¡± Before Lin Ran could speak, the empress thought of something and said, ¡°It¡¯s strange. I go to Mount Sword more than ten times a year, but I¡¯ve only seen you a few times¡­ You¡¯ve been in Mount Sword for six years. What have you been doing all this time? Why didn¡¯t I see you?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I went to wipe the swords!¡± Lin Ran scratched his head and replied awkwardly, ¡°There are so many swords on Mount Sword, and Daoist Li didn¡¯t help. I was busy every day!¡± The empress smiled and did not ask further. After thinking for a moment, she replied seriously, ¡°Since you want to create the rumor that the Sacred Abyss Sword is missing, I can¡¯t get people to bring it over. You have to steal it yourself. Moreover, only the few of us know about this¡­ Do you know what this means?¡± Lin Ran nodded, his expression gradually turning solemn. ¡°It means that we can¡¯t be discovered. Otherwise, we¡¯ll become traitors of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± ¡°In the eyes of the world, that sacrificial artifact is the real Sacred Abyss Sword.¡± The empress¡¯s tone suddenly became heavy. ¡°The crime of stealing Sacred Abyss Sword is the same as killing the emperor. Once you¡¯re exposed, I¡¯ll have to mobilize the entire army to hunt you down. All the prefectures, counties, and towns will put up arrest warrants to arrest you. Even those martial artists will chase after you.¡± ¡°In short, for a long time, you will never have peace¡­ Have you really thought it through?¡± Chapter 129 - 129 Unexpected Visitors 129 Unexpected Visitors In Mingzhao Hall. Lin Ran and the empress looked at each other silently. Ever since the two of them met, they had never looked at each other for so long, as if they wanted to engrave each other¡¯s appearance in their minds. After an unknown period of time, Lin Ran suddenly smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not that serious. The current Mountain Guardian, Wang Kailin, only has an average cultivation level. It¡¯s impossible for him to find me. Besides, I still have you, right?¡± ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t scare you.¡± The empress smiled thoughtfully. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked, ¡°By the way, when are you preparing to set off?¡± ¡°The sooner the better.¡± Lin Ran said without thinking, ¡°There has been too much commotion in the Hidden Sword Pavilion tonight. If Liu Hongshan has been observing in secret, we have to get Xiao Huai to send the sword over as soon as possible. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll be suspicious.¡± The empress nodded, but there was hesitation in her eyes. Lin Ran found it strange and teased, ¡°Why? You can¡¯t bear to part with me?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not me.¡± The empress smiled and said seriously, ¡°Yesterday, the imperial hospital came to report that Consort Jin is pregnant.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Pregnant with my child?!¡± ¡°Do you think she can be pregnant with my child?¡± The empress rolled her eyes and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°It¡¯s not just Consort Jin. Consort Rong and Consort Xuan are also pregnant. After what happened tonight, I wonder if the babies will be affected¡­ Do you want to go and take a look? After all, they are your children.¡± Lin Ran blushed and didn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t know what to feel. Logically speaking, he should be happy that he suddenly had three children, but when he thought about how these children would not call him father, he felt a little down. After a long silence, Lin Ran forced a smile. ¡°Forget it. Take good care of them for me first. I¡¯ll visit them when I¡¯m done.¡± The empress nodded, as if she was not surprised by this answer. After thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°If you can successfully resolve this matter, it will be a great contribution to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. At that time, I can become sworn brothers with you and let the children acknowledge you as their godfather.¡± ¡°Should I say thank you?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes angrily. Then, the two of them discussed a few more details before the empress left Mingzhao Hall in disguise. Lin Ran called out Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai and gave them a few simple instructions. Then, the three of them quietly left the palace. The three of them quickly arrived at the periphery of Mount Sword. Further ahead was the mountain-protecting array formation. Although they could easily enter, it would definitely alert Wang Kailin. Lin Ran looked up at the sky and instructed, ¡°Rest here for a while. Every day, at 1:15 am, the mountain-protecting array formation will stop for about ten seconds. Let¡¯s take that opportunity to enter.¡± ¡°You seem to know a lot.¡± Huo Qiyun leaned over to Lin Ran and whispered sarcastically, ¡°It¡¯s not in vain that you guarded Mount Sword for so many years¡­ How does it feel to be a thief?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and didn¡¯t say anything. He began to recall the layout of Mount Sword carefully. Although Lin Ran had been guarding Mount Sword for six years, he spent most of his time cultivating in the mountain. He could clearly recognize every mountain peak here, but he really did not know much about the encampment of the mountain guardian. He was only brought to visit it by Daoist Li once. Fortunately, the Sacred Sword Hall was not an ordinary place. Its appearance was definitely different from ordinary buildings. After thinking about it carefully for a moment, Lin Ran had a rough idea of where it was. ¡°After we enter, split up. Be careful not to be discovered.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he pointed in a direction. ¡°There¡¯s a yard with big peach trees about 700 steps away. Let¡¯s meet there.¡± Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai nodded. Lin Ran said to Xiao Huai, ¡°Follow me later. If you dare to act rashly, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± Xiao Huai nodded with hollow eyes. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know if she was listening or not, but he didn¡¯t care. In any case, he had already left black insects on her body. If anything unexpected happened, he could take action immediately. Then, the three of them hid in the bush. What they had to do next was to wait for the time when the mountain-protecting array formation would stop. The wait was a long one. Lin Ran was lying in the bush in boredom when Huo Qiyun leaned his head over. ¡°By the way, congratulations.¡± Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°Congratulations for what?¡± ¡°Congratulations on you having descendants!¡± Huo Qiyun sneered. ¡°I heard your conversation with Sister Empress.¡± Only then did Lin Ran react. He blushed and said awkwardly, ¡°Just keep this to yourself. Don¡¯t tell anyone!¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯m not stupid!¡± Huo Qiyun rolled his eyes. He paused for a moment and asked softly, ¡°Um¡­ Did you and Sister EMpress¡­ That, that?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before he understood. He widened his eyes and said angrily, ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Is this something a kid like you can ask?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s a kid? I¡¯m older than you, okay?¡± Huo Qiyun said disdainfully, then his expression turned serious. ¡°In short, I¡¯m warning you. I don¡¯t care about you and those consorts, but if you dare to touch Sister Empress, I¡¯ll fight you¡­¡± Suddenly, Huo Qiyun stopped in mid-sentence. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but find it strange. He turned around and saw Huo Qiyun with his eyes closed and a frown on his face, as if he had seen something strange. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Ran asked casually. As he spoke, he looked around, but he didn¡¯t find anything unusual. Huo Qiyun suddenly asked without rhyme or reason, ¡°Do you still remember the person who used a huge sword in Lotus Town?¡± Seeing Lin Ran nod, Huo Qiyun continued softly with a strange expression, ¡°He seems to be around here, about 300 steps away from us.¡± Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°Why is he here? Are you mistaken?¡± ¡°Impossible. I challenged him to a death duel. My sword intent is in his body. There¡¯s no way I can be wrong!¡± As Huo Qiyun spoke, he pointed in a direction. Lin Ran immediately spread his divine sense and realized that there was a new shallow ditch where four or five people were lying. But what was that burly man with the huge sword doing in Mount Sword? Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun looked at each other and saw confusion and vigilance in each other¡¯s eyes. No matter what these people were up to, it couldn¡¯t be something good. Chapter 130 - 130 The World Is A Small Place 130 The World Is A Small Place Under the dark night, outside Mount Sword¡¯s mountain-protecting array formation. Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun looked at each other before heading towards the burly man with the huge sword. When they reached a distance where they could hear, Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun stopped. A man with a hoarse voice asked in a low voice, ¡°Brother Hong, how much longer do we have to wait? My leg is about to be eaten up by insects!¡± The person called Brother Hong replied softly, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? I already told you 1:15 am.¡± ¡°Brother Hong seems to be the man with the huge sword.¡± Lin Ran leaned towards Huo Qiyun and explained, ¡°At that time, you were healing upstairs. I saw him downstairs once.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded with a puzzled expression. ¡°But what are they doing here?¡± Lin Ran shook his head to indicate that he didn¡¯t know. Just as he was thinking about how to investigate, he heard the hoarse voice ask again, ¡°Brother Hong, will this really work? Stealing on Mount Sword is a serious crime!¡± Brother Hong said, ¡°It¡¯s a serious crime if we are caught. If not, we¡¯ll be rich!¡± The man with a hoarse voice hesitated and said, ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts!¡± Brother Hong interrupted him and said in a low voice with confidence, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked around. The new mountain guardian is weak. With our realms, it¡¯ll be easy to steal a few divine swords.¡± The man with a hoarse voice said weakly, ¡°Brother Hong¡­¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Brother Hong scolded in a low voice, ¡°Can you be bolder? There are divine swords all over Mount Sword. No one will know if a few are missing. After selling them, we won¡¯t have to worry about the rest of our lives!¡± ¡°I mean, Brother Hong¡­¡± ¡°Damn it! If you continue talking nonsense, I¡¯ll sew your mouth shut!¡± ¡°I have to say even if you sew my mouth!¡± The man with a hoarse voice suddenly raised his voice a little. ¡°It¡¯s time! We have to go in quickly!¡± ¡°Gosh! Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier!¡± Brother Hong exclaimed, followed by the crisp sound of a slap. Then, four or five people stood up from the bush and ran towards Mount Sword on tiptoe! On the other side. Lin Ran turned to look at Huo Qiyun and realized that Huo Qiyun was also looking at him. ¡°Are you thinking the same thing as me?¡± Lin Ran asked. ¡°That should be the case.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded, but there was hesitation on his face. ¡°But is this a good idea?¡± ¡°What¡¯s not good about it?¡± Lin Ran smiled indifferently, and a cunning glint flashed across his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a waste not to use a scapegoat who came knocking on your door¡­ Are you really going to let the imperial guards hunt you down for the rest of your life?¡± Huo Qiyun still hesitated. After a moment, he waved his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go in first!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Almost at the same time that Lin Ran and the others appeared within the confines of Mount Sword, an invisible ripple spread out in the air. ¡°The mountain-protecting array formation is activated again.¡± Lin Ran looked back and said softly, ¡°We don¡¯t know how fast those people are, so we have to find the Sacred Abyss Sword as soon as possible, return here, and wait for them to leave. Then, we¡¯ll take the opportunity to sneak out when they touch the array formation and alert the Mountain Guardian.¡± As soon as Huo Qiyun agreed, Lin Ran disappeared with Xiao Huai. ¡°This movement technique is really useful¡­ I have to get him to teach me some time!¡± Huo Qiyun thought to himself. Then, he found the right direction and ran on foot. At the same time, Lin Ran had already flashed to the residence of the mountain guardian. He lifted the curtain and looked in. Wang Kailin was sleeping soundly. Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. He took a few steps back and unsheathed the sword at his waist. In an instant, a sword energy cage appeared out of thin air and enveloped the entire hut. Xiao Huai had been watching from the side. Seeing this, she couldn¡¯t help but ask in confusion, ¡°What are you doing? With your strength, killing him should be easy, right?¡± ¡°Who said I was going to kill him?¡± Lin Ran was speechless. ¡°This sword energy cage can isolate sound. This place is not peaceful tonight. If he hears the commotion and comes out to check, he will definitely die, so let him sleep first.¡± ¡°Not peaceful¡­¡± Xiao Huai muttered thoughtfully and suddenly pointed in the direction behind Lin Ran. ¡°Are you talking about those sneaky guys?¡± Lin Ran subconsciously turned around. At first, he did not see anyone. After looking carefully for a while, he realized that on a hill two to three miles away, there were a few figures moving. From the posture, they were probably pulling swords out from the mountain. ¡°Yes, those sneaky fellows.¡± Lin Ran sneered and carried Xiao Huai on his shoulder. ¡°Let them mess around for a while. We¡¯ll deal with them after we¡¯re done.¡± With that, Lin Ran was about to go to find the Sacred Sword Hall when Xiao Huai suddenly patted him on the shoulder. ¡°But¡­ those people are about to die.¡± Boom! As soon as Xiao Huai finished speaking, they heard a deafening bang. Flames shot into the sky and gravel flew everywhere on the hill, and it was simply as if it had been blown up by a cannonball! Lin Ran was shocked and hurriedly checked the wooden hut with his divine sense. After confirming that Wang Kailin was still asleep, he looked at the hill and asked, ¡°What happened? What did you see just now?¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s attacking them.¡± As Xiao Huai spoke, she pointed in another direction. ¡°When you carried me up just now, someone slashed out a sword energy from there and sent those sneaky people flying.¡± Lin Ran looked in the direction Xiao Huai was pointing and was surprised. There was only a small mountain in that direction, more than two kilometers away from the hill where Brother Hong and the others were! To be able to strike accurately with sword energy from afar, this was not something that just anyone could do. The other party was at least at the level of a Senior Grandmaster! However, there were only a few senior grandmasters in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. They were all in seclusion. How could anyone appear in Mount Sword? What was his purpose in coming to Mount Sword? ¡°Do you want to take a look?¡± As if sensing Lin Ran¡¯s confusion, Xiao Huai stared in that direction and asked softly. ¡°Not now.¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°Since he stepped in to stop that group of people from stealing the divine swords, he shouldn¡¯t be an enemy of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Let¡¯s get down to the most important business first.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Xiao Huai spoke again, her tone filled with schadenfreude. ¡°He¡¯s already coming towards us.¡± Chapter 131 - 131 In This Mountain, The Clouds Are Dense 131 In This Mountain, The Clouds Are Dense Lin Ran¡¯s expression became serious when he heard this. He subconsciously turned around and realized that there was nothing in that direction. ¡°Where is that person?¡± Lin Ran frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that he was coming over?¡± ¡°I was wrong.¡± Xiao Huai smiled mischievously and looked down at Lin Ran. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be nervous.¡± Lin Ran realized that he had been deceived and was speechless, but he quickly realized that something was wrong. ¡°How did you see those people? It¡¯s very difficult for me to notice them from so far away if I¡¯m not totally focused.¡± Xiao Huai thought for a moment and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but after I came here, I felt that my senses are much more acute.¡± Lin Ran was still confused, but with a radar like Xiao Huai around, he could move more easily. ¡°Keep an eye on the surroundings for me.¡± After saying that, Lin Ran was about to activate the Mystic Gate Sword Technique when he suddenly threatened, ¡°Stop messing around! Otherwise, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± In the next second, the two of them disappeared. A few seconds later, a burly man with a huge sword on his back and a sneaky-looking young man helped each other over. If Lin Ran was still here, he would recognize that the burly man was ¡°Brother Hong¡± from Lotus Town. However, at this moment, Brother Hong was no longer as high-spirited. A large area of Brother Hong¡¯s chest was blown up, and a hole was opened on his forehead. Blood flowed down and dyed most of his face red. He limped as he walked. If not for the sneaky-looking young man supporting him, he would have fallen to the ground. The two of them supported each other and walked to the place where Lin Ran had stopped. Brother Hong looked around and slapped the young man on the head. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say they were here? Where are they?¡± The young man opened his mouth and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Brother Hong, I swear to God that I really heard someone talking here just now! If I lie, I¡¯ll be struck by lightning¡­ Oh!¡± ¡°Shut your damn mouth! Haven¡¯t you been struck enough just now?¡± Brother Hong covered his mouth and said angrily, ¡°You must have heard wrongly. This place is two to three miles away from where we were blown up. If they really flew here, they would have died long ago! How can they still be alive to talk?¡± ¡°But I really heard it¡­¡± Just as the man was about to explain, he suddenly saw the wooden hut where the mountain guardian stayed and his eyes lit up. ¡°Brother Hong! What¡¯s that house for? Do you think they¡¯re inside?¡± Brother Hong turned around and his expression immediately became strange. Actually, this was also his first time on Mount Sword. He knew this place very little. Moreover, with their cultivation, they couldn¡¯t see the sword energy cage Lin Ran left behind at all. They could only vaguely hear the sound of the wind over there. However, Brother Hong did not want to appear ignorant in front of his subordinates. His eyes darted around as he analyzed seriously, ¡°That¡¯s where the treasure is kept! Did you hear the wind over there? That should be an array formation used to protect the treasure!¡± The man with a hoarse voice nodded. ¡°Brother Hong, you are really knowledgeable!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Brother Hong nodded his head proudly, but he accidentally tore the wound. He immediately gasped in pain. ¡°Cut the crap! Help me over first. There might be healing medicine inside!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The man with a hoarse voice nodded and helped Brother Hong limp towards the mountain guardian¡¯s hut. However, almost as soon as the two of them left, another figure quietly appeared. Huo Qiyun looked at the two figures covered in injuries and couldn¡¯t help but look puzzled. He didn¡¯t see Brother Hong and the others being bombed just now. He was just curious. They were here to steal swords, but why were they so seriously injured? After thinking for a while, Huo Qiyun decided not to alert the enemy. After getting the direction right again, he quietly rushed towards the gathering point Lin Ran had mentioned. At the Sacred Sword Hall of Mount Sword. Unlike the thatched houses that could be seen everywhere, this should be the only decent building in Mount Sword. Lin Ran had once heard from Daoist Li that when this shrine was first built, it was quite imposing. However, very few people came after it was built. It had been neglected for a long time and looked dilapidated. However, if there was a Sacred Sword Hall dedicated to accommodate Sacred Abyss Sword, this was the most likely place Lin Ran could think of. Lin Ran pressed his palms together at the entrance of the shrine and muttered a few words. Then, he climbed over the wall with Xiao Huai and entered the courtyard. This courtyard was about a hundred square meters, and there was a huge peach tree planted in it. This peach tree had extremely huge trunks. The dense tree crown covered almost half the yard. However, it was already past the flower season. ¡°If you behave well, I¡¯ll bring you here to eat peaches in the fall.¡± Lin Ran looked at Xiao Huai on his shoulder and chuckled like a strange uncle. ¡°The peaches on this tree are especially sweet. I guarantee that you won¡¯t forget it after trying it!¡± Xiao Huai forced a smile and said, ¡°Hurry up and find the Sacred Abyss Sword. Didn¡¯t you say that time is tight?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Lin Ran nodded and put down Xiao Huai. His figure flashed and disappeared. When he reappeared a moment later, his face was filled with confusion. Seeing this, Xiao Huai asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You didn¡¯t find the Sacred Abyss Sword?¡± Lin Ran nodded and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve checked this place from the inside out. Not only did I not find the Sacred Abyss Sword, but I didn¡¯t even see the Sacred Sword Hall.¡± Xiao Huai¡¯s expression immediately became strange. ¡°Could it be that the empress is lying to you?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Lin Ran denied it without thinking. Not only because he trusted the empress, but also because there was no need for such a lie. If the empress didn¡¯t want to lend the Sacred Abyss Sword, she could just get someone to fake one. There was no need to send Lin Ran to Mount Sword. ¡°That means the Sacred Sword Hall is not here.¡± Xiao Huai suggested another possibility. ¡°There are other buildings on Mount Sword, right? We can go to other places to take a look.¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and replied softly with a strange expression, ¡°There¡¯s indeed more than one building in Mount Sword, but the others are all simple thatched houses. Why would they put the Sacred Abyss Sword in such a place?¡± Xiao Huai was about to say something when suddenly, with the sound of clothes fluttering, another figure climbed over the wall and landed. Lin Ran turned around and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your ability to hide your aura to have improved again. I actually didn¡¯t feel any internal energy fluctuation!¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t use internal energy!¡± Huo Qiyun rolled his eyes and said angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s the point of splitting up? Do you know how tiring it is to run all the way here?¡± Lin Ran chuckled and was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed. ¡°Something happened! My sword energy cage was broken!¡± Chapter 132 - 132 A White Lie 132 A White Lie Lin Ran¡¯s voice was still echoing in the air when he stood up and prepared to set off. Huo Qiyun, who had just taken a breath, hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious! I know what¡¯s going on!¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he stopped. Huo Qiyun took a few more breaths before saying, ¡°It¡¯s the people who came to steal the swords. On the way here just now, I saw two of them going towards your sword energy cage. It should be them who did it.¡± ¡°They?¡± Lin Ran looked suspicious. His first reaction was disbelief. In that group of people, Brother Hong¡¯s cultivation was the highest. He was only at the ninth level of Martial Master. How could he break the sword energy cage Lin Ran had personally set up? As soon as Lin Ran expressed his doubt, Huo Qiyun looked disdainful. ¡°When will you stop being so cocky? What is this place? Mount Sword! Is it difficult for them to break your sword energy cage with a divine sword?¡± ¡°That makes sense¡­¡± Lin Ran nodded. He ignored the sword energy cage and roughly explained the situation. After Huo Qiyun heard this, he looked suspicious. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve searched everywhere?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± Lin Ran nodded speechlessly. ¡°There are only seven or eight rooms in this yard. I checked all of them.¡± ¡°Could there be a secret room?¡± Huo Qiyun thought for a moment and guessed, ¡°After all, Sister Empress¡¯s ancestors seem to like building secret rooms.¡± Lin Ran smacked his lips. He indeed didn¡¯t think about the possibility that there could be a secret room, but this was not a problem. With a thought, his huge divine sense enveloped the building. A moment later, Lin Ran opened his eyes and shook his head. ¡°Still nothing.¡± Although he said so, Lin Ran¡¯s tone was a little uncertain because he remembered the secret room under the Hundred Fragrance Palace. At that time, that secret room was also undetectable. However, on second thought, Lin Ran felt that it couldn¡¯t be so complicated. Otherwise, the empress would definitely give him a hint. The three of them squatted under the peach tree and stared at each other. Time passed slowly. Seeing that the sky was turning bright, Lin Ran finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Let¡¯s split up and search.¡± Lin Ran stood up and said helplessly, ¡°The Sacred Sword Hall must be in this place, but it might not be in the form of a building, so¡­¡± Lin Ran suddenly stopped in mid-sentence. Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but ask in confusion, ¡°So what? Why don¡¯t you finish?¡± Lin Ran ignored Huo Qiyun and looked at the peach tree beside him with a strange expression. When he stood up just now, he casually held the tree trunk. It was cold and hard to the touch, completely unlike the feeling a tree trunk should have. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Lin Ran suddenly had an idea and enveloped the peach tree with his divine sense, but there was nothing. In his divine sense, there was nothing here, not even this peach tree! ¡°I Found it!¡± Lin Ran was overjoyed and quickly told the other two what he had discovered. When Huo Qiyun heard this, he hurriedly released his divine sense. Then, his expression became strange. ¡°This is too strange. There¡¯s actually something in the world that can avoid the detection of divine senses?¡± ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve never seen it before, right?¡± Lin Ran patted Huo Qiyun¡¯s shoulder and said matter-of-factly, ¡°There are many things in this world that you haven¡¯t seen!¡± Huo Qiyun pushed Lin Ran¡¯s hand away and said angrily, ¡°Then tell me, how do we open this thing?¡± Lin Ran fell silent. Last time, Lin Ran opened the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace because the empress had given him the key in advance, but this time, he was given no hint. However, from another perspective, no hint might also be a hint. It meant that the empress thought that they had the ability to open this place, so she did not say much. Following this train of thought, Lin Ran quickly had an idea. ¡°We still have to find Wang Kailin.¡± Huo Qiyun was puzzled. ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will discover us?¡± ¡°We have to use his token.¡± Lin Ran shook his head and explained, ¡°His Majesty didn¡¯t tell me how to open this place because she thinks I have the ability to do it as I¡¯ve been a mountain guardian for six years.¡± ¡°But during this period of time, Daoist Li never mentioned the way to open this place, which means that the way doesn¡¯t need to be taught. Instead, it¡¯s something every mountain guardian needs¡ªthe Mountain Patrol Token.¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t understand, but he felt that Lin Ran¡¯s analysis made sense. ¡°Then come back quickly! In any case, I¡¯m not going. I can¡¯t run anymore!¡± ¡°Alright, take good care of Xiao Huai. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Lin Ran nodded and instantly disappeared with a flash. Almost at the same time, the fatigue on Huo Qiyun¡¯s face was swept away. He pushed himself up and stared at Xiao Huai coldly. ¡°Do you still remember what you promised me?¡± Xiao Huai nodded. Huo Qiyun reached into his pocket. After searching for a moment, he took out the Mountain Patrol Token.¡± Seeing the token, Xiao Huai¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°You knew this token was needed to open the Sacred Sword Hall all along, but you didn¡¯t mention a word on the way. Your acting skills are indeed not bad¡­ But where did this thing come from? You¡¯ve never been a mountain guardian, right?¡± ¡°He sent this to threaten the Dao Seeking Sect. Later, when I went to visit the Dao Seeking Sect, the sect master returned it to me.¡± Huo Qiyun looked at the token in his hand and muttered softly, his eyes flickering as he pondered about something. ¡°Later on, too many things happened, so I forgot to return it to its owner. I didn¡¯t expect it to be used now.¡± Xiao Huai nodded with a faint smile. Suddenly, she asked curiously, ¡°But is this worth it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth it.¡± Huo Qiyun said without thinking, ¡°Although I don¡¯t like him, Sister Empress will only be safe with him by her side. So, just let me be the traitor who steals the Sacred Abyss Sword.¡± The smile on Xiao Huai¡¯s face became even more obvious, as if a pair of invisible hands were tugging at the corners of her mouth. A strange light suddenly flickered in her big black eyes. ¡°But you¡¯re not my match. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll suddenly turn hostile and kill you after leaving this place?¡± Huo Qiyun looked down at Xiao Huai and said with a relaxed smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know why Lin Ran hasn¡¯t killed you yet, but if you dare to kill me, he will definitely avenge me.¡± ¡°Boring!¡± The smile on Xiao Huai¡¯s face disappeared. She waved her hand and said impatiently, ¡°Hurry up and take out the Sacred Abyss Sword. If you dawdle any longer, he¡¯ll be back!¡± When Huo Qiyun heard this, he stopped smiling and turned to look deeply in the direction of the palace. His lips moved slightly as he said something. Then, he raised the token and pressed it heavily on the tree trunk! Crack! With a soft sound, the token was easily embedded into the trunk of the peach tree like a piece of red-hot iron falling into butter. Immediately after that, a crack quickly expanded on the tree trunk, and a wisp of emperor¡¯s sword intent slowly spread out from the crack¡­ Chapter 133 - 133 The Mastermind Appeared 133 The Mastermind Appeared In just two seconds, a two-foot-wide hole was opened on the tree trunk. A space was dug out from inside the tree trunk. At this moment, an exquisite sword was quietly leaning against it. Feeling the emperor¡¯s sword intent on the sword, Xiao Huai¡¯s eyes lit up. However, before she could take a closer look, Huo Qiyun had already taken out the sword. At the same time, he took off his coat and wrapped the entire sword tightly. After tying the cloth bag to his body, Huo Qiyun reached out to Xiao Huai. ¡°Let¡¯s go! He¡¯ll probably be back soon.¡± Xiao Huai looked in the direction where Lin Ran had left. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to bid him farewell? Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will misunderstand you if you don¡¯t tell him clearly?¡± ¡°With that brain of his, he¡¯ll still misunderstand me even if I explained.¡± Huo Qiyun pursed his lips and said disdainfully. Then, he carried Xiao Huai and unsheathed his sword. After hiding his aura, he rode the sword and disappeared into the distance. A few minutes ago, outside the wooden hut. Lin Ran held the Yin-Yang Sword in his hand, and the large group of black insects under his clothes were also restless. In front of him, Brother Hong and his lackeys were lying on the ground. Wang Kailin, the guardian of Mount Sword, was holding a short sword and staring at him with a smile. ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± Lin Ran looked at ¡°Wang Kailin¡± and asked coldly, but his gaze landed on the short sword in his hand. Unlike the longsword or heavy sword that ordinary martial artists used, this short sword was only a foot long from tip to hilt. At the same time, its blade was wider than ordinary short swords, making it look extremely incongruous. If others saw this short sword, they might think that this was Wang Kailin¡¯s sword habit. However, Lin Ran could tell at a glance that the short sword was modified into a short sword from a longsword because it was broken. As for the remaining half of the sword, it was in Lin Ran¡¯s Divine Sword Technique Manual with the scabbard. ¡°Wang Kailin¡± followed Lin Ran¡¯s gaze and looked down. Suddenly, he said with emotion. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after so many years, there would still be someone who can recognize the sword body of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar at a glance. The Ten Miles Sword God¡­ lives up to his name!¡± ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± Lin Ran repeated. Actually, he already had the answer in his heart. Wisps of black and white fog rose from the Yin-Yang Sword in his hand, ready to unleash the most lethal strike at any moment. ¡°Wang Kailin¡± still did not answer. Instead, he asked with interest, ¡°You seem to have my sword intent on you¡­ Did my Dragon Elephant fall into your hands?¡± At this point, the true identity of ¡°Wang Kailin¡± was obvious. The fact that Dragon Elephant Divine Master Liu Hongshan had been hiding his identity was already set in stone! A figure that only existed in Lin Ran¡¯s guess appeared in front of him alive. In a daze, Lin Ran even felt that it was unreal. After figuring out Liu Hongshan¡¯s existence, Lin Ran had imagined the scene when the two of them met. He thought that they would perhaps meet after a huge battle or on an extremely important occasion. Anyhow, Liu Hongshan would appear like the final boss with an evil smile when Lin Ran felt that victory was in his grasp. But now? The mastermind, Liu Hongshan, swaggered out, catching Lin Ran off guard! After a few minutes, Lin Ran took a deep breath and asked warily, ¡°Where is the real Wang Kailin? Or is there no such person at all?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Wang Kailin. Wang Kailin is me.¡± Wang Kailin, or more precisely, Liu Hongshan, finally answered Lin Ran¡¯s question directly. Then, he revealed an honest smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been looking for me for so long not just to ask me such a boring question, right?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Lin Ran shook his head, his eyes as cold as ice. ¡°Did you kill Sword God?¡± ¡°No.¡± Liu Hongshan denied it. Suddenly, he thought of something and nodded. ¡°But at the same time, it doesn¡¯t seem to be wrong to say that I killed him.¡± Lin Ran was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect this answer. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liu Hongshan shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to kill him at first. Who knew that he would have such a bad temper? Seeing that he couldn¡¯t defeat me, he actually wanted to perish together with me¡­ Of course, he still failed in the end.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He didn¡¯t expect the cause of Sword God¡¯s death to be like this. However, on second thought, this was indeed in line with Sword God¡¯s unyielding personality. After calming down, Lin Ran asked, ¡°Why did you sneak into Mount Sword under the guise of Wang Kailin?¡± ¡°Just like you.¡± Liu Hongshan replied with a faint smile, ¡°Speaking of which, you¡¯re really cunning. You actually brought out two Sacred Abyss Swords. I¡¯m almost confused by which one is real and which one is fake.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. At the moment, he wasn¡¯t sure how much Liu Hongshan knew about his plan. The best way was to stay calm and let Liu Hongshan tell him. Seeing that Lin Ran was silent, the smile on Liu Hongshan¡¯s face widened again. He said slowly as if he was talking to himself, ¡°Legend has it that the Sacred Abyss Sword is hidden in Mount Sword, but I didn¡¯t find it when I came sixty years ago. Even after I used this position as Mountain Guardian to search it, I still couldn¡¯t find it.¡± ¡°So I turned my attention to the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Speaking of which, your acting skills are indeed not bad. That anxious look on your face made me think that the Sacred Abyss Sword was really in the secret room of the Hidden Sword Pavilion.¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. Although Lin Ran didn¡¯t know where Liu Hongshan got to know this, he could tell from Liu Hongshan¡¯s words that he didn¡¯t know that the sword in the Hidden Sword Pavilion was the real Sacred Abyss Sword! After confirming this, Lin Ran immediately felt much more at ease. He rolled his eyes and pretended to be flustered. ¡°I wasn¡¯t acting! The real Sacred Abyss Sword is in the Hidden Sword Pavilion!¡± ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Lin Ran fell into silence, pretending to be stumped by this question. Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s reaction, the smugness on Liu Hongshan¡¯s face became even more obvious. Lin Ran was about to ask more when the token on Liu Hongshan¡¯s waist suddenly vibrated violently! Chapter 134 - 134 Betrayed, Who Can He Trust? 134 Betrayed, Who Can He Trust? When the token vibrated, it buzzed slightly. Lin Ran had been a mountain guardian before and knew that someone had triggered the mountain-protecting array formation. However, the problem was that Brother Hong and his lacke were all lying here. Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai were still waiting for him at the shrine. How could anyone activate the array formation? Could it be that someone else was here? Just as Lin Ran was feeling puzzled, Liu Hongshan suddenly said without rhyme or reason, ¡°They got it so quickly?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat and he quickly asked, ¡°Who? Did you bring helpers?¡± ¡°Your helper.¡± Liu Hongshan gave Lin Ran a strange smile. ¡°You must be curious, right? Why did I choose to appear in such a situation after plotting for decades?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything. In fact, Liu Hongshan didn¡¯t intend to let him speak. Half a second later, Liu Hongshan continued, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t want to show up so early, but I have no choice. That demon begged me to stall you here so that they have enough time to do it.¡± ¡°Do it?¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly. ¡°What? Is Xiao Huai going to harm Huo Qiyun?¡± ¡°Of course not! They¡¯re on the same side!¡± Liu Hongshan roared with laughter. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead as if he had thought of something. ¡°By the way, you still don¡¯t know, right? The two people beside you are already my helpers!¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Lin Ran shouted angrily, ¡°Maybe that demon will betray me, but Huo Qiyun will never betray me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so confident.¡± Liu Hongshan narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly, as if he was appreciating Lin Ran¡¯s anger. ¡°The demon is the same kind of person as me. We both pursue extreme power. If I can fulfill the demon¡¯s wish, why won¡¯t the demon help me?¡± ¡°From the moment you left the palace, that demon has been telling me every move you made. Huo Qiyun has a Mount Guardian Patrol Token that he obtained from the Dao Seeking Sect. Even you don¡¯t know about this, right?¡± Lin Ran frowned, his face filled with disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Huo Qiyun won¡¯t betray me. No!¡± ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you!¡± Liu Hongshan chuckled, his face filled with smugness after his scheme succeeded. ¡°While we were chatting, they had already taken the Sacred Abyss Sword and left¡­ I¡¯ll leave this little to you. If you don¡¯t believe me, go take a look yourself!¡± With that, Liu Hongshan tore off the token from his waist and threw it to the ground. He jumped up and was about to leave on his sword. But how could Lin Ran let him have his way? With a stomp of his foot, the solid ground instantly exploded. As dust flew, Lin Ran¡¯s figure shot towards Liu Hongshan like an arrow leaving the bow! ¡°No matter what, killing you will solve all the problems!¡± Lin Ran shouted, emitting the aura of a Senior Grandmaster! A Taiji pattern spread out from the Yin-Yang Sword in Lin Ran¡¯s right hand and instantly enveloped Liu Hongshan! The collision of the good and evil aura caused Liu Hongshan¡¯s movements to slow down for a moment. At this moment, the Dark Insect Sword condensed in Lin Ran¡¯s left hand. Then, it tore through the air and slashed at Liu Hongshan¡¯s back! ¡°Hmph! This is far from being enough to kill me.¡± Liu Hongshan, who had broken free from the Taiji pattern, sneered. He actually exuded the aura of a sixth level Half-Saint! With a flip of his wrist, he held the Dragon Roar Dagger horizontally in front of him. However, he did not expect that the black light was not sword energy. After being split into two by the Dragon Roar Dagger, it continued to slash at him! This sudden change made Liu Hongshan¡¯s expression change drastically, but it was too late to dodge. He could only hurriedly activate his cultivation technique to protect himself. In the next second, two black lights slashed at Liu Hongshan¡¯s body. Strangely, although the black lights looked menacing, they did not have much force when they landed on his body. Just as Liu Hongshan was feeling puzzled, his clothes suddenly began to emit white smoke. Then, all the places that were in contact with the black light began to feel intense pain! Liu Hongshan¡¯s expression instantly changed. After flashing away, he glared at Lin Ran and shouted, ¡°Brat! What sword technique is this?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Lin Ran shouted coldly. Before he could finish speaking, he had already flashed in front of Liu Hongshan and slashed out two more black lights! After learning a lesson, Liu Hongshan no longer dared to fight head-on. After dodging the two black lights with difficulty, he drew a cold arc in the air with the Dragon Roar Dagger and slashed down at Lin Ran¡¯s head! At this moment, the distance between the two of them was extremely close. In a hurry, Lin Ran could only raise the Yin-Yang Sword to block. With a loud clang, a ball of sparks exploded where the two swords collided! A huge force weighed down on Lin Ran. Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly changed. This terrifying force was not caused by the collision of swords. It was like a thousand-pound hammer pressing down on him. Lin Ran had no chance to resist and was smashed to the ground by this heavy sword! Boom! A huge pit more than ten feet wide burst open on the ground. When the flying gravel and dust dissipated, Lin Ran was lying at the bottom of the pit with his eyes closed, clearly unconscious. Liu Hongshan landed on the ground slowly. He looked at his tattered clothes and then at the pitch-black sword in Lin Ran¡¯s hand. After a moment, he finally flew away on his sword. Almost at the same time, Lin Ran opened one eye in the pit. After confirming that Liu Hongshan had really left, he sat up. ¡°Phew¡ªHe¡¯s indeed born with extraordinary strength. Although he¡¯s at the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm like me, his strength is probably almost comparable to the peak of the Half-Saint Realm!¡± Lin Ran muttered as he walked out of the pit. His entire body was sore and in pain. Of course, this was also related to the fact that he had deliberately hidden his strength when he attacked. Otherwise, with his physical condition, he would definitely not be in such a sorry state. In fact, the risk of Lin Ran hiding his cultivation was extremely high. In a battle between masters, life and death were decided in an instant, not to mention that his opponent was Dragon Elephant Divine Master, who was born with divine strength. If he was not careful, he might die on the spot! However, thinking of the benefits he had obtained from this confrontation, Lin Ran felt that this risk was worth it. Although Liu Hongshan kept saying that Huo Qiyun had sided with him, from the moment Liu Hongshan was certain that the Sacred Abyss Sword in Mount Sword was authentic, Lin Ran knew that Huo Qiyun was only pretending to join him. Although he didn¡¯t know why Huo Qiyun did this, Lin Ran still played along and pretended to be mad. He even took the risk to hide his cultivation when he attacked so that they could gain Liu Hongshan¡¯s trust. This was the only thing Lin Ran could do now, because he had no idea what Huo Qiyun would do next. Without knowing Huo Qiyun¡¯s actions, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t cooperate. This was an extremely dangerous situation for both of them! Chapter 135 - 135 Strange Injury 135 Strange Injury Seeing the token that Liu Hongshan had thrown to the ground, Lin Ran¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but turn solemn. A moment later, Lin Ran picked up the token and hung it on his waist. He first went to check on Brother Hong and his lackeys. It was not because he was concerned about them, but because these people had sneaked into Mount Sword. If they died here, their corpses had to be dealt with as soon as possible to prevent any unnecessary trouble. Unexpectedly, Lin Ran found something strange. These people were all still alive, but they had varying degrees of external injuries. There were deep and shallow wounds, but they were not fatal. With the help of internal energy, a martial artist¡¯s body would recover in at most ten days. The strange thing was that they were injured and unconscious. Their internal energy was supposed to be surging at its strongest, but Lin Ran couldn¡¯t feel any internal energy fluctuations from them. It was as if they were all ordinary people who had never practiced martial arts. Lin Ran squatted down and placed his hand on Brother Hong¡¯s chest. This burly man had the highest cultivation level among this group of people. Even if they had all exhausted their internal energy, at this distance and with Lin Ran¡¯s sharp senses, he would definitely be able to sense some internal energy fluctuations. But this time, there was still nothing. Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment. He transferred a trace of internal energy to Brother Hong from his palm. Then, he saw some small wounds on Brother Hong¡¯s body begin to stop bleeding. This phenomenon proved that Brother Hong still had cultivation. However, for some reason, all the internal energy in his body was exhausted. ¡°Could it be that they fought a tough battle with Liu Hongshan?¡± Lin Ran guessed. However, he quickly shook his head. These people weren¡¯t a match for Liu Hongshan at all. After thinking for a while, Lin Ran put this question to the back of his mind. After all, he had more important things to do now. Before he left, he had to check if there was anything that could expose his identity. After a few flashes, Lin Ran arrived at the shrine. In the yard, on the peach tree that was as big as three people, something that looked like a ¡°door¡± had opened at some point. There was a small space inside. Although it was empty now, one could tell that a sword had once been placed here. Lin Ran sighed with a complicated expression. Then, he checked his surroundings to make sure that there were no clues left behind. After that, he slashed out a sword energy that swept past the ground, flattening the footprints left behind by the three of them. After doing all this, Lin Ran took off the token on his waist. The veins on the back of his hand suddenly bulged, and with a bang, the token was crushed into pieces! Almost at the same time, a muffled horn sounded from all directions. A translucent barrier quickly spread out under the morning sun, forming a translucent barrier in the blink of an eye that trapped more than a hundred peaks of Mount Sword! This was the true form of the mountain-protecting array formation. Once an accident happened, as long as the mountain guardian shattered the token, this array formation would be completely activated. At the same time, the Grand Council in the palace would be alerted immediately. Although this protective shield was as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing, it was ridiculously powerful. This array formation used the earth energy of the entire Mount Sword as the source of the array formation. The difficulty of forcefully breaking the array formation was equivalent to shattering all the hundred peaks of Mount Sword! Even the current Lin Ran would take a few days to break the array formation by force. At that time, the army of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty would have already surrounded this place. Lin Ran looked at the array formation in a daze. After a moment, he sighed. Then, his figure flashed a few times and he returned to the residence of the mountain guardian. After transferring a trace of internal energy to Brother Hong and the others to save their lives, Lin Ran sat on the ground and summoned the Yin-Yang Sword to wipe it. When his fingertips brushed past the sword, Lin Ran suddenly exclaimed and raised the Yin-Yang Sword to his eyes to take a closer look. He realized that there was a gap on the white sword that represented the righteous side! The gap was not big, at most the size of half a grain of rice. However, this was a divine weapon that had been nurtured in Mount Sword for countless years. Before Lin Ran obtained it, it had been tempered by the aura of good and evil. Its strength had long surpassed that of ordinary divine swords! Most importantly, the last time Lin Ran used the Yin-Yang Sword, there was no gap on the sword. In other words, this gap had just been made. Thinking of how Liu Hongshan just struck the sword with the Dragon Roar Dagger, Lin Ran¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but turn solemn. ¡°Is it because of the Dragon Roar Dagger? Or is it because of his extraordinary strength? If it¡¯s the former, it¡¯s easy, but if it¡¯s the latter¡­¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly and pondered. Suddenly, he heard powerful footsteps approaching. He turned around and saw a group of white-armored warriors running over. The armor on their bodies rubbed against each other as they ran, making cracking sounds. It sounded like this armor was not light, but it did not seem to affect their speed at all. In the blink of an eye, the pair of white-armored warriors ran forward. The person in the lead was covered in a white veil, revealing only his eyes and thick eyebrows. Seeing Lin Ran, the man¡¯s eyes immediately revealed vigilance. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and asked coldly, ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lin Ran, the commander of the palace guards.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he stood up and took out the token of the guard commander and handed it over. ¡°So it¡¯s Lord Lin!¡± After that person looked at the token, the vigilance in his eyes immediately dissipated. He let go of the hilt of his sword and cupped his hands. ¡°I¡¯m Shen Rulin, the deputy general of the Five Elements Imperial Guards!¡± Lin Ran had never heard of the ¡°Five Elements Imperial Guards¡±, but he was no longer surprised to discover another secret of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. After realizing that the other party was of a higher official ranking than him, Lin Ran cupped his hands and returned the greeting. ¡°So it¡¯s Lord Shen! Sorry for being rude!¡± Shen Rulin began to be vigilant of his surroundings. ¡°Lord Lin, you¡¯re the commander of the guards in the palace. Why are you here? What happened here?¡± Lin Ran said casually, ¡°I was once a mountain guardian here. I came to visit my old friend. I didn¡¯t expect to bump into someone who wanted to steal the divine sword. My friend and I resisted desperately, but we were too weak.¡± ¡°In the end, I activated the mountain-protecting array formation, but that thief still escaped. My friend was also injured by him.¡± Chapter 136 - 136 Imprisoned 136 Imprisoned After hearing Lin Ran¡¯s description, Shen Rulin nodded slightly. After thinking for a moment, he probed, ¡°Lord Lin, do you still remember the appearance of that thief?¡± Lin Ran nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll draw a portrait of him for you when I get back. Please search Mount Sword and see if anything is missing.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Someone will do the searching.¡± As Shen Rulin spoke, he waved his hand. Two white-armored warriors went forward and sandwiched Lin Ran between them. ¡°Lord Lin, please!¡± Lin Ran looked at the white-armored warriors beside him. Although Shen Rulin did not use force, it was obvious that he still did not trust Lin Ran completely. However, Lin Ran was confident that he wouldn¡¯t expose himself, so he wasn¡¯t afraid of being suspected. He nodded and followed them down. Soon, the group arrived at the entrance of Mount Sword. There were soldiers everywhere, but they were all gathered far away. There were only five carriages parked at the entrance. They were white, green, black, red, and yellow. The carriage was covered with curtains, so Lin Ran couldn¡¯t see who was sitting inside. However, Lin Ran narrowed his eyes slightly and knew that almost everyone inside was at the Grandmaster Realm. Although they were still inferior to Lin Ran, they were definitely top-notch masters in the world! ¡°When did the Heavenly Saint Dynasty have so many grandmasters? Why haven¡¯t I heard of them before?¡± Lin Ran felt that it was strange, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. Sensing a few gazes on him in the carriage, he quietly suppressed his cultivation to the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm. After Shen Rulin gestured for Lin Ran to wait for a moment, he quickly walked to the white carriage and spoke to the person in the carriage in a low voice. Then, he returned to Lin Ran¡¯s side. ¡°Lord Lin, I¡¯m very sorry. As an important witness of this incident, you need to follow us somewhere first so that we can protect you.¡± ¡°By protecting me, you mean imprisonment and interrogation, right?¡± Lin Ran sneered and pointed at his ears. ¡°Remember to lower your voice next time. My ears are very sharp.¡± Shen Rulin narrowed his eyes and seemed to be smiling. Then, he took out a white handkerchief from his breastplate and folded it into a long strip. He looked at Lin Ran. ¡°Sorry to offend you.¡± Lin Ran sighed and closed his eyes, letting the other party blindfold him. Then, he felt someone grab his arm, and then he heard a violent wind roar! After about fifteen minutes, the howling wind finally stopped. Lin Ran landed back on the solid ground, and the white handkerchief over his eyes was taken off. ¡°Lord Lin, you can open your eyes now.¡± Hearing Shen Rulin¡¯s voice, Lin Ran slowly opened his eyes. On the way, Lin Ran had tried to use speed and direction to roughly determine their location, but when he opened his eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. ¡°Lotus Town?!¡± Lin Ran looked at the familiar street in front of him. This was Lotus Town, where he and Huo Qiyun had stayed for a few days. He even saw the inn where the two of them had stayed! Shen Rulin asked in surprise, ¡°Lord Lin, have you been to Lotus Town?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I passed by a few times when I was out on a trip.¡± Lin Ran replied. After a pause, he asked in confusion, ¡°This is? When did you change your clothes?!¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he turned to look at Shen Rulin. Before he could finish, he exclaimed. At some point, the team of white-armored warriors had all changed into white plain clothes, including the two people holding Lin Ran¡¯s arms. Seeing this scene, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but imagine a group of white-armored warriors flying on swords in the air and suddenly taking off their clothes together¡­ Shaking this thought off his mind, Lin Ran looked at Shen Rulin again and asked, ¡°Is this the base of the Five Elements Imperial Guards? Why haven¡¯t I heard of it before?¡± ¡°It¡¯s considered the base.¡± After Shen Rulin changed out of the armor, Lin Ran realized that he was not considered strong. It could even be said that he was a little thin. He was wearing white clothes and did not look like the deputy general of the imperial guards. Instead, he looked like a weak scholar. Lin Ran knew that the existence of this mysterious army was a huge secret, so he didn¡¯t ask further. Shen Rulin had no intention of introducing himself either. He waved his hand gently and the other warriors dispersed into the crowd. He led Lin Ran to an inn not far away. Shen Rulin did not walk into the inn Lin Ran stayed in before. Instead, they turned into an alley. After walking in the alley for a moment, the two of them arrived at the back door of a large courtyard. Shen Rulin pushed open the door and entered. After passing through the courtyard, he came to a side door and stood still. He turned around and said, ¡°Lord Lin, please rest here for a while. Someone will send a brush and ink later. Please draw the appearance of that thief.¡± Lin Ran agreed and pushed the door open. The room was not big and only had a few simple pieces of furniture. No one had been here for a long time, but it was quite clean. Shen Rulin bade farewell and closed the door before leaving. Soon, there was silence outside. Lin Ran listened carefully. Not only was there no sound outside the door, but there was also no sound within a hundred steps. He couldn¡¯t help but find this strange. If Shen Rulin and the others didn¡¯t believe him, shouldn¡¯t they be guarding the door tightly? However, on second thought, perhaps this was a test, so he didn¡¯t think too much about it. He sat back at the table and waited quietly for someone to deliver the brush and ink. At the same time, in the imperial study in the palace. The empress slammed the desk. The ministers in front of the desk immediately knelt down! ¡°Your Majesty, calm down!¡± The Grand Secretary, Zhang Yueheng, who was kneeling at the front, said, ¡°Although the Sacred Abyss Sword and the main culprit are missing, the guards caught a person in Mount Sword. This person was once the mountain guardian. He must have something to do with it.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The anger in the empress¡¯s eyes subsided slightly. ¡°Did you get anything out of him?¡± Zhang Yueheng said awkwardly, ¡°Your Majesty, this person has a special identity. Without your permission, I don¡¯t dare to interrogate him.¡± ¡°Outrageous!¡± The empress scolded angrily and slammed the desk again. ¡°Stealing the Sacred Abyss Sword is equivalent to committing treason! Even if he¡¯s just a suspect, he has to be interrogated strictly. Who can have such a special identity that even you, the Grand Secretary, don¡¯t dare to interrogate?¡± Zhang Yueheng shivered with fright. He lay on the ground and whispered in a strange tone, ¡°Your Majesty¡­ This person is the commander of the imperial guards. His name is Lin Ran.¡± Chapter 137 - 137 Petty Grand Secretary 137 Petty Grand Secretary Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s name, the empress¡¯s expression instantly changed. This was different from the plan. In Lin Ran¡¯s original plan, after the Sacred Abyss Sword was stolen, the three of them would disappear into thin air. After dealing with Liu Hongshan or Xiao Huai, they would return with the fake Sacred Abyss Sword. At that time, the Sacred Abyss Sword would be lost and found. Although the thief who stole the sword had yet to be caught, the empress could legitimately slow down the investigation. In a few years or so, this matter would be forgotten. But now, not only was Lin Ran arrested, but he was also charged with ¡°stealing Sacred Abyss Sword¡±. Even if the empress wanted to help him, she couldn¡¯t. Otherwise, she would definitely be accused of ¡°protecting¡± the thief! In an instant, countless thoughts flashed across the empress¡¯s mind, but in the end, she denied them all. Everyone in the palace knew that Lin Ran was the empress¡¯s favorite official. His status was almost on par with Li Tianyi. Therefore, even if Lin Ran was just a suspect, the empress couldn¡¯t show any bias! ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what you are up to I can only trust you now!¡± The empress thought to herself, but she had an upright expression on her face. ¡°Pass down my order! No matter who is involved in this, interrogate them thoroughly!¡± Zhang Yueheng lay on the ground and probed, ¡°Your Majesty, is Commander Lin the same?¡± The empress¡¯s eyes turned cold, and the emperor¡¯s aura that made people not dare to look straight at her spread out from her body. ¡°I said, ¡®No matter who it is¡¯. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Zhang Yueheng replied respectfully, but no one noticed that a cold smile appeared on his face. Previously, the empress was bewitched by Xiao Huai to the point of ignoring all the state affairs. As the Grand Secretary, Zhang Yueheng went to persuade her, but he was almost beaten to death by the guards. If not for Li Tianyi¡¯s help, he would probably have died outside the imperial study! He led the ministers to kneel outside the imperial study for three days, but it wasn¡¯t as effective as a few words from Lin Ran. This made him feel humiliated. What was a Grand Secretary? Other than the urgent reports at the border during the war, Zhang Yueheng was the first one who read all the official documents from all over the world. After he wrote down his suggestions, the documents would then be sent to the empress. If there was anything he did not want the empress to know, he could even withhold this official document. He could influence the empress¡¯s decision. Sometimes, he could even change the empress¡¯s decision! However, such an influential figure actually had less of a say than a mere guard commander in front of the empress. How could Zhang Yueheng, the Grand Secretary, accept that? However, because Lin Ran was always nowhere to be seen, Zhang Yueheng never had the chance to take revenge. Now that he was finally in trouble, Zhang Yueheng would use this chance to strike back. After asking a few more questions, Zhang Yueheng left excitedly. As soon as he left the imperial study, Zhang Yueheng took out a jade slip and handed it to his servant. He instructed coldly, ¡°Send it to the Grand Council as soon as possible. Tell them that His Majesty has decreed that the relevant people must be interrogated strictly!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The servant nodded, took the jade slip, and ran away. Zhang Yueheng thought for a moment and took out two jade slips. He handed them to another servant. ¡°Find someone else to ask the Grand Council every hour if there¡¯s any progress!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The second servant also took the jade slip and ran away. Only then did Zhang Yueheng reveal a satisfied smile. However, what he did not know was that what he said was all heard by the empress in the imperial study. ¡°This damned Zhang Yueheng actually wanted to use the opportunity to get rid of Lin Ran. How despicable!¡± The empress punched the desk and cursed angrily. Zhang Yueheng¡¯s series of arrangements looked conscientious, but the empress saw through him at a glance. First, he used the decree to get the Grand Council to interrogate Lin Ran. Then, he sent someone to ask about the progress just to put pressure on the Grand Council! At the moment, Lin Ran was the only suspect. When the Grand Council felt pressured, they would definitely be in a hurry to resolve this matter. At that time, God knew what the Grand Council would do. Torture would probably be the lightest punishment! Thinking of this, the empress could not help but feel furious. However, Zhang Yueheng had a justifiable cause to do that, so she could not really do anything to him. The empress could not help but clench her fists tightly as she stared fixedly at a certain spot. She did not even notice that her nails had dug into her flesh. ¡°Lin Ran, you have to be safe¡­¡± ¡­ Lotus Town, in a nameless house. Before Shen Rulin left, he said that he would get someone to send a brush and ink over, but Lin Ran had been sitting here for an hour. Not to mention anyone, he didn¡¯t even see a ghost. ¡°Is he trying to fool me? But what¡¯s the point?¡± Lin Ran held his chin and let his imagination run wild. His eyes subconsciously drifted to the door. Although he knew that this might be a test, he couldn¡¯t help but want to open the door and go out. After all, he had to return to the palace to discuss the plan with the empress as soon as possible. He didn¡¯t have time to waste here. However, at the thought that he might be shot by ten thousand arrows the moment he opened the door, Lin Ran didn¡¯t act rashly. He closed his eyes and focused. A wisp of divine sense spread out in a circle with him as the center. As he extended his divine sense, the scene outside the house quickly appeared in Lin Ran¡¯s mind. Not only was the yard empty, but there was also no one in the room beside it. Just as Lin Ran was about to extend his divine sense further away, he suddenly sensed a person walking towards him. His cultivation was not high, only at the sixth level of the Martial Master Realm, so he did not perceive that he was being watched. However, no matter what his cultivation was, since he could come here, he should be on Shen Rulin¡¯s side. Lin Ran retracted his divine sense and waited as if nothing had happened. A moment later, the person was already at the door. Instead of knocking, he asked from outside, ¡°Is Lord Lin here?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. For some reason, he felt that this voice was a little familiar, but he didn¡¯t think too much about it and replied casually, ¡°Yes, please come in!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened and a young man in black walked in. He was holding a tray in each hand. On his left was tea and snacks, and on his right was brush, paper, and inkstone. Lin Ran stood up and was about to take the things from him. However, when he saw the black-robed young man¡¯s face, he was stunned on the spot. He knew this person! Chapter 138 - 138 Lin Ran Was Drugged 138 Lin Ran Was Drugged When their eyes met, Lin Ran and the young man in black exclaimed in unison, ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡± This black-robed young man was none other than the younger brother of the burly man with the huge sword, the winner of the Martial Arts Examination who had been teased twice by Lin Ran with the Ten Miles Dragon Roar! The worst thing was that when Lin Ran teased him, he had already taken off the human skin mask of the Ten Miles Sword God. He wondered if this guy had recognized him yet. Would he take the opportunity to take revenge on him? Thinking of this, Lin Ran immediately felt a little nervous, but he still forced a smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the winner of the Martial Arts Examination? What a coincidence. So you¡¯re working here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here!¡± The black-robed young man smiled, but his tone was not filled with hostility. ¡°I thought you were a young talent from some sect. I didn¡¯t expect you to be the commander of the guards in the palace¡­ Sorry for being rude!¡± ¡°No, no! Please don¡¯t say that.¡± Lin Ran took the tray from him and placed it on the table. ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± ¡°My name is Hong Liquan. I¡¯m now a member of the Five Elements Imperial Guards.¡± Hong Liquan cupped his hands and replied with a very respectful attitude. It was unknown if he did not care about being teased or if he did not realize that he was being teased back then at all. However, no matter what, when Lin Ran saw the other party¡¯s attitude, he relaxed a lot. Lin Ran picked up the teapot and poured some water into the inkstone. As he ground the ink, he said, ¡°When I saw you in Lotus Town, I was curious why the winner of the Martial Arts Examination was in such a small place¡­ It turns out you are working here, right?¡± ¡°Lord Lin is indeed insightful.¡± As Hong Liquan spoke, he poured a cup of tea and handed it to Lin Ran. At the same time, he took the ink ingot and said as he ground it, ¡°I heard that Lord Lin was also the winner of the Martial Arts Examination back then?¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not as lucky as you. On the day I entered the capital to meet the emperor, I was sent to guard Mount Sword!¡± Lin Ran forced a smile. He raised the teacup to his lips and suddenly frowned. There was a strange fragrance that did not smell like tea. On guard, Lin Ran stole a glance at Hong Liquan and saw that although he was grinding ink, his attention was not on the ink ingot at all. Instead, he was glancing at the teacup in Lin Ran¡¯s hand, as if waiting for him to drink it. ¡°Sigh¡­ These people are really getting worse at playing tricks!¡± Lin Ran let out a long sigh in his heart, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. He raised his head and finished the tea in his cup. Then, he specially placed the empty cup beside Hong Liquan¡¯s hand. Almost at the same time, the corners of Hong Liquan¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. ¡°Lord Lin, you must be joking. Actually, working in Five Elements Imperial Guards is no different from working in Mount Sword!¡± ¡°Oh? What do you mean?¡± Lin Ran asked casually. His words were clear and his expression was normal. It seemed that he had really swallowed the cup of tea. Hong Liquan finally smiled in relief and complained absent-mindedly, ¡°Lord Lin, I guess you don¡¯t know this, but apart from being the shadow army of the Imperial Court, the Five Elements Imperial Guards also have the responsibility of guarding Mount Sword. It¡¯s just that compared to the mountain guardian, one is in the open and the other is in the dark.¡± ¡°Among the Five Elements Imperial Guards, the Metal Guards specialize in movement techniques and sword control. They are mainly in charge of investigating and gathering information when the situation is unknown.¡± ¡°The Wood Guards specialize in medicine, but they¡¯re relatively weak, so when they are mobilized, they usually stay at the back.¡± ¡°The Fire Guards mainly cultivate combat techniques and are powerful. They often sweep through the enemy camp like lightning.¡± ¡°The Earth Guard mainly cultivates physical techniques and uses heavy shields and swords as weapons. They¡¯re usually in charge of guarding the periphery, but once they attack, they are even more destructive than the fire guards!¡± ¡°So the Five Elements Imperial Guards have so many divisions?¡± Lin Ran nodded in realization, as if his interest had been piqued by Hong Liquan¡¯s words. ¡°What about the Water Guards? I don¡¯t think I heard you mention them just now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m from the Water Guards.¡± Hong Liquan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say this, but the water guards specialize in poison and punishment. To put it simply, we use all kinds of methods to make the target tell us the information we want¡­ To put it simply, we interrogate prisoners.¡± Lin Ran nodded and patted Hong Liquan¡¯s shoulder to comfort him. ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. If you work hard, you can make yourself shine in every walk of life.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡± Hong Liquan smiled, but his eyes gradually turned cold. ¡°Since you think so highly of me, can I trouble you to be my stepping stone?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± When Lin Ran heard this, his expression changed drastically. He subconsciously wanted to retreat, but he suddenly staggered and fell to the ground. His face was filled with fear. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why suddenly I can¡¯t exert my strength?¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran wanted to get up from the ground, but no matter how hard he tried, he could only raise his body a few inches from the ground before falling back down! Seeing that Lin Ran was so weak, Hong Liquan finally tore off his hypocritical mask and laughed arrogantly. ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯ve long heard that the palace guards are abnormally vigilant. Seeing you today¡­ I¡¯m really disappointed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡± Lin Ran looked at Hong Liquan with widened eyes. ¡°What did you do to me?!¡± ¡°Nothing. I just gave you some drugs.¡± As Hong Liquan spoke, he picked up the teacup and looked at it with a smug expression. ¡°I developed this drug. It can make a martial artist feel weak for a few hours and even make them unable to circulate their internal energy. Although it¡¯s not effective against people above the Grandmaster Realm, it¡¯s more than enough to deal with a Senior Martial Master like you!¡± Lin Ran lay on the ground and glared at Hong Liquan angrily. ¡°Why are you doing this?! Do you know who I am? I¡¯m here to cooperate with the investigation. What right do you have to treat me like a criminal?!¡± ¡°I have no choice. This is His Majesty¡¯s order.¡± Hong Liquan shrugged. He sneered. ¡°His Majesty gave the order that anyone involved in the crime of stealing the Sacred Abyss Sword will be investigated strictly¡­ Originally, I just wanted to finish the job as soon as possible and go back to sleep. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you!¡± Lin Ran looked at Hong Liquan in ¡°fear¡±. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m warning you, I¡¯m His Majesty¡¯s personal guard!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not anymore.¡± Hong Liquan smiled mysteriously. Suddenly, he squatted down and grabbed Lin Ran¡¯s neck with one hand. He lowered his voice and asked coldly, ¡°Answer me a question first. How are my brother and the others?¡± ¡°How did you know¡­¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before he realized what was going on. ¡°No wonder they knew about the time when the mountain-protecting array formation stops. So it was you who revealed it to them!¡± ¡°So what?¡± Hong Liquan smiled slightly, his eyes filled with arrogance. ¡°Let me tell you, I¡¯m the only one in charge of interrogating you now. If you don¡¯t cooperate, I¡¯ll kill you first before reporting to the higher-ups that you tried to flee and were killed on the spot by me.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± A smile gradually appeared on Lin Ran¡¯s face. ¡°Is that so?¡± Chapter 139 - 139 On Furnace Peak 139 On Furnace Peak Seeing the smile on Lin Ran¡¯s face, Hong Liquan couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. He didn¡¯t understand why Lin Ran could still smile under such circumstances. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m joking?¡± Hong Liquan shouted coldly and pulled out his sword to press it against Lin Ran¡¯s chest. ¡°Tell me! What happened to my brother and the others?¡± Lin Ran lay on the ground and didn¡¯t even look at the sword that was pointing at his chest. He only stared at Hong Liquan and asked with a faint smile, ¡°Are you in such a hurry because you¡¯re worried about your brother and the others, or are you worried that they¡¯ll expose you after they¡¯re caught?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Hong Liquan did not answer, but this moment of hesitation explained everything. The smile on Lin Ran¡¯s face deepened. ¡°Let me guess. You worked so hard to become the winner of the martial arts examination, but you ended up working in a remote place like this. You must be very indignant, right?¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because your salary is too low or something else, but in short, you leaked the secrets of Mount Sword to your brother. You wanted him to steal a few divine swords. After he sold them for a high price, you would quit your job and return to your hometown to enjoy a glamorous life.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t expect it to be such a coincidence that someone would act on the same day as your brother and steal the extremely important Sacred Abyss Sword!¡± At this point, Lin Ran suddenly sat up from the ground and continued with a seemingly anxious expression, ¡°What should you do? If your brother is caught on the spot, he will definitely be handed over to the Water Guards for interrogation.¡± ¡°I know their methods too well. My brother definitely won¡¯t be able to withstand the torture. If he tells on me, not only will my career end, but I won¡¯t even be able to keep my head!¡± Plop! Hong Liquan¡¯s legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground. His originally fierce expression was replaced by panic. Looking at his soulless expression, Lin Ran knew that he was right. ¡°Sigh¡­ One misstep will make you regret it for the rest of your life!¡± Lin Ran let out a long sigh and stood up from the ground. Then, he poured himself a cup of tea and asked faintly, ¡°If I tell people what you said just now, what do you think will happen?¡± ¡°No!¡± Hong Liquan shouted and hurriedly got up from the ground. ¡°Lord Lin¡­ No! Brother Lin! I beg you, don¡¯t tell anyone about this!¡± Lin Ran smiled faintly and asked, ¡°You just said that I¡¯m no longer His Majesty¡¯s personal guard. What¡¯s going on?¡± Now that Lin Ran had the upper hand, Hong Liquan naturally did not dare to hide anything. He quickly repeated the ¡°Emperor¡¯s decree¡± that Zhang Yueheng had relayed. After hearing that, Lin Ran nodded. He didn¡¯t think Zhang Yueheng was deliberately targeting him. After all, he was already warned by the empress that once he was caught, she wouldn¡¯t be able to help him out. However, the investigation was so intense that it was beyond Lin Ran¡¯s expectations. After a pause, Lin Ran asked, ¡°Did you find any clues on Mount Sword?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know about this.¡± Hong Liquan replied with a bitter expression, ¡°I¡¯m just an errand boy. If not for the fact that the situation was serious and most of the people were transferred to Mount Sword, it wouldn¡¯t be my place to interrogate you. However¡­¡± At this point, Hong Liquan suddenly lowered his voice and said carefully, ¡°I heard that the Sacred Abyss Sword was stolen and the mountain guardian was also kidnapped. Otherwise, His Majesty wouldn¡¯t be so angry.¡± Lin Ran subconsciously picked up the teacup. However, just as he was about to put it to his lips, Hong Liquan snatched it away. ¡°Brother Lin! You can¡¯t drink this tea!¡± Hong Liquan snatched the teacup away and said anxiously, ¡°This tea is poisonous. Martial artists below the Grandmaster Realm won¡¯t be able to use their internal energy after drinking it. I¡¯ll go get you another pot now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother. This is good.¡± Lin Ran smiled and took back the teacup. ¡°What does it have to do with me? I¡¯m not below Grandmaster Realm¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t you¡­¡± Before Hong Liquan could finish speaking, he realized that Lin Ran was emitting the aura of a grandmaster. His words were instantly replaced by exclamations. ¡°You¡¯re already a grandmaster?¡± Lin Ran smiled ambiguously and didn¡¯t say anything else on this topic. After thinking for a moment, he instructed, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to lose your job and our head, do something for me.¡± There was a hint of hesitation on Hong Liquan¡¯s face. Lin Ran continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not something against the law. If it¡¯s done well, you might even be rewarded.¡± Hearing this, Hong Liquan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡­ 300 miles to the west of Mount Sword in Furnace Peak. The top of the peak was flattened by the wind and rain. It was about a hundred steps wide. At this moment, three figures were facing each other. Huo Qiyun was dressed in white and had a long bag tied to his back. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and stared at Liu Hongshan, who was not far away. Compared to him, Liu Hongshan looked relaxed. He played with the Dragon Roar Dagger with a smile and looked up at Huo Qiyun from time to time, as if he was very interested in this young man. Xiao Huai stood between the two of them and hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Huo Qiyun, what exactly do you want? At this point, even if you go back on your word, can you still return the Sacred Abyss Sword?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going back on my word. I just don¡¯t trust him.¡± Huo Qiyun narrowed his eyes and said coldly, ¡°You said that he could give me great power, but I haven¡¯t seen any proof yet.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that simple?¡± Xiao Huai sneered and turned to Liu Hongshan. ¡°Did you hear that? If you want the Sacred Abyss Sword, let him see what you¡¯re capable of!¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ Kids nowadays!¡± Liu Hongshan sighed with a faint smile. He released his grip and the Dragon Roar Dagger fell to the ground. Like a red-hot knife falling into butter, it easily and smoothly entered the hard rock. Then, Liu Hongshan stretched his muscles and curled his finger at Huo Qiyun. ¡°Come, hit me.¡± Huo Qiyun revealed a strange expression. ¡°Did you misunderstand me? I want you to prove how you can help me become stronger, not how strong you are.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Liu Hongshan nodded with the same faint smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯ll know after you hit you.¡± Huo Qiyun hesitated for a moment before finally placing his hand on the hilt of his sword. The sword at his waist was unsheathed half an inch, and instantly, sword energy swept out! In an instant, sand and stones flew up. Wherever the sword energy went, it plowed a deep ravine in the solid ground! On the other hand, Liu Hongshan did not dodge when he saw the sword energy coming at him. There was a faint smile on his face. He placed one hand behind his back and raised the other hand in front of him. He actually wanted to use one hand to catch the sword energy head-on! Chapter 140 - 140 As Long as It Works 140 As Long as It Works Seeing that Liu Hongshan was actually able to take the sword energy head-on, Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but turn solemn. Although he did not use his full strength in this strike, he used at least 70% of his strength. Even Lin Ran probably wasn¡¯t confident that he could take it. Where did Liu Hongshan get his courage from? While feeling confused, Huo Qiyun accidentally saw Xiao Huai¡¯s reaction and he was more confused. Even when the sword energy swept past her, Xiao Huai did not react at all. However, the moment Liu Hongshan raised his hand, a fearful expression actually appeared on her stiff face. It was not worry or smugness, but a deep fear! At the same time, the sharp sword energy had already arrived in front of Liu Hongshan. Huo Qiyun hurriedly pulled his thoughts back, wanting to see what Liu Hongshan was going to do. Unexpectedly, a strange scene happened¡ª The moment the sword energy touched Liu Hongshan¡¯s palm, it actually disappeared into thin air with a puff! It was a disappearance in the trust sense of the word. Not only did the peak return to silence, but even the sword intent that Huo Qiyun had put into the sword energy disappeared! ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Huo Qiyun subconsciously exclaimed, his childish face filled with fear! Forming one¡¯s sword intent was the prerequisite for one to go from a Commoner to a Martial Master. Therefore, to the martial artists of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, sword intent was like another pair of eyes or another pair of hands. When the sword intent he released disappeared, Huo Qiyun felt as if one of his eyes had been dug out. That was impossible! Seeing how panicked Huo Qiyun was, Liu Hongshan looked disdainful. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re a rare genius. Why? Are you terrified by this small trick¡± ¡°Small trick?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He quickly recalled every detail of Liu Hongshan¡¯s actions in his mind. After a moment, he suddenly smiled. ¡°Master Liu, you¡¯re really too humble. This trick of yours is by no means small!¡± Although he was smiling, Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes began to reveal deep fear just like Xiao Huai. At this moment, Huo Qiyun hoped that he was thinking too much, but seeing how afraid Xiao Huai was, he knew that he had most likely guessed the truth. ¡°Now¡­¡± Liu Hongshan suddenly spoke and slowly stretched out his right hand. ¡°Can you give me the Sacred Abyss Sword?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression turned cold as he subconsciously grabbed the bag with the Sacred Abyss Sword in it with a hesitant expression. ¡­ Lotus Town, in a nameless house. Lin Ran was tied to a chair with his head lowered. He was disheveled and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. His clothes were also tattered, and his exposed skin was covered in blood. His hands that were tied behind him were even more mangled. Hong Liquan stood opposite him with a steel needle that was nearly a foot long. He looked worried. ¡°Brother Lin, are we really going to do this?¡± Lin Ran suddenly looked up and grinned, revealing two rows of blood-stained white teeth. ¡°I¡¯m doing you a favor. You can finish your job and I can achieve my goal¡­ We can have it both ways. Why not?¡± ¡°No, I just feel¡­¡± Hong Liquan paused for a moment, as if he did not know what to say. After a few seconds, he said, ¡°With your strength, not many people in this yard can stop you from leaving. Why do you have to do this?¡± ¡°As long as it works, it¡¯s fine.¡± Lin Ran chuckled and stopped mid-sentence. He suddenly thought of Huo Qiyun, who had said the same thing last time, and couldn¡¯t help but look worried. ¡°I wonder how that kid is doing now.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself and lost the mood to chat. He raised his chin at Hong Liquan and instructed, ¡°Cut the crap. Hurry up and call your main official over. The sooner this ends, the sooner I can leave.¡± Hong Liquan hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go now. Remember to hide your cultivation. After all, the effect of the drug hasn¡¯t worn off yet.¡± Lin Ran nodded to indicate that he understood. After Hong Liquan left, he pretended to be unconscious and suppressed his cultivation to an extremely low level. After about fifteen minutes, the door opened again and Hong Liquan walked in with a sinister-looking middle-aged man holding a folding fan. As soon as he entered, Hong Liquan said in a low voice, ¡°Commander Tong, I¡¯ve already tortured him. He really doesn¡¯t seem to know anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not up to you and me to decide if he knows anything or not.¡± Commander Tong said coldly, pointing the folding fan in his hand at the sky. ¡°The higher-ups have the final say, understand?¡± ¡°I understand, I understand!¡± Hong Liquan nodded repeatedly, but Commander Tong ignored him. He took a few steps forward and came to Lin Ran¡¯s side. He raised Lin Ran¡¯s chin with the fan and narrowed his eyes to observe him carefully. A moment later, Commander Tong turned his gaze to the teacup on the table. ¡°Did you give him drugs?¡± Hong Liquan nodded and said, ¡°Yes, his cultivation is at the peak of the Senior Martial Master Realm. If he is not drugged, these tortures can do very little to him.¡± Commander Tong nodded. It was unknown what he was thinking, but he paused for a moment and asked, ¡°Did he draw the appearance of the person who stole the sword?¡± ¡°Yes, please take a look!¡± As Hong Liquan spoke, he picked up three portraits from the table. This was what Lin Ran had drawn previously. Apart from the first portrait of Liu Hongshan, the other two were drawn by him randomly. If they could find the corresponding people, it would be really impressive. Commander Tong glanced at the portrait and a smile finally appeared on his sinister face. ¡°You did well. There¡¯s news from the Medal Guards that it can basically be confirmed that there are a total of three sword thieves¡­ Call the Wood Guards over to treat him.¡± ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Commander Tong!¡± Hong Liquan hurriedly cupped his hands and thanked him. Seeing that Commander Tong was about to leave, he hurriedly asked, ¡°Commander Tong, after this person is treated by the Wood Guard, should we let him go or imprison him for a while?¡± ¡°Bury him.¡± Commander Tong said coldly without looking back. Hong Liquan was stunned when he heard this. Actually, he was just asking casually. He did not expect to receive such an answer! Lin Ran, who was pretending to be unconscious, was also stunned. His suppressed cultivation almost surged back up uncontrollably! According to the procedure, if they really couldn¡¯t get anything out of LIn Ran, Lin Ran would normally be let go after being treated. At most, he would be warned not to speak nonsense. Why did they want to bury him? As if sensing Hong Liquan¡¯s confusion, Commander Tong, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks and pointed at the sky with his fan again. ¡°This is what the higher-ups ordered. Do it cleanly.¡± ¡°Higher-up?¡± Lin Ran frowned. Was this ¡°higher-up¡±¡­ the empress? Chapter 141 - 141 A Fight Between the Empress and the Official 141 A Fight Between the Empress and the Official Commander Tong had no intention of explaining further. After saying that, he left. Hong Liquan followed him quietly. After confirming that Commander Tong had walked away, he turned around and saw that Lin Ran had already untied the rope and stood up. ¡°Brother Lin¡­¡± Hong Liquan hesitated for a moment before asking softly, ¡°How long can you hold your breath?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes. ¡°Why? Do you really want to bury me?¡± ¡°No! No!¡± Hong Liquan hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°There¡¯s a process to this kind of thing. Not only will someone verify your identity, but there will also be someone watching over you when you¡¯re buried¡­ I won¡¯t even have the chance to swap you!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and didn¡¯t say anything. He looked troubled. If it came to that, he would have no choice but to make a move. However, if that happened, he would definitely be accused of escaping. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran realized that the main part of this matter was what the empress thought of him. Commander Tong said that this was what the higher-ups meant, but he did not mention the empress specifically. Perhaps someone else wanted to take the opportunity to kill Lin Ran. Thinking of this, Lin Ran looked at Hong Liquan. ¡°Call that commander over and tell him that I have important information.¡± ¡­ As soon as Commander Tong entered, he realized that Lin Ran, who was tied to the chair, was already awake. However, he looked a little weak, as if the effect of the drug had yet to wear off. Commander Tong opened his fan to cover his mouth and nose. He narrowed his eyes and asked coldly, ¡°I heard that you have important information to tell me?¡± Lin Ran nodded. Although he was weak, he had an arrogant expression on his face. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something you don¡¯t need to know.¡± Commander Tong replied coldly, ¡°Killing you is the order of the higher-ups. I have no grudge with Lord Lin, so I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for you. Tell me what you know and I¡¯ll give you a quick death.¡± ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t wanna tell me. Just kill me.¡± Lin Ran sneered. ¡°But you¡¯ll definitely regret it.¡± Commander Tong pondered for a moment before replying coldly, ¡°My surname is Tong. I¡¯m commander of the Water Guards from the Five Elements Imperial Guards.¡± ¡°You are a third-grade official¡­¡± Lin Ran pointed out his official rank and smiled disdainfully. ¡°You¡¯re not qualified to listen to this information. Call your chief over!¡± Commander Tong¡¯s eyes turned cold, and his tone was clearly filled with displeasure. ¡°Do you think you can see my chief just because you want to? If you have information, just tell me. Otherwise, you¡¯ll die!¡± ¡°Then just kill me.¡± Lin Ran leaned back in his chair and said arrogantly, ¡°You¡¯re a third-grade official, and I¡¯m also a third-grade official¡­ You¡¯re not qualified to interrogate me!¡± Commander Tong stared at Lin Ran and didn¡¯t say anything else. Lin Ran also sneered at him. The two sides confronted each other like this. At the side, Hong Liquan was filled with worry. He was really afraid that Commander Tong would kill Lin Ran on impulse, although that was impossible. After a full fifteen minutes, Commander Tong suddenly sighed, and his cold eyes softened. ¡°The chief is not around. Just wait!¡± With that, Commander Tong turned around and left. He stomped, as if he was showing that he was angered. ¡°That was too dangerous!¡± Hong Liquan patted his chest and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Brother Lin, what information do you have? Even Commander Tong is not qualified to hear it?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not even qualified to hear it. Do you think you are?¡± Lin Ran sneered. Before Hong Liquan could speak, he continued, ¡°Write a secret report immediately and say that I¡¯m in danger in the Five Elements Imperial Guards. Send it to His Majesty¡­ The Five Elements Imperial Guards are a shadow army. You should have the right to do it, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I do¡­¡± Hong Liquan looked troubled. ¡°But I¡¯m not in the position yet to write a secret report.¡± ¡°Then who can do it?¡± Hong Liquan thought for a moment. ¡°Other than Commander Tong, there are also Shen Rulin and Vice Commander Shen of the Medal Guards.¡± Lin Ran was silent for a moment. ¡°Call him over.¡± ¡­ In the imperial study of the palace. The empress was holding a document in her hand and seemed to be reviewing it. Beside her, Li Tianyi looked worried. ¡°Your Majesty? Your Majesty?¡± Li Tianyi called out softly. Seeing that the empress had come back to her senses, he probed, ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯ve been reading this document for an hour. Is there something on your mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about the Sacred Abyss Sword.¡± The empress casually made a reason and asked, ¡°How¡¯s the situation on Lord Lin¡¯s side? Did he say anything?¡± Li Tianyi shook his head. ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s no news from the Grand Council yet.¡± The empress frowned. ¡°How long has Lord Zhang been gone?¡± ¡°About two hours.¡± The empress thought for a moment and instructed, ¡°Summon him!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± A moment later, Grand Secretary Zhang Yueheng arrived at the imperial study. Just as he was about to kneel, he heard the empress ask coldly, ¡°Is there any progress in finding the thief of the Sacred Abyss Sword?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Zhang Yueheng was speechless for a moment. He paused for a moment before replying in a low voice, ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive me. According to the news from the Five Elements Imperial Guards, that person is extremely stubborn. They¡¯ve already tried their best, but¡­ but they still couldn¡¯t get anything out of him.¡± ¡°What?!¡± The empress¡¯s eyes widened as she slapped the desk heavily. ¡°You actually tortured Lord Lin?!¡± Zhang Yueheng trembled and knelt on the ground. ¡°Your Majesty, this is your order! ¡®No matter who it is, anyone related to this case must be investigated strictly.¡¯ This is what you said.¡± The empress had long known that Zhang Yueheng would say this. She sneered and continued to ask, ¡°It¡¯s been two hours. Why is there no progress yet?¡± Zhang Yueheng trembled again. He lay on the ground and replied softly, ¡°Your Majesty, the criminal is abnormally stubborn¡­¡± ¡°Good!¡± The empress nodded slightly and suddenly changed the topic. ¡°I believe Lord Zhang is aware of the torture methods practiced by the Five Elements Imperial Guards, right?¡± Zhang Yueheng did not know why the empress suddenly asked about this. He hesitated for a moment before nodding and admitting, ¡°Among them, the Water Guards are most specialized in torturing. It is said that they can¡¯t even get words out of a stone.¡± ¡°In that case, they¡¯re indeed capable.¡± The empress smiled, then her tone turned cold. ¡°But they tried for two hours and still couldn¡¯t get anything out of Lord Lin. Is it because they¡¯re not capable enough, or is Lord Lin innocent to begin with?¡± Zhang Yueheng was about to reply when he suddenly realized that something was wrong. This was a trap! If he admitted that they were not capable enough, the Water Guards would definitely be punished. Zhang Yueheng did not care about the life and death of the Water Guards, but with a word from the empress, he was associated with the Water Guards. If the Water Guards were punished, as the Grand Secretary, he would not be able to escape responsibility! As for Lin Ran¡¯s innocence, they couldn¡¯t admit it. Once they did, it would be equivalent to them framing a good person. If it were anyone else, it would be fine, but Lin Ran was still a trusted aide of the empress. If the empress wanted to seek justice for him, all who framed Lin Ran would lose their heads. Chapter 142 - 142 Hidden Words 142 Hidden Words Zhang Yueheng was in a dilemma. However, he was, after all, the Grand Secretary. He was far more meticulous than ordinary people. After thinking for a moment, he replied in a low voice, ¡°Your Majesty, Lin Ran was once the winner of the martial arts examination. Later, His Majesty promoted him to the commander of the imperial guards. He is far more strong-willed than ordinary people. I believe Your Majesty thinks highly of him because of that, right?¡± Without waiting for the empress to speak, Zhang Yueheng continued, ¡°Therefore, it will indeed take a lot of effort to interrogate him, but don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. I order the Five Elements Imperial Guards to speed up the interrogation. I believe there will be a result soon!¡± Hearing that Zhang Yueheng had ordered the interrogation to be intensified, the empress¡¯s heart tightened. Just as the empress was about to say something, a eunuch suddenly shouted outside, ¡°Your Majesty! Someone requests an audience!¡± Hearing this, the three people in the imperial study were stunned. Usually, if someone asked to see the emperor, the eunuch would tell him the official rank and name of the person who came. What was ¡®someone¡¯ supposed to mean? ¡°This useless fool! He even forgot the rules!¡± Li Tianyi cursed under his breath. Then, he cupped his hands at the empress. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ll go take a look first.¡± As he spoke, Li Tianyi was about to leave when a thin young man in white walked in. Li Tianyi was stunned for a moment. When he reacted, he immediately widened his eyes and scolded, ¡°How dare you! Do you know what kind of crime it is to barge into the imperial study and disturb the emperor?!¡± The white-robed young man glanced at Li Tianyi and did not say anything. He turned to bow to the empress. ¡°I¡¯m Shen Rulin, the deputy commander of the Five Elements Imperial Guards! I have an urgent report to send to Your Majesty. Please forgive me for being rude!¡± When they heard that the person who came was from the Five Elements Imperial Guards, the empress and Zhang Yueheng¡¯s expressions changed at the same time. Zhang Yueheng was overjoyed, thinking that the Water Guards had probably found out something. In that case, as soon as Lin Ran was proven to be involved in this matter, it would be easy to get rid of him. On the other hand, the empress looked worried because she knew what Zhang Yueheng was thinking too well! Just as the two of them were thinking to themselves, Shen Rulin had already taken out a secret letter. It was still sealed, proving that it had not been read by anyone. ¡°Deputy Commander Shen, don¡¯t worry! His Majesty is kind-hearted. Since it¡¯s an urgent report, he naturally won¡¯t blame you!¡± Zhang Yueheng comforted him. Thinking that he would be able to vent his anger soon, he felt much better. As he spoke, Zhang Yueheng walked forward and was about to take the secret letter when Shen Rulin retracted his hand! Although there were only four people in the imperial study, Zhang Yueheng still felt a little embarrassed to be rejected by a deputy general in public. His expression darkened as he shouted coldly, ¡°I¡¯m the Grand Secretary! I have to read all the official documents first. Don¡¯t you know, Deputy Commander Shen?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Shen Rulin replied calmly, ¡°However, this urgent report has to be reviewed by His Majesty personally.¡± The empress gave Li Tianyi a look and Li Tianyi took the letter and handed it over to her. This secret letter had clearly been written not long ago. The wax at the seal had yet to solidify. The empress held the secret letter and her fingertips could not help but tremble. She was looking forward to knowing something, but she was also afraid of knowing something. Amidst this dilemma, the empress slowly opened the secret letter and pulled out half an unfolded letter. There were only a few words on it. ¡°There is an unexpected change in the plan. Let¡¯s talk face to face.¡± ¡°Phew¡ª¡± The moment she saw the letter, the empress couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh of relief because she recognized it as Lin Ran¡¯s handwriting! ¡°Deputy Commander Shen!¡± The empress shouted and ignored Zhang Yueheng. She ordered Shen Rulin, ¡°Bring the criminal into the palace immediately. I want to interrogate him personally!¡± ¡°Your Majesty! You can¡¯t!¡± Before Shen Rulin could speak, Zhang Yueheng hurriedly knelt on the ground and shouted, ¡°He is vicious and evil. We can¡¯t let him be with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind!¡± The empress¡¯s expression darkened as she said coldly, ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you say that this criminal is abnormally stubborn? Then let me see how stubborn he is!¡± Zhang Yueheng instantly swallowed his words. It was fine to talk back to the empress once or twice, but if he kept talking back, he would really be pushing his luck. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Shen Rulin stood up and left. At the same time, Zhang Yueheng stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± He quickly went out and stopped Shen Rulin. ¡°Lord Zhang, is there anything else?¡± Shen Rulin asked in confusion, but Zhang Yueheng did not answer. He pulled him far away before stopping. He asked with a smile, ¡°Lord Shen, you must have been in the imperial guards for a long time, right?¡± Shen Rulin nodded. ¡°It¡¯s been 17 years since I joined the imperial guards.¡± ¡°Seventeen years¡­¡± Zhang Yueheng let out a long sigh. After a moment, he suddenly asked softly, ¡°Lord Shen, do you have any thoughts of advancing further and becoming a general or even a deputy general?¡± Shen Rulin instantly understood what Zhang Yueheng meant. He narrowed his eyes and probed, ¡°Lord Zhang, is there anything you want me to do?¡± ¡°Lord Shen, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I just want you to do your job.¡± Zhang Yueheng smiled, but his eyes were filled with killing intent. ¡°This criminal called Lin Ran is evil and vicious. When Lord Shen brings him into the palace, you have to be careful!¡± When Shen Rulin heard this, he forced a smile and said, ¡°Lord Zhang, you¡¯re overthinking. As the imperial guards, we naturally have to do our job!¡± ¡°Deputy General Shen, you¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± Zhang Yueheng waved his hand and changed the way he addressed Shen Rulin to deputy general. ¡°What I mean is that this person is quite dangerous. He doesn¡¯t have to see His Majesty. If he escapes on the way¡­¡± Zhang Yueheng did not finish his sentence. He just stretched out his right hand and slowly made a beheading gesture. Shen Rulin frowned slightly. ¡°Lord Zhang, may I ask if there¡¯s any grudge between you and that criminal?¡± Zhang Yueheng smiled and patted Shen Rulin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Lord Shen, don¡¯t ask too much about unrelated matters. You just have to know that if you do this well today, you will be the deputy general of the Five Elements Imperial Guards tomorrow!¡± With that, Zhang Yueheng turned around and left with a smile. Shen Rulin stood rooted to the ground for a long time, his sharp eyes flickering. No one knew what he was thinking. ¡­ Lotus Town, in a nameless house. In the room, Lin Ran and Hong Liquan sat opposite each other. Lin Ran had already washed up and changed his clothes. He held a cup of tea as if he was tasting it, but anyone with a discerning eye could tell that his mind was not on the tea. After a short silence, Hong Liquan couldn¡¯t help but ask softly, ¡°Brother Lin, will His Majesty really see you?¡± Just as Lin Ran was about to speak, the door suddenly opened and Shen Rulin walked in. He shouted coldly, ¡°The criminal, Lin Ran! His Majesty summoned you to the palace to interrogate you personally!¡± Chapter 143 - 143 Passing Through the Clouds 143 Passing Through the Clouds Hearing Shen Rulin¡¯s words, Lin Ran raised his eyebrows and smiled at Hong Liquan. ¡°Look, it worked, right?¡± Hong Liquan smiled awkwardly. When he saw Shen Rulin¡¯s expression, he vaguely felt that something was wrong. It was true that he wanted to make a name for himself, but the matter of someone of that level was not something an insignificant figure like him could interfere in. Lin Ran didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with Shen Rulin¡¯s expression. After all, Shen Rulin had always been a little cold. Putting down the teacup and tidying his clothes, Lin Ran walked up to Shen Rulin and extended his right hand. ¡°Return my sword to me. I¡¯ll ride the sword with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± As Shen Rulin spoke, he took out a white handkerchief from his pocket. ¡°Is that necessary?¡± Lin Ran was speechless. ¡°I know the way to the palace better than you!¡± Shen Rulin didn¡¯t say anything. He just quietly raised the white handkerchief. Lin Ran had no choice but to take the white handkerchief and blindfolded himself. Then, his arm was grabbed by someone, and the wind immediately howled in his ears! With Lin Ran¡¯s speed on his sword, it would take at most fifteen minutes to reach the palace from Lotus Town. However, Shen Rulin didn¡¯t have such a high cultivation level, so his speed would definitely be slower. After half an hour, the wind still did not stop howling. Lin Ran began to feel that something was wrong. ¡°Deputy Commander Shen, aren¡¯t we there yet?¡± Lin Ran asked in confusion with his eyes closed. As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran felt the grip on his arm loosen. Almost instantly, he lost his balance and the feeling of falling from the sky rushed to his brain! ¡°Oh no!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He quickly tore off the white handkerchief covering his eyes and saw that he was falling rapidly through the clouds! When a martial artist reached a certain realm, they could fly on their swords. However, Lin Ran didn¡¯t have a sword in his hand. He could only fall straight to the ground! Although he didn¡¯t know why Shen Rulin did this, he clearly wanted Lin Ran to fall to his death. ¡°I¡¯ll settle the score with you one day!¡± Lin Ran cursed in his heart. Just as he was about to summon the divine sword to fly, the clouds below suddenly surged and Shen Rulin rushed out! Before Lin Ran could flare up, Shen Rulin said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not safe here. Let¡¯s talk later!¡± With that, Shen Rulin turned around and rushed into the thick cloud with Lin Ran. The moment his vision was blocked by the clouds, Lin Ran vaguely saw a few masked men in black flash past the place where they were. Lin Ran didn¡¯t summon the divine sword and let Shen Rulin bring him through the clouds. A moment later, his vision suddenly darkened, and a steep cliff suddenly appeared in front of the two of them! ¡°Be careful!¡± Lin Ran subconsciously called out. At the same time, Shen Rulin reacted. He jumped off the cloud and landed steadily on the top of a peak. After putting Lin Ran on the ground, Shen Rulin said in a low voice with a cold expression, ¡°This peak is called Hidden Cloud. It¡¯s so tall that it reaches into the clouds. It can be our hiding place for the time being.¡± Lin Ran nodded to show that he understood. He pointed in the direction where the two of them came from and asked curiously, ¡°Who were those people just now? Why did they want to kill you?¡± ¡°They¡¯re here to kill you.¡± Shen Rulin replied casually. Before Lin Ran could express his confusion, Shen Rulin asked, ¡°Let me ask you, do you have any grudge with the Grand Secretary, Zhang Yueheng?¡± ¡°Zhang Yueheng?¡± Lin Ran recalled for a moment before remembering who it was. Then, he shook his head and replied honestly, ¡°I¡¯ve seen him a few times in the palace, but we didn¡¯t interact much. Why are you asking?¡± Shen Rulin didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he looked at Lin Ran with a scrutinizing gaze. ¡°Is there really no grudge between the two of you?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and suddenly thought of something. He looked at Shen Rulin. ¡°Are you saying that those people were sent by Zhang Yueheng? Why did he want to kill you?¡± ¡°They¡¯re here to kill you.¡± Shen Rulin repeated, his cold face filled with confusion. ¡°When I went to deliver the urgent report, Zhang Yueheng asked me to get rid of you on the way to the palace. As for those people¡­¡± At this point, Shen Rulin glanced in the direction where they came from. After making sure that no one was following him, he continued, ¡°He must be afraid that I won¡¯t follow the order, or he just sent people to kill me as well.¡± Lin Ran looked at the clouds around him and was confused. ¡°But why? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve offended him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Shen Rulin shook his head. ¡°Those people suddenly appeared and started attacking without saying anything. I had no choice but to let go of you first and shake them off before coming to pick you up. There¡¯s something wrong with this matter. I have to find out.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself that that was what was going on. He paused for a moment and asked with a smile, ¡°Then how are you going to find out? He is the Grand Secretary.¡± Shen Rulin did not speak for a long time. It was obvious that he had not thought about it. Lin Ran chuckled and patted Shen Rulin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. Bring me into the palace to confront him. Wouldn¡¯t that solve everything?¡± Shen Rulin let out a long sigh. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say! Those assassins are stronger than me. Once we leave this peak, we¡¯ll¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Shen Rulin saw Lin Ran lean backward on the edge and fall off it. Shen Rulin¡¯s expression changed drastically. He knew that Lin Ran was also a martial artist, but the drug in his body had yet to be removed. His body was only slightly stronger than an ordinary person¡¯s. If he fell from here, he would definitely die! Without hesitation, Shen Rulin hurriedly flew down from the top of the peak on his sword. After instantly passing through the cloud, he realized that Lin Ran was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Could it be that he has already landed? He can¡¯t be so fast, right?¡± Shen Rulin was puzzled. Just as he was about to search for any corpses on the ground, he was suddenly shocked. An extremely powerful sword intent erupted above his head! In the seventeen years he had joined the imperial guards, he had only felt such a terrifying pressure from five people. They were the five grandmaster-level generals of the Five Elements Imperial Guards. However, at this moment, this sword intent seemed to be above the general! At this moment, a black shadow fell out of the clouds. Shen Rulin thought that Zhang Yueheng¡¯s men were chasing after him and quickly became vigilant. However, when he took a closer look, Shen Rulin was shocked. The black shadow was indeed the assassin sent by Zhang Yueheng, but it had already become a corpse. Most importantly, there were no wounds on the corpse. There was only a red mark on his neck. He looked like he was second-killed. Chapter 144 - 144 Guilty Conscience 144 Guilty Conscience Before he could think about it carefully, four more corpses fell out of the clouds, all dead in the same way. Shen Rulin¡¯s eyes lit up. He remembered that Zhang Yueheng had sent a total of six assassins. Now that five corpses were lying on the ground, it meant that there was only one assassin left. However, after waiting for a few minutes, the sixth corpse did not come down, but the powerful pressure was gone. Shen Rulin began to panic again. Looking at the rolling clouds not far above his head, a hint of hesitation immediately appeared on his cold face. With the clouds blocking his vision, Shen Rulin did not know what was going on above, but there were two possibilities why the powerful pressure suddenly disappeared. Firstly, the master had left. Secondly, that master was hiding his cultivation and searching for the whereabouts of the last assassin. Shen Rulin chose to bring Lin Ran into the capital through this route because he wanted to find an absolutely safe place to ask Lin Ran if he had any grudge with Zhang Yueheng before deciding if he should carry out the mission Zhang Yueheng gave him. He knew very well how thick the cloud was. Here, searching for someone was no different from looking for a needle in the ocean. After hesitating for a moment with a solemn expression, Shen Rulin finally flew into the cloud on his sword. Shen Rulin thought that no matter who this master was, since he killed Zhang Yueheng¡¯s men, that meant he was not a foe. Although he wouldn¡¯t be of much help if he went in, it was still much easier to find the last assassin with two people. ¡°Senior! Let me help you!¡± In order to avoid being accidentally injured, as soon as Shen Rulin rushed into the cloud, he shouted to express his stance. As soon as he finished speaking, the powerful pressure appeared again, but it was much gentler than before, as if it was guiding him somewhere. Shen Rulin hesitated for a moment before flying over. A moment later, Shen Rulin arrived at a place where the clouds were thinner. Just as he stuck his head out, he saw a scene that dumbfounded him¡ª At this moment, Lin Ran, who Shen Rulin thought had been smashed flat on the ground, was standing on a black and white sword. His left hand was behind his back, and his right hand was raised in front of him, holding the neck of the last assassin tightly. A faint pressure emitted from Lin Ran¡¯s body. Although it was as illusory as the surrounding clouds, Shen Rulin could still clearly feel that Lin Ran¡¯s realm was far beyond his! ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Shen Rulin couldn¡¯t help but ask in surprise. As he spoke, he had already flown close. ¡°Didn¡¯t you fall to your death? Did you kill all these people? Are you not at the peak of the Senior Martial Master Realm? You haven¡¯t gotten rid of the drug yet. How can you fly on your sword?¡± Looking at the incoherent Shen Rulin, Lin Ran looked speechless. ¡°Deputy Commander Shen, what are you trying to say?¡± Shen Rulin was stunned by the question. He took a few deep breaths to calm down. He looked at Lin Ran and asked seriously, ¡°Who are you? Why did you hide your cultivation when you were in Mount Sword?¡± ¡°My name is Lin Ran. I¡¯m the commander of the imperial guards in the palace. As for hiding my cultivation¡­¡± Lin Ran paused for a moment before revealing a bright smile. ¡°I wanted to cooperate with your investigation, but I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t dare to ask if I appeared too powerful, so I hid it a little.¡± ¡°A little?¡± Shen Rulin¡¯s expression became strange. ¡°Your cultivation is even higher than the general of our Five Elements Imperial Guards! What¡¯s your cultivation level? Senior Grandmaster?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ something like that.¡± Lin Ran replied ambiguously. Before Shen Rulin could ask further, he stuffed the unconscious assassin into his arms. ¡°I keep one alive. He¡¯s useful for us later.¡± Shen Rulin looked at the assassin in his arms. When he looked at Lin Ran again, his eyes were filled with scrutiny. ¡°I won¡¯t ask about your cultivation if you don¡¯t want me to, but I have to ask you something. Do you have anything to do with the missing Sacred Abyss Sword?¡± ¡°If I stole it, would I let you catch me?¡± Seeing that Shen Rulin was about to ask again, Lin Ran imitated Commander Tong and pointed at the sky. ¡°Don¡¯t ask. This is what the higher-ups mean. It¡¯s not good for you to know too much.¡± Hearing this, Shen Rulin really stopped asking. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Rulin turned around and flew away, not caring about Lin Ran at all because he knew that Lin Ran would definitely be able to keep up. The journey ahead was very smooth. In less than 15 minutes, the two of them landed in the courtyard of the imperial study on their swords. Shen Rulin wanted to land outside the palace gate, but Lin Ran stopped him. He had no choice but to go straight to the imperial study. As soon as the two of them landed, they saw Zhang Yueheng at the door of the imperial study. At this moment, Zhang Yueheng was chatting with Li Tianyi. When he saw Lin Ran and Shen Rulin landing on the ground together with the assassin, his face instantly turned red! Seeing that someone dared to fly on a sword in the palace, Li Tianyi immediately widened his eyes and scolded angrily, ¡°How dare you!¡± Before he could finish speaking, Li Tianyi recognized Lin Ran. The anger on his face instantly changed to a smile. ¡°So it¡¯s Lord Lin! I thought there was an assassin!¡± ¡°Enunch Li.¡± Lin Ran cupped his hands and asked casually, ¡°I heard that His Majesty wants to see me? Is she in the imperial study?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s been waiting for you for half a day!¡± As Li Tianyi spoke, he took a few steps forward and pulled Lin Ran towards the imperial study. At the side, Shen Rulin was dumbfounded. If it were anyone else, they would have been beheaded immediately for flying on a sword in the palace. However, not only did Lin Ran not have the intention to admit his mistake, but Li Tianyi was also so polite to him. Who exactly was this guy? As Shen Rulin was thinking, he heard someone calling him. When he came back to his senses, he saw Lin Ran, who had already walked to the door, turning around and waving at him. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he glanced at Zhang Yueheng. ¡°His Majesty asked you to bring me here. You have to come in to report. You can also tell him about the assassins we encountered on the way!¡± Hearing the word ¡°assassin¡±, Zhang Yueheng trembled and cold sweat flowed down his forehead. When Shen Rulin saw his reaction, he roughly guessed what was going on. After glaring at Zhang Yueheng, Shen Rulin said coldly, ¡°Lord Lin, you¡¯re right. Someone actually sent assassins to kill us in broad daylight. I have to report this to His Majesty in detail!¡± Chapter 145 - 145 Know Yourself and Know Your Enemy, and Youll Never Be Defeated 145 Know Yourself and Know Your Enemy, and You¡¯ll Never Be Defeated When Zhang Yueheng heard this, he couldn¡¯t stay calm anymore. He hurriedly went forward and said, ¡°Wait! Lord Shen, since this person is an assassin, how can you bring him to His Majesty? Why don¡¯t you let me take care of him first?¡± Hearing this, Li Tianyi reacted and said, ¡°Lord Zhang, you¡¯re right. This assassin is not allowed to be brought in to see His Majesty. Someone! Take this assasin away and lock him up. I¡¯ll interrogate him later!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a few guards came forward. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble the guards!¡± Zhang Yueheng hurriedly went forward. ¡°This assassin intercepted the felon, Lin Ran, halfway. He must have been sent by the person who stole the Sacred Abyss Sword to silence Lin Ran! Let me interrogate him immediately!¡± As he spoke, Zhang Yueheng took a few steps forward, wanting to take the assassin from Shen Rulin. However, he did not expect Shen Rulin to take a step back and reject him again. ¡°Shen Rulin!¡± Zhang Yueheng glared at him and scolded angrily, ¡°I didn¡¯t stop you when you insisted on handing the urgent report to His Majesty. However, interrogating the assassin is also my duty. Why are you trying to stop me? Could it be that you have something to do with this assassin?¡± Although Zhang Yueheng was not a martial artist, he was a first-rank official in the imperial court after all. When he was angry, it was equally terrifying! Unfortunately, the person he was dealing with was Shen Rulin, someone as stubborn as a mule. ¡°Lord Zhang, don¡¯t slander me, okay?¡± Shen Rulin smiled faintly. Facing Zhang Yueheng¡¯s anger, he was still neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°I never said that this assassin wanted to kill Lord Lin specifically¡­¡± Zhang Yueheng¡¯s expression froze. Shen Rulin narrowed his eyes and asked coldly, ¡°Then dare I ask Lord Zhang, how did you know?¡± ¡°This¡­ I¡­ he¡­¡± Even though Zhang Yueheng was an experienced official, he could not help but panic at this moment. After hesitating for a long time, he did not say anything. The only change was that the cold sweat on his face increased. Seeing this, Shen Rulin was even angrier. Not only because of Zhang Yueheng¡¯s dirty trick, but also because these assassins actually wanted to kill him too! At this moment, Lin Ran suddenly shouted at the door of the imperial study, ¡°Lord Shen, why are you wasting your breath on him? If you have something to say, come in and tell His Majesty. His Majesty will give you justice!¡± When Shen Rulin heard this, he knew that Lin Ran couldn¡¯t wait anymore, so he didn¡¯t say anything else. He glared at Zhang Yueheng one last time before walking towards the imperial study with the unconscious assassin. However, for the sake of palace rules, before entering, Shen Rulin handed the assassin to the guard and instructed him not to take him away before entering the imperial study with Lin Ran. In the imperial study, the empress had been listening to the conversation outside. Seeing Lin Ran enter, she subconsciously wanted to stand up to welcome him, but when she saw Shen Rulin following behind, she sat back down patiently. Before the two of them could bow, she raised her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s an urgent matter. There¡¯s no need for formality. Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± After the two of them cupped their hands in gratitude, Lin Ran paused for a moment and repeated what he had told Shen Rulin in Mount Sword. Roughly, it went like this. He went to Mount Sword to visit his old friend and coincidentally, someone stole the Sacred Abyss Sword. He tried his best to stop the thief but to no avail. The empress knew that Lin Ran was talking nonsense. As soon as he finished speaking, the empress looked at Shen Rulin. ¡°Lord Shen, how¡¯s the investigation going?¡± Seeing that the empress was asking him directly, Shen Rulin hurriedly knelt down and cupped his hands. ¡°Your Majesty, according to the latest report from Mount Sword, the situation is basically as Lord Lin said. Currently, the Medal Guards and the Water Guards are intensifying their investigation. I believe there will be results soon.¡± ¡°I understand. You can leave first.¡± The empress waved her hand absent-mindedly. After saying that, she added, ¡°I have some questions that I want to interrogate Lord Lin alone!¡± Shen Rulin turned to look at Lin Ran. Although he found it strange that the empress felt safe to be with Lin Ran alone, he still cupped his hands and nodded. Then, he stood up and left the imperial study. Almost at the same time, the empress stood up and walked around the desk. She came to Lin Ran and asked softly, ¡°How did this happen? Why were you arrested? Where¡¯s Huo Qiyun? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. It¡¯s a long story.¡± Lin Ran held the empress¡¯s hand to comfort her and roughly explained the situation in Mount Sword. However, this matter involved too many things. Even if Lin Ran tried his best to keep it simple, it still took him fifteen minutes. After the empress heard this, she frowned. ¡°In that case, Xiao Huai can be trusted. Are they pretending to betray us and join hands with Liu Hongshan?¡± As soon as Lin Ran nodded, the empress immediately lost her composure. ¡°Lin Ran! How can you do this?!¡± The empress punched Lin Ran hard in the chest. She tried her best to suppress her tears. ¡°Qiyun and Xiao Huai are still children. How can you let them do such a dangerous thing?!¡± ¡°Children?¡± Lin Ran rubbed his chest helplessly. ¡°Come one, any one of them is older than me, okay? Besides, this was their idea. That kid didn¡¯t tell me a word. I¡¯m also a victim!¡± The empress said unreasonably, ¡°I don¡¯t care! In short, think of a way to find them as soon as possible. Liu Hongshan is an extremely dangerous person. Something will definitely happen to them!¡± At the mention of Liu Hongshan, Lin Ran¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not difficult to find their location, but I can¡¯t look for them now.¡± The empress was stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I left a wisp of sword intent on Xiao Huai¡¯s wrist. I can find them anytime.¡± Lin Ran said casually, but his expression was not relaxed at all. ¡°But if I go to find them, there¡¯s a high chance that I¡¯ll have to fight Liu Hongshan. However, I only know that his cultivation level is about the same as mine. If I go rashly, I might even die!¡± Hearing this, the empress¡¯s expression became solemn. It was true that she was worried about Huo Qiyun, but she also didn¡¯t want anything to happen to Lin Ran. ¡°As the old saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you¡¯ll never be defeated. It¡¯s indeed quite risky to go if you don¡¯t know your enemy well¡­¡± The empress muttered thoughtfully. After a moment, her eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll immediately get people to gather information about Liu Hongshan¡­ I just hope that Qiyun and Xiao Huai can buy more time.¡± Lin Ran shook his head helplessly. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time. Liu Hongshan has been missing for decades. Even if there are records of him in the palace, he must have destroyed them long ago.¡± ¡°Did I say I¡¯m going to check the palace records?¡± The empress chuckled and looked out of the door with her almond-shaped eyes. ¡°I have an intelligence network personally established by the late emperor back then. There¡¯s nothing in the world that they can¡¯t find!¡± Chapter 146 - 146 Three Days of Preparation 146 Three Days of Preparation Hearing the empress¡¯s words, Lin Ran also looked out of the door. After a moment, he suddenly realized something. ¡°You mean the Medal Guards?¡± The empress seemed to be a little surprised. ¡°You know the function of the Medal Guards?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± Lin Ran chuckled and replied, ¡°The one who interrogated me was an idiot. He seemed to think that I was doomed, so he told me everything.¡± ¡°Liu Hongshan is not so easy to investigate. I don¡¯t think they will find much, so¡­¡± Although Lin Ran deliberately didn¡¯t finish, the empress followed his gaze and looked down at the ground. She instantly understood what he meant. ¡°You¡¯re going to the Hundred Fragrance Palace again?!¡± The empress¡¯s expression changed slightly as she asked softly, ¡°The last time I asked you to go, I already went against the ancestral teachings of the previous emperors. Moreover, didn¡¯t you say that that place is very dangerous?¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed very dangerous.¡± Lin Ran nodded and held the Yin-Yang Sword in his hand. Then, he showed the empress the white side of the sword. ¡°See for yourself.¡± The gap on the blade was extremely small. The first time the empress looked at it, she did not notice it. After Lin Ran pointed it out to her, she realized that there was a gap less than the size of a grain of rice on the blade. ¡°This should be a divine sword from Mount Sword, right?¡± The empress revealed a suspicious expression. ¡°It¡¯s a divine sword. Why did it become like this?¡± ¡°Because Liu Hongshan was using the Ten Miles Dragon Roar.¡± Lin Ran replied softly with a complicated expression. Seeing that the empress was struck dumb, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my Ten Miles Dragon Roar is still with me. He has the other half.¡± Only then did the empress heave a sigh of relief. She paused for a moment and asked, ¡°But even the Ten Miles Dragon Roar might not have this power, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to the Hundred Fragrance Palace.¡± Lin Ran nodded. Recalling the strike dealt by Liu Hongshan, his eyes turned solemn again. ¡°As far as I know, Liu Hongshan is born with divine strength, so even if our cultivation levels are similar, I don¡¯t have an advantage in strength.¡± When the empress heard this, her eyes lit up. ¡°You said before that after staying in the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace for a period of time, you can unleash greater strength¡­ Could it be that you want to go there to prepare for a battle with him?¡± ¡°This battle is inevitable. It¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± Lin Ran said in a low voice with a solemn expression, ¡°Get the Medal Guards to investigate Liu Hongshan first. In three days, no matter what they find, I¡¯ll set off to confront him.¡± ¡°Three days?!¡± The empress was shocked when she heard this and hurriedly grabbed Lin Ran¡¯s clothes. ¡°Last time, you only stayed for a few hours and almost died. Three days is too long! Absolutely not!¡± Seeing the worry in the empress¡¯s eyes, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel a little touched. He chuckled and comforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve been there once and am already experienced. Besides, other than me, can you find anyone else who can fight Liu Hongshan?¡± The empress was speechless. Among everyone she knew, Lin Ran was undoubtedly the strongest. Even if there were hidden powerhouses like Liu Hongshan in the dynasty, they were all old hermits of her grandfather¡¯s generation. They had been hiding in the deep mountains for hundreds of years and did not care about the secular world. It was very difficult for her to persuade them to work for the dynasty. However, when she thought of what happened to Lin Ran the last time he went to the secret place, the empress couldn¡¯t help but worry. She didn¡¯t want Lin Ran to take the risk, but at this point, there seemed to be no other way. Seeing that the empress was silent for a long time, Lin Ran apologized before reaching into her collar. The empress subconsciously raised her hand, but in the end, she did not stop him and let Lin Ran take off the ruby necklace on her neck. After getting the key to the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace, Lin Ran suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°By the way, if you¡¯re bored these three days, I can give you a case to kill time.¡± The empress asked absent-mindedly, ¡°What case?¡± ¡°Zhang Yueheng wants to kill me.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s tone was very calm, but the empress¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Zhang Yueheng? My Grand Secretary, Zhang Yueheng?¡± ¡°That¡¯s him.¡± Lin Ran nodded and said in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t know how I offended him. First, he wanted to bury me. On the way here, he even sent assassins to kill me. One of them is lying outside now. Shen Rulin is a witness. If you want to find something to kill time with, go ahead.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± The empress nodded slightly, and her originally worried eyes turned cold. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with this matter seriously. As for you, come out if you can¡¯t hold on. Don¡¯t force yourself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t lived enough yet!¡± Lin Ran smiled and jumped out of the imperial study through the back window. He rode the Yin-Yang Sword and soared into the sky, but he did not go to the Hundred Fragrance Palace. Instead, he quietly arrived at the Hidden Sword Pavilion. At this moment, the Hidden Sword Pavilion was still in a mess. Without the ebony shelves, as soon as Lin Ran entered, he saw the huge boulder not far away on his right. After summoning the Ten Miles Dragon Roar to open the secret passage, Lin Ran¡¯s figure flashed a few times and he arrived in front of the stone room. With his current cultivation, he could easily use the Five Elements Sword Technique without taking out the mahogany sword. However, he still summoned the mahogany sword and opened the Five Elements Seal on the door. Buzz¡ª The stone door trembled and turned into dust. Lin Ran walked into the stone room and bowed deeply to the swords of the famous generals everywhere. ¡°Seniors, I¡¯m sorry!¡± With that, Lin Ran summoned the Yin-Yang Sword and slashed out with it! Clang! A crescent-shaped sword energy instantly swept through the entire stone room! Most of the swords of the famous generals were broken on the spot by this strike. Only a dozen swords were still standing in place, but most of them were cracked by this strike. Lin Ran looked at the broken swords all over the ground in shock. He originally just wanted to test the swords and find a sword that was harder than the Yin-Yang Sword to use as a weapon, but he did not expect these swords to be so fragile! ¡°I¡¯m in big trouble¡­¡± Lin Ran muttered softly with a strange expression. However, since he had already caused trouble, there was no point in regretting it now. He walked to the remaining dozen or so swords and began to check them one by one. Among the swords, the one that was most intact also had a soybean-sized gap. Just as Lin Ran was about to leave, he suddenly saw the Sacred Abyss Sword on the wall from the corner of his eye. Then, he looked at the Yin-Yang Sword in his hand and a bold thought immediately came to his mind¡­ Chapter 147 - 147 Identity Exposed? 147 Identity Exposed? In addition to their own strength, powerful divine weapons were also an important determinant of the outcome of a battle between masters. This was the reason why Liu Hongshan gave up on the Dragon Elephant Sword and used the short sword that was modified from the half broken Ten Miles Dragon Roar. However, just like how swords had double edges, there were naturally pros and cons to the martial artists of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty being good at using swords. The advantage was that one could channel internal energy through the sword to make their attacks more powerful. The disadvantage was that once one lost the sword, no matter how high one¡¯s cultivation was, their strength would be greatly reduced. For example, Lin Ran was now at the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm. However, if he had a good divine sword, he was confident that he could kill a ninth level Half-Saint alone! However, if he was unarmed, even if he encountered a grandmaster with a sword, he would probably die. Moreover, his opponent this time was Liu Hongshan, who was also at the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm like him. On top of that, Liu Hongshan was born with divine strength and was stronger than Lin Ran. This way, a suitable sword seemed particularly important. Otherwise, once the sword was destroyed in battle, even Lin Ran would be helpless. Lin Ran stood in front of the Sacred Abyss Sword and looked at it hesitantly. He wanted to find a divine sword of higher quality than the Ten Miles Dragon Roar to use as a weapon to fight Liu Hongshan, but no one knew if the Sacred Abyss Sword could withstand his violent test. If the Sacred Abyss Sword could pass the test, it would be terrific. Lin Ran just had to think of a way to increase his strength, but if it couldn¡¯t¡­ That was the Sacred Abyss Sword! If the empress knew that he had broken the Sacred Abyss Sword, she would definitely skin him alive! Thinking of this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but want to give up. However, looking at the broken swords on the ground, he knew that he had no choice. The conflict of giving up and taking the risk flashed across Lin Ran¡¯s eyes. While he couldn¡¯t make up his mind, on the top of Furnace Peak. Huo Qiyun sat cross-legged at the edge of the cliff. Half an inch further was the bottomless abyss. His thin body swayed slightly in the strong wind, but his face was calm and peaceful. Suddenly, light footsteps sounded. Huo Qiyun opened his eyes and turned around to see Xiao Huai walking towards him barefooted. ¡°What happened?¡± Huo Qiyun asked, his gaze landing on the black bracelet on Xiao Huai¡¯s wrist. ¡°Is there any news from him?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little worried.¡± Xiao Huai shook her head and subconsciously glanced behind her. About 300 steps away from the two of them, Liu Hongshan was sitting cross-legged at the edge of another cliff and meditating. He placed the fake Sacred Abyss Sword on his lap and gently stroked the shiny sword with his fingertips, as if he was sensing something. ¡°He¡¯s been sitting there for hours without moving.¡± Xiao Huai whispered worriedly, ¡°What if he finds out that the sword is fake?¡± ¡°What can he do? Kill us?¡± Huo Qiyun chuckled, his childish face filled with relief. ¡°Including this fake one, there are only two Sacred Abyss Swords in the world. If he finds something wrong with the sword, we¡¯ll just say that we were deceived by Lin Ran and that we¡¯ll go and find the real one for him.¡± ¡°Is it really that simple?¡± Xiao Huai still felt that something was wrong. Just as she was about to look at Liu Hongshan again, she turned around and realized that he had already arrived behind her! ¡°Uncle Liu!¡± Xiao Huai shouted in a panic, her expression a little unnatural. ¡°W-When did you come over?¡± ¡°Just now.¡± Liu Hongshan replied with a faint smile. Then, he looked down at Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai. Huo Qiyun held back the panic on his face. ¡°How¡¯s the sword?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fake.¡± Liu Hongshan said casually, as if he was talking about an unimportant matter. Xiao Huai¡¯s face turned pale, but Huo Qiyun only nodded and closed his eyes to continue meditating. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to say something?¡± Liu Hongshan said in a calm tone, ¡°After spending so much effort and even getting my identity exposed, I came back with a trash.¡± ¡°So what if it¡¯s trash? No matter how trashy it is, we took the risk to steal it back.¡± Huo Qiyun closed his eyes and replied confidently, ¡°As for your identity being exposed, it¡¯s even more ridiculous. You spent so much effort to obtain great power. You are not going to die in the mountains without anyone knowing, are you?¡± ¡°I want to shatter the void and ascend.¡± Liu Hongshan looked at Huo Qiyun¡¯s back and narrowed his eyes. ¡°This is every cultivator¡¯s lifelong wish.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like I¡¯m a child.¡± Huo Qiyun turned around and gave Liu Hongshan a teasing smile. ¡°Shattering the void? Ascending? Do you know how difficult it is to ascend? Do you know what the world is like after ascending?¡± ¡°You went into hiding for decades and even betrayed your country for something so illusory? I don¡¯t believe that. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that stupid.¡± Liu Hongshan narrowed his eyes again, and there was a faint smile on his face. ¡°Then tell me, why do I pursue strength?¡± ¡°Power, money, fame, women.¡± Huo Qiyun looked straight into Liu Hongshan¡¯s eyes and said calmly, ¡°These are the four things that mortals have been pursuing their entire lives.¡± When Liu Hongshan heard this, he suddenly chuckled. ¡°I really underestimated you previously. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so insightful at such a young age!¡± Huo Qiyun raised his eyebrows. ¡°Am I right?¡± ¡°No.¡± Liu Hongshan held back his smile and his aura instantly became sharp. ¡°You thought you had seen through everything, but you didn¡¯t¡­ However, it¡¯s not your fault. After all, you¡¯re still young and haven¡¯t experienced a lot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exactly the same as those old people who don¡¯t want to admit that they have achieved in their life-time!¡± Huo Qiyun pursed his lips in disdain and asked in a provocative tone, ¡°Then tell me, what other great ideals are you pursuing other than the four things?¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be a long story¡­¡± Liu Hongshan looked like he was reminiscing about the past. However, just as the two of them were about to hear him continue, he suddenly flipped his wrist and stabbed Huo Qiyun in the face with the Dragon Roar Dagger! Chapter 148 - 148 Trust or Test? 148 Trust or Test? Although Liu Hongshan did not use his internal energy, his sword was still extremely fast without any warning. In fact, with the difference in strength between the two of them, even if there was a warning, Huo Qiyun still could not dodge it. Almost instantly, the tip of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar touched the tip of Huo Qiyun¡¯s nose. Surprisingly enough, Huo Qiyun¡¯s face was still filled with disdain. It was not that he was bold, but Huo Qiyun did not have time to react at all. After a slight pain, Huo Qiyun felt a little hot on the tip of his nose. He subconsciously raised his hand to touch it and saw that his fingertip was stained with blood. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s face turned pale, but he still pretended to be calm and asked, ¡°You want to kill me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I just wanted to test you. I thought that Lin Ran would leave you something to save your lives.¡± Liu Hongshan put away the Dragon Roar Dagger with a teasing smile. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve really been abandoned by him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s us abandoning him.¡± Huo Qiyun rolled his eyes and replied angrily, ¡°You were the one who took the initiative to contact me through Xiao Huai. Isn¡¯t it a little too late to start not trusting me now?¡± Liu Hongshan did not answer this question and changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance. Bring back the real Sacred Abyss Sword before dawn tomorrow.¡± ¡°What do you mean giving me another chance?¡± Huo Qiyun frowned slightly and glanced at Xiao Huai. ¡°It should be ¡®we¡¯, right?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not going.¡± Liu Hongshan smiled and reached out to stroke Xiao Huai¡¯s head. ¡°I think you two seem to be good friends, so she has to stay as a hostage. If you fail, she¡¯ll die.¡± Xiao Huai¡¯s face, which had just softened, turned pale again. Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes widened, but he quickly snorted. ¡°Then you¡¯re terribly wrong. She wanted to kill me last night. Do you think I care about her life or death?¡± Liu Hongshan shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s your business whether you care or not. Anyway, I¡¯ve already made it clear that if you fail, she¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°Liu Hongshan! You are despicable!¡± Huo Qiyun scolded angrily, and the smile on his face instantly disappeared. ¡°How dare you use a little girl to threaten me!¡± With that, a cold glint flashed across Huo Qiyun¡¯s waist as the sword was drawn. The sharp blade swept towards Liu Hongshan¡¯s throat! However, Liu Hongshan did not even bat an eyelid. He only raised the Dragon Roar Dagger to block it gently. He did not even take off the scabbard. At the same time, a huge force spread out from the Dragon Roar Dagger. Huo Qiyun felt his entire body tremble and dropped the sword to the ground. The sword was blown into the cliff almost instantly. Huo Qiyun felt a swelling pain on his wrist. He knew that his wrist was definitely injured badly, but he had no intention of checking it at all. He gritted his teeth and stared at Liu Hongshan. ¡°You know it¡¯s a mission impossible!¡± Huo Qiyun gritted his teeth and shouted angrily, ¡°If this Sacred Abyss Sword is fake, then the one in the Hidden Sword Pavilion is real. Opening the secret room of the Hidden Sword Pavilion requires the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, but Lin Ran has always been carrying that sword with him!¡± ¡°Lin Ran doesn¡¯t trust me anymore. If I want to get the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, I have to defeat him. You know how strong he is! You don¡¯t want me to complete this mission at all!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Huo Qiyun pulled Xiao Huai behind him and glared at Liu Hongshan. ¡°You just want to find a reason to kill Xiao Huai. If you have the ability, kill us all and go find the Sacred Abyss Sword yourself!¡± Looking at the hysterical Huo Qiyun, Liu Hongshan suddenly revealed a helpless expression. ¡°What¡¯s panicking you? Who said that there¡¯s only one Ten Miles Dragon Roar?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Huo Qiyun was stunned and subconsciously looked at the Dragon Roar Dagger in Liu Hongshan¡¯s hand. ¡°You want to give me this dagger?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll lend it to you.¡± Liu Hongshan corrected him with a faint smile, ¡°When you bring the Sacred Abyss Sword back, you still have to return it to me.¡± Hearing this, Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes widened, as if he was very excited by this suggestion, but he actually thought of something else. Although Lin Ran didn¡¯t tell him, with his own observation, he could tell that the key to opening the secret room was the dragon gem on the hilt. In other words, it was impossible to open the secret room with only half of the sword body, but Liu Hongshan didn¡¯t seem to know, and Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t intend to remind him¡ª If he could take this opportunity to take away Liu Hongshan¡¯s sword, it would undoubtedly greatly increase Lin Ran¡¯s chances of winning! However, even so, Huo Qiyun was still a little suspicious. Liu Hongshan had cultivated for so long, so it was impossible for him not to know the importance of a sword to cultivators. However, he was still willing to lend Huo Qiyun the Dragon Roar Dagger. Did he really trust Huo Qiyun that much? Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t think so. Therefore, this was most likely a test. Perhaps Liu Hongshan knew that the key was the dragon gem and suggested this to test if Huo Qiyun was trustworthy. However, from another perspective, if Liu Hongshan really didn¡¯t know, wouldn¡¯t Huo Qiyun be making a terrible mistake if he took the initiative to say it? In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Huo Qiyun¡¯s mind, but he still couldn¡¯t make up his mind. After all, in the decades he had been wandering the martial world, he had always resorted to swords and fists to solve problems. This kind of battle of wits was too difficult for him¡­ As if sensing Huo Qiyun¡¯s conflict, Xiao Huai, who had been hiding behind him, suddenly grabbed his hand and whispered timidly, ¡°Go. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Huo Qiyun looked back at Xiao Huai and suddenly realized that she was helping him out. Thinking of this, Huo Qiyun reached out to Liu Hongshan. ¡°I can go, but I need more time.¡± Liu Hongshan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I demolished the Hidden Sword Pavilion. It should be undergoing reconstruction now.¡± Huo Qiyun said expressionlessly and coldly, ¡°I need time to figure out the situation. Otherwise, I¡¯ll definitely fail.¡± ¡°Alright, no problem.¡± Liu Hongshan nodded and handed over the Dragon Roar Dagger. He said with a faint smile, ¡°I¡¯ll give you more time. Bring back the Sacred Abyss Sword before dark tomorrow.¡± Huo Qiyun grabbed the hilt of the Dragon Roar Dagger. ¡°No problem!¡± Chapter 149 - 149 Double Agent 149 Double Agent In the secret room of the Hidden Sword Pavilion in the palace. Lin Ran hesitated for a long time, but in the end, he didn¡¯t dare to do it. The Sacred Abyss Sword was too important. It was not worth it to risk breaking the Sacred Abyss Sword for Liu Hongshan. ¡°I should return to Mount Sword when I have time.¡± Lin Ran muttered softly, then sat on the ground and began to think. If he couldn¡¯t rely on the quality of the sword, then he could only rely on the quantity of the sword. If ordinary martial artists damaged their swords in battle, they would most likely die. However, Lin Ran was different. The Divine Sword Technique Manual he obtained from the system could allow him to store divine swords and take them out when needed. When Lin Ran first obtained the Divine Sword Technique Manual, there were only three storage slots. Later on, as his cultivation continued to increase, the number of storage slots gradually increased to ten. Including the sword he carried with him, he could have ten swords at the same time. Lin Ran began to check the divine swords he had in the Divine Sword Technique Manual. Army Breaker, Thunderball, and Star Splitter. Lin Ran had found these three swords in the secret room. All of their previous owners had made great contributions. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran put the Army Breaker Sword and Thunderball Sword into the Divine Sword Technique Manual and left the Star Splitter Sword behind. It was not only because Star Splitter was damaged, but also because its body was slender and looked very fragile. Then, Lin Ran walked around the secret room and found three more divine swords. He put them into the Divine Sword Technique Manual with the Yin-Yang Sword. The strength of these three swords was about the same as the Yin-Yang Sword. They should be able to last for a while as backup swords. ¡°Five more slots.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. He took one last look at the Sacred Abyss Sword on the wall and left without looking back. After closing the secret room, Lin Ran flew up the stone staircase and returned to the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Just as he was about to pull out the Ten Miles Dragon Roar and leave, he suddenly felt that something was wrong. After looking around for a moment, Lin Ran¡¯s expression suddenly changed. In the corner closest to the entrance of the secret room, a white-robed young man was sitting on the ground with his eyes closed, as if he was in a deep sleep. Although his posture looked uncomfortable, there was a satisfied look on his face. ¡°Huo Qiyun?!¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. To him, seeing Huo Qiyun here was even more shocking than seeing Liu Hongshan! Huo Qiyun rolled his eyes and said angrily, ¡°Why are you shouting? Are you going to let me sleep or not? You don¡¯t look like a master at all!¡± ¡°Then tell me, what does a master look like?¡± Lin Ran asked back with a bright smile. ¡°Why are you back? Where¡¯s Xiao Huai? Isn¡¯t she with you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s with Liu Hongshan.¡± As Huo Qiyun spoke, he slowly stood up with his hand on the wall. He looked very tired. Lin Ran hurriedly took a few steps forward to help him up, but just as he reached out, his attention was attracted by something on Huo Qiyun¡¯s waist. ¡°Ten Miles Dragon Dagger?!¡± Lin Ran exclaimed again. On Huo Qiyun¡¯s waist was the other half of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar! But wasn¡¯t this Dragon Roar Dagger Liu Hongshan¡¯s sword? How did it fall into Huo Qiyun¡¯s hands? As if knowing Lin Ran¡¯s confusion, Huo Qiyun took the initiative to say, ¡°Liu Hongshan gave this to me. He already knows that the Sacred Abyss Sword is fake, so he sent me back as a spy to steal the real Sacred Abyss Sword. He keeps Xiao Huai there as a hostage.¡± Lin Ran nodded, not surprised that Liu Hongshan could tell if it was real or fake. From the beginning, Lin Ran did not intend to use the fake Sacred Abyss Sword to fool Liu Hongshan. He only put on that show to lure Liu Hongshan out and determine if what Xiao Huai said was true or not. The good news was that Xiao Huai was not lying. Although she was a demon, she could still be trusted. The bad news was that Xiao Huai had fallen into Liu Hongshan¡¯s hands. However, Lin Ran was still very happy that Huo Qiyun could bring back the Dragon Roar Dagger. Without the support of the Dragon Roar Dagger, Liu Hongshan¡¯s strength would be reduced greatly. Lin Ran asked with a serious expression, ¡°No matter what, since you¡¯re back, explain everything to me in detail. I need to know what¡¯s going on over there.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded and told him everything. After a pause, Huo Qiyun continued, ¡°I think Liu Hongshan¡¯s goal is not just to obtain power. He must have a deeper plan, but he¡¯s too vigilant. I didn¡¯t succeed in getting him to tell me. What should we do now? Are we really going to give him the Sacred Abyss Sword?¡± ¡°I definitely can¡¯t give him the Sacred Abyss Sword, but I can¡¯t ignore Xiao Huai¡¯s safety either¡­¡± Lin Ran muttered, ¡°This is a little difficult!¡± ¡°Actually, there¡¯s another way.¡± Huo Qiyun said coldly and patted the Dragon Roar Dagger at his waist. ¡°Without his sword, Liu Hongshan¡¯s strength will definitely be greatly reduced. I can bring you there. If we join forces to kill him, all the problems will be resolved!¡± Lin Ran burst out laughing. Huo Qiyun looked displeased. ¡°What are you laughing at? I¡¯ve checked Liu Hongshan¡¯s cultivation level. Without the sword, the two of us have a high chance of killing him!¡± ¡°This is only what you think.¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and looked at Huo Qiyun. ¡°Do you know what my cultivation level is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly. About the third level of the Half-Saint Realm¡­¡± Before Huo Qiyun could finish speaking, he felt a powerful aura coming from Lin Ran. It was at least at the fifth level of the Half-Saint Realm! ¡°What you have sensed now is not all of my strength.¡± Lin Ran said coldly, ¡°Liu Hongshan is only stronger than me. Do you really think he¡¯ll show you all his trump cards?¡± Huo Qiyun looked dumbfounded and speechless. It was not because of the shock Lin Ran gave him, but because he suddenly thought of something very important! ¡°Call the guards in the palace to protect the empress!¡± Huo Qiyun suddenly shouted, ¡°Liu Hongshan is coming soon!¡± Chapter 150 - 150 Give Someone a Taste of Their Own Medicine 150 Give Someone a Taste of Their Own Medicine Lin Ran was shocked by Huo Qiyun¡¯s sudden shout. He was stunned for a moment before saying in confusion, ¡°What are you talking about? Isn¡¯t Liu Hongshan waiting for you at Furnace Peak?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± Huo Qiyun shouted excitedly. It was unknown what terrifying thing he thought of, but his face was pale. ¡°He¡¯s not doing this for power! He¡¯s doing this for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty!¡± As he spoke, Huo Qiyun pulled off the Dragon Roar Dagger at his waist. After unsheathing it, he realized that it was not the sword body of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar at all. It was just a wooden piece that had been cut into the shape of a dagger. Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°How did this happen? Didn¡¯t you check it when you got it?¡± ¡°At that time, he used this wooden sword to block my sword energy. How could I know it was fake?!¡± Huo Qiyun replied loudly with a pale face, ¡°Just now, you said that he wouldn¡¯t show me all his trump cards. That¡¯s when I suddenly remembered that this wooden sword has never been unsheathed.¡± ¡°He deliberately provoked me to attack him so that I could see how powerful this sword is. This way, when he gives me the sword, I won¡¯t suspect if it¡¯s real or fake!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly turned solemn. They used the fake Sacred Abyss Sword to deceive Liu Hongshan, and Liu Hongshan gave them a taste of their own medicine! ¡°But what does this have to do with the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± Lin Ran asked in confusion, ¡°Maybe he just discovered your identity and used a fake sword to mock us.¡± Huo Qiyun looked anxious. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Whether it¡¯s the Ten Miles Dragon Roar or the Sacred Abyss Sword, it doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re real or fake. What¡¯s important is what they represent!¡± ¡°What do they represent?¡± Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this. He didn¡¯t know what the Ten Miles Dragon Roar represented, but the Sacred Abyss Sword represented only one thing¡ªimperial power. Thinking of this, a thought suddenly appeared that made Lin Ran shiver. ¡°Did Liu Hongshan spend so much effort to find the Sacred Abyss Sword just to be the emperor of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s very likely.¡± Huo Qiyun said softly with a solemn expression, ¡°The cultivation technique Liu Hongshan cultivates is very strange. He seems to be able to absorb other people¡¯s attacks. I don¡¯t know if he can transform the attacks into his own power, but just absorbing it is already very terrifying.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think he can directly absorb power from the divine sword. Otherwise, after hiding in Mount Sword for so long, he would already be undefeatable.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard this. He suddenly remembered the cultivation technique he obtained when he wiped the Sacred Abyss Sword, Sovereign Descent. Just like the cultivation technique Liu Hongshan cultivated, Sovereign Descent had the ability to ¡°absorb¡± too. The difference was that Sovereign Descent could only absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to increase one¡¯s cultivation in a short period of time. Lin Ran had never seen anyone absorb attacks directly like Liu Hongshan. Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking and continued, ¡°He asked me to bring back the fake Dragon Roar Dagger because he knew that I wouldn¡¯t betray you. He wanted me to send you a message.¡± ¡°The message is that he doesn¡¯t have a sword anymore, so his strength is greatly reduced. Therefore, when we let our guard down¡­¡± ¡°He starts to take action,¡± Lin Ran said, ¡°Now that he has the Sacred Abyss Sword, although it¡¯s fake, outsiders don¡¯t know that. As long as he kills the current emperor, he can legitimately take the throne!¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say anything and only nodded with a dark expression. Lin Ran stomped his feet anxiously. ¡°We have to tell the empress about this as soon as possible!¡± With that, Lin Ran flashed out of the window he had broken through previously. After riding his sword for a moment, he landed in the courtyard of the imperial study. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Lin Ran appeared and shouted anxiously, ¡°Follow me immediately!¡± The empress was reading the documents when she suddenly heard Lin Ran¡¯s voice. She couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. She frowned and said unhappily, ¡°Lord Lin, you¡¯re really becoming more and more unruly¡­ That¡¯s not right. Didn¡¯t you say that you were going into seclusion for three days? Why are you back so soon?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this first. Come with me immediately!¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he walked around the desk and pulled the empress up to leave. Suddenly, another strong wind blew in. It was Huo Qiyun, who was a step slower than him. Seeing Huo Qiyun, the empress was stunned for a moment before she was overjoyed. She quickly shook off Lin Ran and went over. ¡°Qiyun! When did you come back? How is it? Are you injured?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Huo Qiyun waved his hand and said anxiously, ¡°There¡¯s no time to explain. You have to leave immediately. This place might become very dangerous!¡± The empress was confused. Before she could react, Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun grabbed her arms and dragged her out. ¡°How dare you!¡± The empress scolded angrily and struggled free from the two of them. She frowned and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m the current emperor! How can I let you drag me like this?¡± ¡°Do you know what situation you are in?¡± Huo Qiyun shouted, so anxious that his body was trembling. ¡°We speculate that Liu Hongshan is preparing to rebel tonight. If you don¡¯t leave now, it¡¯ll be too late!¡± ¡°Liu Hongshan? Rebel?¡± The empress blinked twice. It was obvious that she did not understand. However, when Liu Hongshan was mentioned, she thought of something else. ¡°By the way, I have something to show you!¡± As the empress spoke, she ran back to the desk and handed Lin Ran a small scroll. ¡°This was just delivered by the Medal Guards. You¡¯ll never be able to guess this. Liu Hongshan didn¡¯t retire from the army back then because he broke through.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he quickly took the scroll and unfolded it. There was not much content in the scroll. Most of it was information that Lin Ran already knew, but at the end, there was a record of the execution that caught his attention. In the year 274 of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, General Liu Hongshan released 17 war criminals from the Great Yong Dynasty, including the sixth prince of the Great Yong Dynasty. After investigation, Liu Hongshan turned out to be the orphan of the royal family of the Great Yong Dynasty. His father must be Liu Heng, the general of the Southern Garrison. In 207, Liu Heng led his army south to invade the border and died near Pingxiang City. Most of his family members were captured, and only his six-year-old son was missing. After being interrogated, Liu Hongshan admitted his identity and was sentenced to death according to the Heavenly Saint Law. ¡°Liu Hongshan is actually from the Great Yong Dynasty?!¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. This news was too shocking. Who would have thought that the general of the Western Garrison of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty was actually the orphan of the enemy country¡¯s royal family? Chapter 151 - 151 Night Rain 151 Night Rain Not only Lin Ran, but even Huo Qiyun was shocked speechless when he heard this news. ¡°That explains everything.¡± Lin Ran put away the scroll. ¡°I couldn¡¯t figure out why Liu Hongshan wanted to rebel.¡± ¡°But now I do. He wanted to avenge his father. Huo Qiyun suddenly recalled Liu Hongshan¡¯s meaningful words on Furnace Peak. ¡°You thought you had seen through everything, but you didn¡¯t¡­ However, it¡¯s not your fault. After all, you¡¯re still young and haven¡¯t experienced a lot.¡± At that time, Huo Qiyun thought that Liu Hongshan was acting, but now it seemed that Liu Hongshan was quite honest at that moment. He had been incognito for decades not for the sake of power, fortune, or fame, but for the sake of revenge! Lin Ran sighed and didn¡¯t say anything. He turned to look at the empress and waved the scroll. ¡°Where did this information come from? How trustworthy is it?¡± ¡°Absolutely trustworthy.¡± The empress said firmly without thinking, her eyes revealing something indescribable. ¡°This matter will damage the reputation of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, so it has to be handled in secret.¡± ¡°Back then, the dynasty announced to the public that Liu Hongshan had entered the realm of Grandmaster, so they asked him to retire from the army. In fact, he was secretly captured and executed by the Five Elements Imperial Guards. This is the internal record of the Five Elements Imperial Guards.¡± At the side, Huo Qiyun said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this first. Since Liu Hongshan is from the Great Yong Dynasty, we can basically confirm that he¡¯s preparing to rebel. We have to send Sister Empress to a safe place as soon as possible!¡± Just as the empress was about to speak, Li Tianyi suddenly ran in in a panic. ¡°Your Majesty! Something bad has happened.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed and he hurriedly asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Outside! Outside!¡± Li Tianyi pointed outside and said anxiously, ¡°Guards have come to report! Someone barged in with a dagger. He¡¯s extremely powerful. Hundreds of guards have died at his hands!¡± ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun looked at each other and knew who the person holding the dagger was. ¡°Qiyun!¡± Lin Ran turned to look at Huo Qiyun with determination in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous here. Take His Majesty away immediately. I¡¯ll go and meet him!¡± With that, Lin Ran disappeared in a flash. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Huo Qiyun shouted and stretched out his right hand. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous here. Leave with me!¡± The empress also knew that the situation was urgent. She sighed softly and said worriedly, ¡°With Lord Lin around, I¡¯m not worried about Liu Hongshan causing destruction. I¡¯m just afraid that he might have been in contact with the Great Yong Dynasty. If they cooperate, that would be¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, a black shadow suddenly barged in. Huo Qiyun¡¯s body tensed. He immediately protected the empress. Then, he looked at the black shadow and realized that it was a messenger from the border. The messenger was almost covered in injuries. The part below his right arm was missing. There was also a terrifying wound on his back that was deep enough to reach his bones. The blood that seeped out formed a thick scab that almost glued his wound and clothes together. The moment the messenger entered, he fell to the ground, and the air was immediately filled with the nauseating smell of blood. He no longer had the strength to stand up. He could only lie on the ground and slowly extend his clenched left fist. He coughed blood and said weakly, ¡°Your, Your Majesty¡­ An urgent report from the border!¡± After saying the last word, the messenger fell unconscious. Huo Qiyun hurriedly went forward to check his breathing. Then, he shook his head at the empress with a sad expression. ¡°He¡¯s too seriously injured.¡± The empress¡¯s eyes instantly turned red, but she still maintained her dignity as an emperor. ¡°Bring up the urgent report from the border.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded and looked at the messenger¡¯s clenched left fist. Even though he had already lost his life, his left fist was still clenched tightly. Huo Qiyun tried a few times but couldn¡¯t pry open his fist. In the end, he had no choice but to cut off the messenger¡¯s finger before taking out a jade slip that was almost soaked in blood. The empress ignored the blood and reached out to take it. Her expression suddenly changed. ¡°This morning, the Great Yong Dynasty suddenly launched an attack at the northern border! At least 300,000 people were mobilized!¡± Huo Qiyun immediately recalled what the empress had just said and couldn¡¯t help but curse. ¡°What we are afraid of really happened! Liu Hongshan must have planned this for a long time!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying this now?¡± The empress said coldly. After thinking for a moment, she ordered, ¡°Pass down my orders! Order General Guo Fuzhen to defend the city to the death. Also, order General Sun Qingtao to bring 100,000 elite soldiers to the back of the enemy and cut off their retreat before fighting the enemy with Guo Fuzhen!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Li Tianyi nodded and ran out in a panic. Huo Qiyun hesitated for a moment. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°The Northern Garrison only has 200,000 soldiers whereas the Great Yong Dynasty came with 300,000 soldiers. A day has passed since the Great Yong army launched the attack. Even if we send the Western Garrison to reinforce them, it¡¯ll probably be too late, right?¡± When the empress heard this, she looked troubled. ¡°I know it¡¯s too late, but the Western Garrison is the closest to the battlefield. If we send troops from the capital, I¡¯m afraid it will delay us even more!¡± ¡°Sister Empress, actually, the Western Garrison is not the closest.¡± Huo Qiyun said softly with a strange expression, ¡°Do you still remember the sects that participated in King Zhao¡¯s rebellion?¡± ¡­ At the same time, outside the Meridian Gate. Hundreds of guards fell to the ground, blood flowing everywhere. The pungent smell of blood could not even be blown away by the wind! In the middle of the corpses, Liu Hongshan stood there with a faint smile on his face. His left hand was behind his back and he was holding a dagger in his right hand. Although he did not deliberately release his aura, the killing intent on his body was still so strong that it made people feel suffocated. The guards from all over the palace kept surging over, but no one dared to take a step forward. They all stood dozens of feet away in fear. Seeing that there were more and more guards around, the corners of Liu Hongshan¡¯s mouth slowly curled up. However, just as he was about to swing his dagger, a surging sword intent suddenly descended from the sky. Rising on the Yin-Yang Sword, Lin Ran slowly landed with a dark expression. After seeing the scene clearly, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth. From the time he received the news to the time he rushed over, it took him about seven to eight breaths. With Liu Hongshan¡¯s strength, he could easily break into the palace. However, he stood there without moving. It was obvious that he was here just to kill the guards! ¡°Imperial guards, listen up!¡± Lin Ran shouted and raised his guard commander token high. ¡°I¡¯m the commander of the imperial guards, Lin Ran! Leave this person to me. Go back and protect His Majesty immediately!¡± Chapter 152 - 152 Taotie Evil Technique, Difficulty Leveled Up Again 152 Taotie Evil Technique, Difficulty Leveled Up Again At this moment, there were thousands of guards outside the Meridian Gate, but they were all so frightened by this hellish scene that they lost their will to fight. Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s order to retreat, no one bothered to even check if Lin Ran¡¯s identity was real or fake. They agreed and ran back the way they came. Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. It was a taboo to flee on the battlefield like this. The enemy didn¡¯t even need to use any tactics to destroy them! Liu Hongshan stood in the middle of the corpses on the ground and stared at Lin Ran with a faint smile. Seeing this, Lin Ran did not act rashly. He focused his attention on Liu Hongshan and activated his internal energy to the point that it was about to explode. Soon, thousands of guards near the Meridian Gate dispersed. Liu Hongshan looked at the Dragon Roar Dagger in his hand and smiled teasingly at Lin Ran. ¡°You came faster than I thought.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because your plan was too lousy.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he slowly descended from the sky. The Yin-Yang Sword disappeared with a white light. At the same time, he pulled out Army Breaker from his waist. ¡°Should I call you Liu Hongshan? Or General of the Southern Garrison?¡± ¡°Hmmm, I didn¡¯t expect you would find it.¡± Liu Hongshan sighed as if he was a little speechless. ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t expose my existence. Otherwise, you would definitely find out my real identity. But it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. You¡¯re still a step too late. I¡¯m already prepared.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you talking about the army that the Great Yong Dynasty has recently been sending over? Although they have a lot of soldiers, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty is not to be trifled with. I¡¯m afraid your plan will fail!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the soldiers. When I said prepare¡­¡± A strange smile slowly appeared on Liu Hongshan¡¯s face, as if a pair of invisible hands were tugging at the corners of his mouth. ¡°I mean these corpses.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes widened as he suddenly thought of something, but that thought was too vague and disappeared in a flash. When Lin Ran came back to his senses, he saw wisps of black fog begin to emit from Liu Hongshan¡¯s body. The fog covered the corpses at his feet and suddenly made a sizzling sound. Then, the flesh and blood of the corpses began to melt at an extremely fast speed as if they were dumped into a giant pot of boiling water. A faint smell of blood wafted out, and the black fog quickly turned red. After Liu Hongshan summoned it back into his body, an infatuated expression immediately appeared on his face. As the blood-red fog was absorbed by Liu Hongshan, he released more black fog. In the blink of an eye, the corpses near Liu Hongshan melted one after another. In front of Lin Ran, they turned into jade-like bones, and the thick black fog was still spreading at an astonishing speed! ¡°So you were the one who wiped out those seven villages!¡± Lin Ran immediately realized that Liu Hongshan had the ability to absorb the flesh and blood of others, although he didn¡¯t know what evil technique he was using. No wonder Xiao Huai did not know about the tragedy of the seven villages and the death of more than 3,000 people because it was Liu Hongshan who did it! ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Liu Hongshan replied coldly. At this moment, his figure was already completely hidden in the black fog. Only his voice could be heard. ¡°However, in the past few decades, I¡¯ve indeed slaughtered many villages.¡± ¡°What technique is this!¡± Lin Ran held the hilt of Army Break tightly and asked sternly, ¡°Why is your technique so similar to Xiao Huai¡¯s?¡± ¡°Xiao Huai?¡± Liu Hongshan¡¯s puzzled voice came from the black fog. After half a second, he said in realization, ¡°You mean that demon, right?¡­ Coincidentally, back then, I planned to get rid of the Ten Miles Sword God and create the illusion that he died with the demon.¡± ¡°But when I severely injured the Ten Miles Sword God and broke the seal to let the demon out, I accidentally realized that she could feed on the flesh and blood of people with evil intentions and use it to increase her strength. Because of this, I even lost an arm!¡± ¡°So I changed my mind. I told her that I would treat while I secretly studied her. I didn¡¯t expect to really figure it out!¡± At this point, the black fog had already stopped expanding. Lin Ran could hear sizzling sounds coming out of the black fog. It was the sound of the guards¡¯ corpses melting. ¡°I named it the Taotie Evil Technique. Although it doesn¡¯t increase my strength as much as it does to her, there are not many restrictions. As long as it¡¯s a human, I can absorb it¡­ How is it? Isn¡¯t it very powerful?¡± As he spoke, the black fog began to shrink again. As the black fog retreated inch by inch, jade-like bones were revealed from the fog. At the same time, a cruel and furious aura gradually gathered at the center of the black fog¡ª In the end, this powerful aura gradually stabilized. Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly turned extremely ugly because Liu Hongshan was already at the seventh level of the Half-Saint Realm! Previously, when the two of them were both at the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm, Lin Ran was already having a hard time fighting Liu Hongshan. Now that Liu Hongshan had advanced further, it was undoubtedly a huge nightmare for Lin Ran. When the black fog dissipated, Liu Hongshan stood among the bones with a strange smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m full. We can start now.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Hongshan slowly raised the Dragon Roar Dagger in his hand and waved it gently at Lin Ran. Clang! A 30-foot-long air slash suddenly took shape and instantly tore open a huge ravine on the ground, whooshing towards Lin Ran! Lin Ran narrowed his eyes. He subconsciously wanted to use the Mystic Gate Sword Technique to dodge, but just as he had this thought, he suddenly felt like he was being locked to the spot. His feet seemed to have taken root in the ground, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t move. ¡°It¡¯s Realm Suppression!¡± Lin Ran immediately reacted. Just like when an animal met its natural enemy, when a low-level martial artist met a high-level martial artist, the high-level martial artist could suppress the realm of the low-level martial artist and freeze him to the spot. However, Realm Suppression was only possible when the two parties were worlds apart in terms of cultivation. Liu Hongshan was only one level higher than Lin Ran. How could his Realm Suppression be so terrifying?¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t figure it out, but he didn¡¯t have time to think about it either. In this moment of distraction, the air slash had already crossed a hundred steps, heading straight towards him mercilessly! Chapter 153 - 153 Repaying Kindness with Ingratitude 153 Repaying Kindness with Ingratitude The air slash reflected a bright arc in Lin Ran¡¯s pupils. Lin Ran¡¯s pupils dilated. Almost instinctively, he swung Army Breaker horizontally. With a loud clang, a violent force instantly sent him flying! After being sent flying for nearly 100 feet, Lin Ran flipped over and landed on the ground. His right hand that was holding the sword was trembling slightly. Although he had tried his best to reduce the impact, his arm was still injured by the air slash. Liu Hongshan was too strong. ¡°Phew¡ª¡± Lin Ran took a long breath. After trying his best to control his trembling right hand, he glanced at the sword¡ªit was not damaged! Although Army Breaker¡¯s sword body looked thin, it was actually harder than the Yin-Yang Sword. This made Lin Ran more confident. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to fight! I have something to ask you!¡± Lin Ran shouted and silently activated the Three Essence Sword Technique in his heart. This was the first cultivation technique he had obtained from the system, and it was also the most powerful cultivation technique he could use at the moment. The Three Essence Sword Technique was divided into Starlight, Moonlight, and Sunlight. With his cultivation at that time, he could only cultivate the Starlight Technique. However, as long as he cultivated it to perfection, he would have the strength comparable to a Senior Grandmaster. He could only cultivate Sunlight after entering the Saint Realm. Lin Ran¡¯s current cultivation was still a little below that, but if he could cultivate the Moonlight to perfection, he might have a chance of winning! At the same time, Liu Hongshan had already raised the Dragon Roar Dagger again. However, when he heard that Lin Ran had something to ask, he slowly put it down. ¡°Since you¡¯re going to die anyway, I¡¯ll be merciful and let you die knowing why!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask!¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he quickly thought of a time-consuming question. ¡°Although you¡¯re the orphan of the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s royal family, you grew up in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. All your friends and brothers are here¡­ Why did you betray them?!¡± Hearing this question, Liu Hongshan¡¯s expression clearly stiffened for a moment, but it quickly returned to normal. ¡°I didn¡¯t betray them. You were the ones who said I betrayed them!¡± ¡°But you let the prisoners of war of the Great Yong Dynasty go!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t let them go!¡± Liu Hongshan suddenly roared, his eyes immediately turning red, as if these words had touched a sore spot in his heart. ¡°That day, the sixth prince of the Great Yong Dynasty requested to talk to me in private. He exposed my identity and threatened me to let them go, but I refused!¡± ¡°Later, the people of the Great Yong Dynasty came to rescue the prisoners late at night. Because of my negligence, it was already too late when I discovered it. As the person in charge, I was imprisoned and interrogated. During this period, my deputy general couldn¡¯t take the torture and said that I have the blood of the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s royal family¡­¡± At this point, Liu Hongshan suddenly stopped. Lin Ran waited for a moment but didn¡¯t hear him continue. He couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°What happened after that?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± Liu Hongshan sneered, a hint of disdain on his face. ¡°The prisoners of war of the Great Yong Dynasty escaped, and I¡¯m a member of the Great Yong Dynasty. I was naturally the one to pin the blame on.¡± ¡°Since you all think that I¡¯m one of the Great Yong Dynasty, I might as well join the Great Yong Dynasty. At the very least, they won¡¯t bite the hand that feeds them like you all!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Hongshan raised the Dragon Roar Dagger again. A soul-stirring cold light slowly appeared, flowing around the blade. It was a sign that the sword energy had been compressed to the limit! Seeing this, Lin Ran frowned. He had just activated the Three Essence Sword Technique to the critical stage. If he was not careful, he would suffer from Qi Deviation. If Liu Hongshan attacked now, he would not even be able to protect himself! Lin Ran¡¯s mind raced. However, before he could think of a way to deal with the situation, Liu Hongshan¡¯s Dragon Roar Dagger was already landing from the sky! Clang! With a dragon roar, the Half Moon Air Slash instantly shot through the air! This Air Slash was only 2-meter-long and did not seem to be as majestic as Liu Hongshan¡¯s previous strike, but the violent power contained in it made Lin Ran¡¯s hair stand on end! The Air Slash whooshed through the air and instantly arrived in front of Lin Ran. The cold light on the surface of the sword energy that was compressed to the limit seemed to have materialized. At the critical moment, Lin Ran had no time to think. As he decisively stopped the circulation of his internal energy, he jumped up and raised Army Breaker to block the cold light in front of him! Ding! Army Breaker and the sword energy collided in the air, producing a crisp sound like a silver bell. Then, to Lin Ran¡¯s surprise, Army Breaker suddenly split into four. The four blades shared the brunt of the Air Slash and reduced the impact greatly. ¡°So this is the correct way to use Army Breaker?¡± A thought flashed across Lin Ran¡¯s mind. Then, he was sent flying by the remaining force of the Air Slash. However, with his previous experience, Lin Ran did not take the strike head-on this time. Instead, the moment the tip of the sword touched the Air Slash, he let go all the strength in his body and allowed himself to be blown away like a dandelion in the wind. It was also because of this that Lin Ran was sent flying more than 300 feet back this time. However, because he did not exert his strength to resist, his injuries were lighter than last time. The moment he landed on the ground, Lin Ran let out a grunt, and the ground under his feet instantly exploded! Whoosh¡ª A figure charged out like an arrow leaving the bow and instantly traveled 300 feet, heading straight towards Liu Hongshan, who was still at the Meridian Gate! Seeing that Lin Ran seemed to be only slightly injured, Liu Hongshan was clearly a little surprised. However, when he saw that Lin Ran was charging at him, the surprise in his eyes was replaced by mockery. ¡°It seems that you still don¡¯t know the difference between us!¡± Liu Hongshan sneered and raised the Dragon Roar Dagger. However, just as he was about to attack, Lin Ran, who was already within a hundred steps, suddenly disappeared into thin air! Before Liu Hongshan could react, Lin Ran suddenly appeared a hundred steps to his right. However, when Liu Hongshan turned around and was about to slash, the figure disappeared again like the morning fog. ¡°Is he that fast?¡± A question arose in Liu Hongshan¡¯s heart. His sharp eyes darted around, but he couldn¡¯t keep up with Lin Ran¡¯s speech. Even if he expanded his divine sense, he could only catch a glimpse of Lin Ran when he appeared. Even Liu Hongshan had to be careful when dealing with such shocking speed. However, he did not notice that in the rolling dust in the distance, a pair of eyes was staring at him coldly. Chapter 154 - 154 Three Essence Sword Technique, Moonlight 154 Three Essence Sword Technique, Moonlight Three hundred steps away from the Meridian Gate, a thick cloud of dust gathered. In the dust, Lin Ran sat cross-legged on the ground and looked at Liu Hongshan being fooled by the phantoms created by his sword energy. Using sword energy to condense phantoms to attract the enemy¡¯s attention was a method he had developed from the Mystic Gate Sword Technique. It was also his last resort to stall for time. ¡°I hope it can distract him for a while longer¡­¡± Lin Ran took one last look at Liu Hongshan before closing his eyes. After suppressing his internal energy to an imperceptible level, he began to quickly circulate the Three Essence Sword Technique in his body. A while later, starlight began to flicker in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes. This was a sign that he had cultivated the Three Essence Sword Technique¡ªStarlight to perfection. However, this was far from being enough. After pausing for a moment, he continued to advance to a higher realm! At the same time, at the Meridian Gate. A few minutes had passed, but Liu Hongshan was still standing in the middle of the bones like a stone statue. In the past few minutes, Lin Ran had already disappeared and appeared hundreds of times. The closest one was within 30 steps of him! However, Lin Ran disappeared too quickly. Even at 30 steps, Liu Hongshan was not confident that he could hit him with one strike. If Liu Hongshan missed the strike, there would be a short gap in the circulation of his internal energy. Although this gap was only one-tenth of a blink of an eye, after seeing Lin Ran¡¯s speed, he still didn¡¯t dare to take the risk. Therefore, Liu Hongshan was waiting. The moment Lin Ran was within ten steps of him or the moment Lin Ran was exhausted, he was confident that he could severely injure Lin Ran and kill him! ¡°Come on! Closer, closer!¡± Liu Hongshan began to roar in his heart. Seeing that Lin Ran was getting closer and closer, his eyes began to flicker with a terrifying light. Ever since he left the army 60 years ago, Liu Hongshan had never been so excited. The excitement of the battle made his heart beat crazily. He could even hear the sound of his heartbeat beating like a drum! In the dust, Lin Ran, who had already entered a meditative state, sensed the rising danger aura. His calm mood couldn¡¯t help but fluctuate. However, Lin Ran quickly controlled his thoughts from being distracted. After all, with his current strength, he was not strong enough to defeat Liu Hongshan. In that case, he might as well take the little time he had to focus on the Three Essence Sword Technique. Moreover, he was at the critical stage of breaking through to the Moonlight of the Three Essence Sword Technique. It was also his last chance to defeat Liu Hongshan. ¡°The moon is bright and clear. The calm river is shining with ice¡­¡± Lin Ran chanted the Three Essence Sword Technique in his heart. As his internal energy flowed through his body, the starlight in his eyes began to become brighter and brighter. In the end, like a supernova exploding, it spread into cold halos. This was not the end! The last wisp of starlight exploded, and the cold halos in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes began to quickly fuse. Although his eyes were closed now, one could see the dazzling light through his eyelids. Boom! Accompanied by a roar that resounded throughout his body, Lin Ran felt a sharp pain in his head, followed by a familiar weightlessness. After the dizziness caused by weightlessness dissipated, Lin Ran slowly opened his eyes and saw that he was in the starry sky again. Countless starlight flickered like diamonds in the dark night. In front of Lin Ran was a bright and huge moon. The moon was too big. Lin Ran floated in front of it like an ant standing in front of an elephant. Not only could he see the craters on the moon, but he could also see every gully, stone, and even every speck of dust on the moon! Even Lin Ran, who had experienced such a magnificent scene once already, was still shocked speechless. He couldn¡¯t help but think to himself that if the Moonlight was already so awesome, what kind of a spectacular scene would it be when he entered the Saint Realm and began to cultivate the Sunlight in the future? Just as Lin Ran was lost in thought, he felt a buzzing sound. The huge moon in front of him began to slowly rotate. Then, all the mountains, rivers, and rocks began to shatter. As the moon rotated, it twisted into a huge vortex in the shape of a funnel. Before Lin Ran could react, the tip of the huge vortex was pressed against his chest. As the vortex twisted, a huge and seemingly endless cold aura began to pour into Lin Ran¡¯s body! In an instant, a layer of frost formed on Lin Ran¡¯s exposed skin, but his body was burning, as if countless lava was flowing freely in his body. A bone-piercing pain instantly rushed into his mind. Even someone as tough as Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but howl in pain. It was really a miserable howl. It was as if wherever the lava went, it kept destroying his muscles, bones, and flesh. Then, the cooling lava began to reforge his broken body. Before he could adapt, the next wave of lava destroyed and reforged his muscles and bones again. Then, it was reforged, destroyed, and reforged¡­ In just a minute, he experienced hundreds of times the pain of his entire body being destroyed. Normally, Lin Ran would have fainted from the pain, but at this moment, his mind was very clear! In this endless torture, Lin Ran had completely lost the concept of time and even his body. After an unknown period of time, the burning pain began to subside, and a refreshing feeling began to spread throughout his body. Lin Ran slowly opened his eyes. The huge moon was no longer there. In the vast sea of stars in front of him, there were only stars as bright as diamonds flickering quietly in the velvet-like darkness. ¡°Did I¡­ succeed?¡± Lin Ran muttered in disbelief. Suddenly, his vision went blurry. When his vision returned, he was already in the thick dust. The surrounding scene did not change at all. In the distance, Liu Hongshan was still in a vigilant posture. Everything in front of him was the same as before. It was as if the pain just now was just Lin Ran¡¯s illusion. Only Lin Ran knew that it had really happened. It was not only because of the unforgettable pain, but also because he could clearly feel the surging power in his body! Lin Ran slowly stood up. As he turned his hand, Army Breaker appeared out of thin air. The moment he grabbed the hilt of Army Breaker, all the expressions on Lin Ran¡¯s face were gone. At the same time, a cold light flickered in his dark eyes. Chapter 155 - 155 Jade Sword, Time for Atonement 155 Jade Sword, Time for Atonement At the entrance of the Meridian Gate. In just a few minutes, the solemn expression on Liu Hongshan¡¯s face gradually eased. After Lin Ran appeared and disappeared hundreds of times, he had already grasped the pattern of his movements! ¡°You are still young!¡± Liu Hongshan sneered and decisively swung the Dragon Roar Dagger to the right! Clang! A bright air slash instantly condensed. Almost at the same time, Lin Ran suddenly appeared in the empty spot like a ghost. As expected, the Half-Moon Air Slash easily split Lin Ran into two. Lin Ran continued to charge forward with a murderous expression on his face despite being split into two, as if he still didn¡¯t know what had happened. Then, he disappeared like before. The corners of Liu Hongshan¡¯s mouth twitched. He wanted to sneer. However, before his smile could form, it froze at the corner of his mouth. Although he watched as Lin Ran¡¯s figure was split into two, his divine sense that was attached to the sword energy did not detect anything. It was as if Lin Ran was just air. Liu Hongshan¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion. Just as he was about to release his divine sense to investigate, he suddenly sensed a trace of danger. ¡°Over there!¡± Liu Hongshan suddenly turned around and realized that the dangerous aura came from the thick dust. Seeing this, Liu Hongshan was more confused. Why was there such a dangerous aura? If Lin Ran had been hiding in the thick dust and not moving, then who did he just see? Liu Hongshan frowned as questions popped up in his mind. It was only at this moment that he suddenly realized that he had underestimated this opponent from the beginning. At this moment, a surging aura erupted and swept away the thick dust like a hurricane, revealing Lin Ran¡¯s tall figure! Liu Hongshan¡¯s eyes widened before he frowned. He could clearly feel that Lin Ran was still at the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm. However, for some reason, Lin Ran¡¯s strength was far greater than before. It was to the extent that Liju Hongshan felt threatened! ¡°What did you do?¡± Liu Hongshan asked coldly. There was no longer disdain in his tone. Instead, he sounded very serious. As he spoke, with a thought, the aura of the seventh level of the Half-Saint Realm descended! The auras of the two of them collided like two invisible ferocious beasts biting and fighting each other, causing sand and rocks to fly everywhere! ¡°I was concentrating on cultivation.¡± Lin Ran replied expressionlessly. His voice was not loud, but it carried some kind of magic. Even though the wind was howling between the two of them, Liu Hongshan could still hear it clearly. ¡°Cultivation?¡± Liu Hongshan repeated, and a humiliated expression immediately appeared on his face. ¡°You can actually spare energy to cultivate while fighting with me?¡± Lin Ran smiled, but his eyes became colder and colder. His indifferent voice spread with endless killing intent. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one last time. Do you want to fight or surrender?¡± Anger burned in Liu Hongshan¡¯s eyes. At this moment, a figure suddenly tore through the air and fell heavily to the ground. Huo Qiyun lay on the ground, crying in pain. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Lin Ran asked coldly without looking back, ¡°This battle is not something you can interfere in. Go back to protect His Majesty!¡± Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s voice, Huo Qiyun came back to his senses. Just as he opened his mouth, he spat out a mouthful of blood. The pressure here was so dense that he had actually suffered internal injuries. Even so, Huo Qiyun still struggled and shouted, ¡°The Great Yong Dynasty is sending troops to press on the border. The north is in a tough battle and needs reinforcements urgently!¡± Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this. He didn¡¯t understand why the Great Yong Dynasty chose this time to attack. However, when he saw Liu Hongshan not far away, he instantly understood what was going on. Lin Ran had to admit that Liu Hongshan¡¯s scheme indeed caught him off guard. He never would have thought that Liu Hongshan would be so loyal to the Great Yong Dynasty! ¡°You¡¯re really determined to commit treason!¡± Lin Ran looked at Liu Hongshan from afar and muttered coldly. After thinking for a moment, he tilted his head slightly and said to Huo Qiyun, ¡°I understand the situation, but I can¡¯t leave now. Can you let the soldiers at the front line hold on for a while longer?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to the front line!¡± Huo Qiyun held his chest and replied helplessly, ¡°Give me the token! I¡¯ll go to the front line. You just have to stay here and focus on dealing with this traitor!¡± ¡°Token?¡± Lin Ran was confused. ¡°What token?¡± ¡°Your sword intent!¡± Huo Qiyun almost spat out another mouthful of blood. He took a deep breath and reminded him, ¡°Dao Seeking Sect!¡± At the mention of the Dao Seeking Sect, Lin Ran finally understood what Huo Qiyun meant. Then, he reached into his pocket and took out six small jade swords. With a thought, he engraved his sword intent on them. ¡°Tell them it¡¯s time for atonement!¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he waved his hand, and six small jade swords flew out of his hand. They each attached to a corner of Huo Qiyun¡¯s collar and instantly sent him away from the battlefield. After confirming that Huo Qiyun had been sent to a safe place, Lin Ran pulled his thoughts back and continued to look at Liu Hongshan. ¡°Have you considered it? Are you going to fight or surrender?¡± Liu Hongshan didn¡¯t answer. He just looked at Lin Ran with a scrutinizing gaze. ¡°What did you give him just now? Why did you attach your sword intent to it? Is it a weapon?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expressionless face didn¡¯t change at all, but his heart tightened. From the moment he appeared in the dust, the aura of the two of them did not stop for a moment. However, Liu Hongshan¡¯s divine sense could actually pass through the pressure caused by their auras and acutely capture the wisp of sword intent that was attached to the small jade sword. The difficulty of doing this was comparable to finding a specific pine needle in a pine forest. This discovery dispirited Lin Ran quite a lot. He originally thought that Liu Hongshan was just born with divine strength. He did not expect his divine sense to be so sharp as well. From the looks of it, Lin Ran had to abandon his previous plan. Fortunately, he had a backup plan. Chapter 156 - 156 If the Prey is Gone, Youll be Useless 156 If the Prey is Gone, You¡¯ll be Useless In the huge square, the wind howled. The flat ground that was originally paved with green bricks had completely turned into ruins at this moment. Broken bricks and gravel flew everywhere. If anyone barged in, they would instantly be minced into meat paste by the biting wind! However, even in such a dangerous place, Lin Ran still walked forward without changing his expression. The strong wind that was enough to cut bones and break tendons kept hitting him, but to him, it was like a spring breeze. Soon, the distance between the two of them was reduced to less than a hundred steps. Lin Ran stood still. With a flash of white light in his hand, Thunderball appeared on his hand. As his internal energy flowed into the sword, wisps of lightning began to flicker on the smooth surface of the sword, like clouds before a thunderstorm. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anything unnecessary.¡± Lin Ran said coldly, ¡°Fight or surrender?¡± ¡°Do you think this question is meaningful?¡± Liu Hongshan replied coldly. The strange smile on his face gave people a chill down their spine. ¡°We both know that once this battle starts, it will be a fight to the death¡­ The question you should ask now is, are you ready to die?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t answer. Now that he had cultivated the Three Essence Sword Technique¡ªMoonlight to perfection, he was already comparable to the ninth level of the Half-Saint Realm. If he still couldn¡¯t defeat Liu Hongshan, he had nothing to complain about. As opposed to his life and death, Lin Ran was more worried about another problem. As if having guessed what Lin Ran was thinking, Liu Hongshan sneered and said faintly, ¡°Even if you¡¯re prepared to die, what about the people in the palace behind you?¡± ¡°The battle between two Half-Saints can easily destroy half of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, let alone a palace, right?¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran frowned. This was what he was worried about and the main reason why he didn¡¯t make a move! Back then, when two grandmasters were fighting, with a wave of their hands, more than ten cities were reduced to rubbles. Later on, it was fortunate that a senior grandmaster stepped in to stop it, so the situation did not get worse. However, even so, that battle still caused hundreds of thousands of people to die and hundreds of thousands to be displaced! It was also because of this battle that the countries agreed that those above the Grandmaster Realm were not allowed to participate in war. That was only between grandmasters. If two Half-Saints attacked at full force, it would cause a large-scale destruction. Even Lin Ran couldn¡¯t imagine it, but he was certain that the palace and even the entire capital would be reduced to ashes! ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re planning, right?¡± Lin Ran looked at Liu Hongshan and sneered. ¡°You chose to show up in the palace because you wanted to use the lives of the people in the palace and even the capital to threaten me so that I wouldn¡¯t dare to use my full strength.¡± Liu Hongshan smiled and continued, ¡°I admit that you¡¯re much stronger than the last time we met, but I¡¯m one realm higher than you. It¡¯s impossible for you to kill me without using your full strength.¡± ¡°If you think it doesn¡¯t matter if you kill me at the cost of hundreds of thousands of people in the capital, feel free to do it. If you don¡¯t dare, leave so that I can continue with my plan.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Hongshan suddenly retracted his aura. Lin Ran¡¯s aura was counterbalancing Liu Hongshan¡¯s. Unable to retract his aura in time, Lin Ran shot out and instantly sent Liu Hongshan flying! This was the first time Lin Ran managed to land a strike on Liu Hongshan, but he was not happy at all because he knew that this bit of damage was no different from scratching an itch for Liu Hongshan. As expected. After Liu Hongshan flew dozens of feet back, he flipped over and landed steadily on the ground. Then, he sheathed the Dragon Roar Dagger and walked back with his hands behind his back. From the looks of it, he was very chill! Seeing how arrogant Liu Hongshan was, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth. He clenched his fists tightly, but he could retract his aura. Otherwise, once Liu Hongshan attacked, the palace behind Lin Ran would be the first to be destroyed. ¡°What should I do? What should I do?¡± Seeing Liu Hongshan approaching, Lin Ran began to shout crazily in his heart! He had a backup plan, but in order to execute that plan, he had to anger Liu Hongshan first and lure him to the place where they could fight freely. ¡°Stop!¡± Lin Ran suddenly shouted coldly. Thunderball in his hand emitted a few electric arcs, instantly leaving a few burn marks on the ground a few inches in front of Liu Hongshan¡¯s toes. ¡°What?¡± Liu Hongshan stood still with a teasing smile on his face. ¡°Are you ready to attack?¡± ¡°No, I just want to ask you one last question.¡± Seeing Liu Hongshan nod, Lin Ran asked coldly, ¡°Do you really think the Great Yong Dynasty will thank you?¡± Liu Hongshan looked puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You were once the general of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Even if you join them again, how much do you think they will trust you?¡± Lin Ran sneered at Liu Hongshan, his cold eyes filled with pity. ¡°Don¡¯t forget how powerful you are. They will definitely be wary of you.¡± Liu Hongshan did not say anything, but his eyes were clearly colder than before. Seeing this, Lin Ran continued, ¡°To them, you¡¯re just a hound. If the prey is gone, you¡¯ll be useless.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Liu Hongshan finally couldn¡¯t help but scold angrily, ¡°I¡¯m blood-related to the current emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty. We share the same bloodline. He definitely won¡¯t distrust me!¡± ¡°Do you actually believe that?¡± Lin Ran sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done in the past sixty years, but you should have contacted the Great Yong Dynasty long ago, right? They don¡¯t trust you much. You should know this better than me.¡± If the Great Yong Dynasty trusted him 100%, this war would definitely not have dragged on until 60 years later. When Liu Hongshan heard this, his expression froze. Then, a powerful aura that was almost out of control erupted! Chapter 157 - 157 Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain, Never Provoke a Madman 157 Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain, Never Provoke a Madman This powerful aura appeared without warning and Lin Ran was instantly forced back a few steps. When he activated his internal energy to stabilize himself, a cold dagger had already appeared in front of him like a ghost! ¡°Go to hell!¡± Hearing Liu Hongshan¡¯s hysterical roar, Lin Ran instinctively leaned back to dodge, but the dagger turned in the air and stabbed straight at his heart! Time seemed to slow down at this moment. Lin Ran maintained the posture of bending down. This movement made it inconvenient for him to exert strength, so he was destined to be unable to react to any of Liu Hongshan¡¯s moves that followed. The cold dagger cut through the air and stabbed straight at his chest. Lin Ran could clearly see the clothes on his chest being ripped open. Then the tip of the dagger touched the Dark Insect Sword that he had kept next to his skin. A cold feeling spread out across his chest. Lin Ran knew that if he couldn¡¯t react quickly, the Dragon Roar Dagger would continue to cut open his flesh, bones, and heart until it went right through his heart! ¡°The Mystic Gate Sword Technique! Dazzling Hundred Blossoms!¡± Lin Ran muttered in silence. His muscles instantly tensed up, and his figure disappeared into thin air like a ghost. Then, he flashed more than ten steps away! Clang! With a crisp sound, the Dragon Roar Dagger collided with the ground, and the sword energy lingering on it instantly caused the ground to crack like spider-web. Lin Ran held his chest with a pale face. There was a two-finger-wide cut on his shirt. He didn¡¯t look down, but the black insects attached to his chest seeped into the wound, causing a burning pain. From the location of the pain, Lin Ran knew that the wound on his chest must be very deep. If he was a millisecond slower, he would be gone. ¡°Never try to provoke a madman, especially a powerful one.¡± For some reason, Lin Ran suddenly thought of this sentence. He couldn¡¯t even remember who said it, but at that moment, this sentence was the first thing that came to his mind. From the moment he angered Liu Hongshan to the moment he used the Mystic Gate Sword Technique to escape at the critical moment, the entire process took less than a second! Recalling the dangerous scene just now, Lin Ran broke out in cold sweat. Fortunately, Liu Hongshan was successfully enraged by him. Before Lin Ran could rejoice, Liu Hongshan, who had missed the mark, immediately adjusted his posture and rushed at Lin Ran again with bloodshot eyes! After achieving his goal, Lin Ran turned around and left. After flashing a few times and putting some distance between them, he jumped up on his thunderball and turned into a bolt of lightning that instantly disappeared into the distance. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare leave!¡± Liu Hongshan roared angrily and quickly turned into a phantom to follow closely behind. He knew that Lin Ran wanted to take him away from the palace, but he didn¡¯t care. Killing the empress now or killing Lin Ran before coming back to kill the empress made no difference to him. Feeling the powerful pressure behind him, Lin Ran immediately pushed his speed to the limit and instantly shook off Liu Hongshan. This was the magical effect of the Thunderball Sword. Unfortunately, Lin Ran didn¡¯t know about it before. Otherwise, he would have used this move to lure the enemy away. ¡°It seems that when I have time, I have to study the uses of other divine swords.¡± As Lin Ran thought to himself, he took out a ruby necklace. This was a secret treasure passed down from generation to generation in the royal family of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. It was the key to open the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace. Lin Ran had wanted to go to the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace to increase his strength, but Liu Hongshan came too quickly. He was in a hurry to fight, so he forgot to return the necklace to the empress. He did not expect it to come in handy at this moment. The empress had always been wearing the ruby necklace. Even in the howling wind, Lin Ran could still smell the faint fragrance of the empress. The secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace was the battlefield Lin Ran had chosen. Just as Liu Hongshan had said, once two Half-Saints collided with all their might, half of the dynasty would be razed to the ground. Therefore, no matter where Lin Ran lured Liu Hongshan, the aftershock of the battle would cause immeasurable losses to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, except for the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know when and who built the secret place, but the secret place was a mystery. Lin Ran had noticed it the last time he entered the secret place. At that time, he had a huge battle with the ¡°thing¡± in the secret ground. Although he tried his best to control the strength of his attacks, every time that thing attacked, it was destructive! Even so, their exchange of moves only affected the secret place. Outside the secret place, not a single blade of grass in the courtyard of the Hundred Fragrance Palace was broken! However, the ¡°thing¡± in the secret place was only at the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm. If two Half-Saints fought in it, even Lin Ran was not confident that the secret place could withstand it. However, Lin Ran had no choice but to take a gamble. If he could direct that ¡°thing¡± in the secret place to attack Liu Hongshan, it would be even better for him! While he was thinking, Lin Ran had already landed in the courtyard of the Hundred Fragrance Palace. After so many days, this yard was still overgrown with weeds and cold. Lin Ran felt that it was a little strange, but he didn¡¯t have time to think about it because Liu Hongshan was chasing closely behind him! ¡°Go to hell!¡± Accompanied by an angry roar, a half-moon air slash suddenly shot down from the air. Lin Ran subconsciously wanted to dodge, but when he realized that the stone pillar that opened the secret place was in the path of the Air Slash, he stopped in his tracks. He tightened his grip on the hilt of Thunderball and spun on the spot before suddenly slashing out an electric arc! In an instant, the electric arc and Air Slash collided in the air. Lin Ran first saw a blinding white light erupt, followed by deafening thunder! A huge thunderbolt descended from the sky, shaking the entire Hundred Fragrance Palace! A large amount of dust fell from the beams. This palace that had been standing for countless years began to make a jarring sound, as if it would collapse in the next second. However, at this moment, Lin Ran had no time to worry. He endured the discomfort brought about by the dazzling light and quickly and accurately inserted the ruby necklace into the keyhole before twisting it to the right! Chapter 158 - 158 Entering the Secret Place Again 158 Entering the Secret Place Again Crack¡ª Under the overgrown yard, there was a muffled sound of machinery running. Then, a secret door formed by a few stone bricks slowly rose under Lin Ran¡¯s expectant gaze. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Lin Ran was overjoyed. As long as he could enter the secret place, he could fight Liu Hongshan without restraint. Even if he couldn¡¯t kill Liu Hongshan, he could at least trap him here forever! Soon, the secret door rose nearly two feet. Lin Ran looked up and saw that Liu Hongshan was already within a thousand feet of him. With his eyesight, he could even see the ferocious and angry expression on Liu Hongshan¡¯s face! ¡°Follow me if you dare!¡± Lin Ran shouted at Liu Hongshan and turned into a bolt of lightning that flashed into the secret door. After a short period of darkness, a familiar and strange world appeared in front of Lin Ran. The world was completely upside down. Ethereal clouds floated under his feet, and the heavy and solid ground was thousands of feet above him. Logically speaking, this place was only about twenty feet underneath the ground. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know how this vast space was formed. On the ground in the air stood an ancient building complex that looked like the palace of a lost dynasty. This was not the only strange thing. Lin Ran turned around to look at the crack where he came in. It had no thickness and was not attached to anything. It was hanging in the air quietly, as if a careless god had accidentally carved a hole in this space. Suddenly, a violent aura surged into the crack. Lin Ran knew that Liu Hongshan had chased in. He couldn¡¯t care less and immediately rode Thunderball, turning into a bolt of lightning and rushing towards the palace above! The moment he passed a certain critical point, the world in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes reversed again. The sky returned to the top, and the ground returned to the bottom. He could even feel a strong gravity pulling him into its embrace. The moment the world reversed, Lin Ran exerted strength in his legs and suddenly turned a somersault in the air. Then, a white light flashed in his hand, and Army Breaker appeared out of thin air. At this moment, he was dozens of feet away from the critical point. Although it was not close, it was already the limit of what he could react to. If Lin Ran had experienced it once and was still like this, it was obvious that when Liu Hongshan passed that critical point, he would definitely be distracted for a moment. If Lin Ran hid here, he might be able to take the opportunity to launch a sneak attack! Almost at the same time that Lin Ran stabilized himself and began to circle, Liu Hongshan flashed into the crack. Seeing such a vast world underground was already very shocking for those who came in for the first time. Moreover, this world was upside down. Even the furious Liu Hongshan could not help but be stunned for a moment. Seeing this, Lin Ran felt relieved. He tightened his grip on Army Breaker. At this moment, his only hope was that the thing in the secret place would not come over. Soon, Liu Hongshan came back to his senses and saw Lin Ran hovering in the air upside down on his sword. Although Liu Hongshan was very puzzled by Lin Ran¡¯s strange posture, he couldn¡¯t care less in his anger. With a thought, he charged forward with the Dragon Roar Dagger. The distance between the two of them quickly shortened. As Liu Hongshan gradually approached the critical point, Lin Ran became extremely tense. However, just as Lin Ran activated his internal energy and was about to attack, he suddenly saw a white figure flash across the distant sky from the corner of his eye! ¡°In the end, it still came!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart sank. The moment he saw the white figure, he put away his sword. Then, Lin Ran decisively stopped circulating his internal energy and let himself fall to the ground like a meteor! This was the experience Lin Ran had obtained last time. Although he didn¡¯t know why, that thing seemed to have an inexplicable fanatical interest in internal energy like the black worm in Sword Grave. Even if it was just the slightest internal energy fluctuation, that thing would be attracted immediately. Last time, Lin Ran habitually flashed around the palace to look for books, so he attracted it from somewhere. However, as long as one did not use internal energy, even if one stood in front of that thing, one would still be ignored. However, the valuable things here were stored in the palace above. Once one entered the palace and wanted to return to the crack in the sky, one had to fly on a sword to reach it. Liu Hongshan, who was in the air, had yet to pass the critical point, so in his eyes, the world was still reversed. Seeing that Lin Ran could fly so fast without using his sword, he was immediately vigilant. ¡°He can fly without a sword¡­ Could it be that his strength is already far above mine?¡± Just as this thought flashed through Liu Hongshan¡¯s mind, a white figure appeared out of thin air beside Liu Hongshan at a speed close to teleportation. It really appeared out of thin air. In the radius of a hundred steps covered by Liu Hongshan¡¯s divine sense, there was nothing a second ago, but in the next second, the white figure suddenly appeared. Immediately after, a palm covered in armor quickly expanded in his vision. Although there was no weapon in the palm, Liu Hongshan still felt that the palm contained a dangerous aura that he had never seen in his life! In an instant, the fear of death rose in his heart. Liu Hongshan could not defend in time. In his hurry, he grabbed the fake Sacred Abyss Sword on his back and activated his internal energy to block the palm! Dong¡ª A majestic sound suddenly exploded. The palm only paused for a moment before disappearing. Liu Hongshan spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot, and the fake Sacred Abyss Sword in his hand was broken into a few pieces by this strike! When Liu Hongshan and Lin Ran saw this scene, their eyes widened in shock! Although the Sacred Abyss Sword was a fake, it was also made of the best material in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. It might not even be damaged if it were to collide with the complete Ten Miles Dragon Roar, but now, it was actually broken by the white figure within one move?! After a short shock, Lin Ran looked Liu Hongshan. Liu Hongshan looked at the broken sword in his hand and then at Lin Ran, who was quickly flying towards the ¡°earth¡±. After a conflict flashed across his eyes, he decisively gave up on chasing and rushed towards the crack in the ¡°sky¡±! Chapter 159 - 159 White Spirit, Guardian of the Secret Place 159 White Spirit, Guardian of the Secret Place Seeing that Liu Hongshan had turned around and fled, Lin Ran was furious. He had spent so much effort to lure him over. If he let Liu Hongshan leave just like that, firstly, there would no longer be a battlefield where he could fight freely. Secondly, he had already crossed that critical point. It would be a problem for him to bypass the white figure and get out! Seeing that Liu Hongshan was about to fly close to the crack, Lin Ran hurriedly activated his internal energy to slash out a bolt of lightning. Boom! With a loud bang, a huge dragon made of lightning roared and crossed the distance between the two of them almost instantly, heading straight for Liu Hongshan! Lin Ran used all his strength in this strike. Even Liu Hongshan did not dare to take it head-on. He hurriedly turned around and wanted to dodge, but the lightning dragon did not go straight like an ordinary sword energy. Instead, it turned its head in the air and charged at him! This was the first time Liu Hongshan, who had lived for more than a hundred years, had seen such sword energy. In the moment of distraction, his chest was struck by the electric arc on the dragon claw, instantly leaving a burn mark on his body. After dodging a few times, he realized that the world in front of him had returned to normal! It was no longer upside down. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What is this place?¡± Liu Hongshan could not help but exclaim. Before he realized it, he had already crossed the critical point of the world turning upside down. At the same time, when Lin Ran saw that Liu Hongshan had crossed the critical point, he immediately stopped circulating his internal energy. At this moment, he was no longer planning to sneak attack Liu Hongshan. He was praying that the white figure would not notice him. Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as planned. Although Lin Ran had only activated his internal energy for two to three seconds, the internal energy triggered by his strike was too great. It was even greater in intensity than Liu Hongshan, who was dodging in the air. Almost instantly, a white figure appeared in his line of sight. At first, it was still a few thousand feet away, but in the next second, it was within a hundred steps of Lin Ran! Seeing the white figure rushing towards him, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but recall the despair he felt when he was chased by it last time. However, it was also because of this face-to-face confrontation that he finally saw what the white figure was. At this moment, the white figure became more and more solidified. Only then did Lin Ran recognize that it was not only a person, but also a person in silver armor. The armor was abnormally smooth and wrapped around the person¡¯s entire body. Even at the eyes, there were only two black slits. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know who was inside the armor, but he could tell that the style of the armor was very ancient, perhaps even older than the history of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. This armor had clearly experienced war. Countless sword marks lined up on the surface, as if they were layers of mysterious runes from the ancient times. That was all Lin Ran could observe. In the next second, the armored spirit approached. He did not have any weapons in his hands, or rather, his hands were the best weapons. The person crossed his fingers in front of him and easily slashed out a cross-shaped air slash! Clang! As soon as the sound of a sharp blade being unsheathed was heard, the cross-shaped air slash was already pressed against Lin Ran¡¯s chest. In a thousandth of a second, Lin Jin¡¯s clothes exploded. At the same time, the Dark Insect Shield he built with his sword intent took shape in front of his chest. Lin Ran felt as if he had been hit by a speeding train. Before he could spit out the blood that surged into his mouth, he was already smashed into the ground like a cannonball! Boom! With a loud bang, a huge pit was instantly blown up on the flat ground, causing dust to rise hundreds of feet high! When Liu Hongshan saw this, he rushed towards the crack in the sky without hesitation. However, at this moment, the white figure appeared in front of him like a ghost again. He turned around in the air and gathered strength. Then, he slashed at Liu Hongshan¡¯s face. In a hurry, Liu Hongshan only had time to raise his arms to block. At the same time, he transferred his internal energy to the Dragon Roar Dagger under his feet, wanting to take the brunt head-on and escape into the crack. Liu Hongshan¡¯s divine strength was indeed extraordinary. Facing the white figure¡¯s thunderous strike, he could withstand it for an instant with his bare hands, but that was only for an instant. An instant later, a huge force burst into his body. Liu Hongshan could even hear every bone in his body groan in pain. Then, he was smashed down from the sky like Lin Ran. Boom! With another loud bang, an even larger pit was blasted open on the flat ground. The white figure flashed in the air a few times before disappearing. In the smaller pit, Lin Ran closed his eyes in pain. He did not dare to use his internal energy to ease his injuries, so he could only rely on his willpower to withstand the pain. Fortunately, when he was cultivating the Three Essence Sword Technique, Moonlight, Lin Ran had experienced the pain of being destroyed by lava countless times. Therefore, even though his chest felt like it had been smashed by a huge hammer, he did not find the pain too unbearable. Half a minute later, Lin Ran calmed down and looked at his chest. Although there was a cross-shaped bruise, his bones were not deformed. The only problem was that the number of black insects had greatly decreased. It was not possible to form another shield. With the current number of black insects, it might even be difficult to condense a foot-long short sword. ¡°It seems that I have to go back to Sword Grave to gather more insects when I have time.¡± As he thought about it, Lin Ran had climbed out of the pit. He lay at the edge of the deep pit and wanted to take a breather, but he realized that not far away, another deep pit had appeared. Liu Hongshan, who was covered in dust, was lying at the edge of the deep pit and staring at him with a dark expression. Chapter 160 - 160 Turning Enemies into Friends? Just to Survive 160 Turning Enemies into Friends? Just to Survive On the desolate ground, two deep pits, one big and one small, were almost connected. The dust that had gathered was about to dissipate. Lin Ran and Liu Hongshan lay on the edge of the pit they had created and looked at each other. There was a long pause. Liu Hongshan finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is there something wrong with your brain? I understand that you want to trap me, but why didn¡¯t you leave yourself a way out?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes. ¡°You have the cheek to ask me that? If you weren¡¯t in a hurry to flee, would I need to use my internal energy?¡± Liu Hongshan nodded and looked at Lin Ran with a scrutinizing gaze. ¡°It seems that you already know that that thing was attracted by the fluctuation of internal energy?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± Lin Ran replied proudly, but he was more or less surprised. Last time, he only realized it after a long time, but Liu Hongshan could acutely figure it out through just two exchanges of moves with the white figure. It was enough to show how rich this person¡¯s combat experience was. ¡°What exactly is that?¡± Liu Hongshan asked softly with a teasing expression, ¡°Or do you not know either?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell you even if I know!¡± Lin Ran replied firmly and climbed out of the deep pit he had created. As long as he didn¡¯t use internal energy, he was safe here, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about the guy in the armor attacking him. Seeing this, Liu Hongshan also climbed out of the pit. After looking around warily for a moment, he walked to Lin Ran¡¯s side. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lin Ran immediately looked at Liu Hongshan and said warily, ¡°I¡¯m warning you. As long as you dare to activate your internal energy, that thing will immediately come and take your life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I have to stay close to you. This way, no one can escape.¡± As Liu Hongshan spoke, he could not help but look around. ¡°What exactly is this place?¡± ¡°All the secrets of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty are here.¡± Lin Ran replied honestly. Ever since Liu Hongshan entered this place, he had no intention of letting this guy out alive, so he was not worried that he would leak the secret. Liu Hongshan seemed to have realized this, so he didn¡¯t question Lin Ran¡¯s answer. He paused for a moment before continuing to ask, ¡°Then you should know how to get out, right?¡± ¡°Look!¡± Lin Ran pointed at the crack in the sky and Liu Hongshan immediately waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t try to trick me into activating my internal energy. I¡¯m talking about a safe exit.¡± ¡°What safe exit?¡± ¡°The kind where people who come to store secrets go.¡± Liu Hongshan said casually, ¡°The two of us Half-Saints can¡¯t even withstand a move from that thing. I don¡¯t believe the person who came to store the secret can be stronger than you and me. They have to go out after coming in, right?¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything because what Liu Hongshan said was something he had never thought of. However, Lin Ran knew this secret place better than Liu Hongshan, so after some thought, he figured out what was going on. The empress had once said that only the emperors of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty knew about this secret place. In other words, according to the rules of the royal family, only the previous emperors could enter this place. In this way, the key for them to enter and leave safely was definitely not their cultivation or strength. It was most likely related to the royal bloodline. Perhaps as long as a member of the royal family entered the secret place, the guy in armor wouldn¡¯t attack. Although Lin Ran didn¡¯t know how the guy survived here, from their interaction, it was obvious that the guy was intelligent. However, Lin Ran didn¡¯t intend to tell Liu Hongshan about this. After all, they were still enemies. After casually saying that he didn¡¯t know, Lin Ran held his chest and limped towards the dilapidated palace not far away. It was not that he wanted to find out any secrets, but he just wanted to find a place to rest. Although the wound on his chest no longer hurt so much, he could not use his internal energy to heal now. Being exposed to the cold wind in the wilderness would undoubtedly make his injuries worse. After taking a dozen steps, Lin Ran realized that Liu Hongshan was still following him. In this situation, he couldn¡¯t be bothered with Liu Hongshan. He gritted his teeth and walked for a while before arriving at a relatively intact palace hall. After pushing open the door and entering, he closed it tightly. After waiting for a while and seeing that Liu Hongshan did not come in, Lin Ran leaned against the wall and slowly lay on the ground. It was unknown if it was because he was too injured or too tired, but as soon as he closed his eyes, he fell asleep. After an unknown period of time, Lin Ran was woken up by clicking sounds. He opened his eyes in a daze and realized that Liu Hongshan had also entered this hall. Liu Hongshan had gotten some broken pieces of wood from somewhere and piled them together. At this moment, he was squatting beside Lin Ran and knocking on two stones, as if he wanted to light a fire. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lin Ran asked in confusion. As he spoke, he looked down at his chest. The bruise was much larger than before, but it didn¡¯t hurt as much. It seemed that his injuries were getting better. ¡°It¡¯s going to be dark soon. We don¡¯t have the strength to protect ourselves now. We need to build a fire to keep the beasts away.¡± As Liu Hongshan spoke, a dazzling spark shot out from the two stones. He was immediately overjoyed. He quickly took some smaller firewood from the side and carefully placed it on the fire. Seeing this, Lin Ran was speechless. ¡°If you have the energy, why don¡¯t you think about how to get out? It won¡¯t get dark here, and there¡¯s no b¡­¡± Before he could say the word ¡°beast¡±, Lin Ran heard a wolf-like howl coming from afar. He subconsciously turned to look outside and saw that the originally bright day had turned gray. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is it cloudy?¡± Lin Ran muttered and wanted to go out to take a closer look. When he passed by Liu Hongshan, he was stopped by him. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous outside.¡± As Liu Hongshan spoke, he stretched out his left hand. Lin Ran saw that there were six blood marks on his left arm. The wounds were not long, but they were deep and bloody. ¡°It happened in a second. If I hadn¡¯t reacted quickly, I would have lost this arm.¡± As Liu Hongshan spoke, his gaze drifted to the darkening sky outside. ¡°It¡¯s been nearly 20 hours since we came in, but it¡¯s just starting to get dark.¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly. ¡°What is it supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Day and night are always opposites. The days here are so long, so the nights are definitely not short.¡± Liu Hongshan looked at the wound on his arm again, and his tone was unprecedentedly solemn. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to, and actually, I don¡¯t want to either¡­ But if you don¡¯t want to attract that thing over, we have to cooperate tonight.¡± Chapter 161 - 161 Scheming 161 Scheming Lin Ran looked at the wound on Liu Hongshan¡¯s arm and couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. It wasn¡¯t that he was hesitating about whether to cooperate or not, but if what Liu Hongshan said was true. Lin Ran didn¡¯t doubt it when Liu Hongshan said that they had been here for nearly 20 hours. The last time Lin Ran entered the secret place, it was during night, but this secret place was still daytime. That was why he said that it wouldn¡¯t get dark here. After that, he was chased by the guy in armor. He almost toured the entire secret place. Not to mention wild beasts, he did not even see the third living creature. Therefore, Lin Ran didn¡¯t believe it when Liu Hongshan said there were beasts outside. However, the sky outside was indeed dark. From time to time, a few howls could be heard from afar. This made Lin Ran have no choice but believe it. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran decided to test him first. Then, he asked calmly, ¡°How do you want me to cooperate?¡± ¡°You provide the information, and I¡¯ll find a way out.¡± Liu Hongshan looked at the fire and replied softly, ¡°Back then, when I was captured, I was at the seventh level of Senior Martial Master Realm, but I was able to escape from the custody of the Five Elements Imperial Guards, so you can trust me when it comes to finding the way out.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and asked in an emotionless tone, ¡°You should know that I won¡¯t let you leave here alive. Why are you still willing to cooperate with me?¡± ¡°Do I have any other choice?¡± Liu Hongshan shrugged and swept his gaze across the empty old palace hall. ¡°I¡¯m too unfamiliar with the situation here. Although I can find a way out myself, that will definitely take up a lot of my time.¡± ¡°I originally planned to flatten the palace and ascend the throne in a day, but now that it¡¯s been dragging on for too long, I have to leave this place as soon as possible. Otherwise, if something happens to my plan, the price will be something you can¡¯t afford.¡± Lin Ran subconsciously asked, ¡°What price?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something you should know.¡± Liu Hongshan replied in an indifferent tone, ¡°I¡¯ll start treating my wound now. It¡¯ll take about half an hour. You can consider whether to work with me or not.¡± With that, Liu Hongshan picked up a small piece of wood and began to scrape off the scabs on the wound. Then, he applied the ashes of the vegetation on it. Lin Ran felt pain just looking at the bloody mess, but Liu Hongshan didn¡¯t seem to feel anything. He didn¡¯t even bat an eye. Lin Ran watched from the side and hesitated for a moment. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you really not in pain?¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to it.¡± Liu Hongshan replied calmly, as if he was talking about an insignificant matter. Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly remembered that Liu Hongshan had once said that the first time he fought Xiao Huai, he accidentally lost an arm. It was also because of that time that he realized that Xiao Huai could absorb flesh and blood to increase her strength. However, what contradicted the story was that the current Liu Hongshan clearly had two complete arms with flesh and blood. Lin Ran was suspicious. ¡°Could it be that he has three arms?¡± As if knowing what Lin Ran was thinking, Liu Hongshan shook his injured arm and explained, ¡°This is the arm of my deputy general. Back then, he framed me for colluding with foreign enemies. I took his arm as compensation¡­ It¡¯s not too much, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s not too much.¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before shaking his head. Although he felt that the deputy general was innocent, it was already 60 years ago. He didn¡¯t even know if the deputy general was still alive. However, Lin Ran still subconsciously observed and realized that Liu Hongshan¡¯s arms were indeed slightly different. Compared to Liu Hongshan¡¯s right arm, the left arm, which was the arm of the deputy general, had a greenish-gray skin. Moreover, the fingers were shorter and the joints were larger. It was probably the arm of a martial artist who was good at using heavy swords. Then, Lin Ran recalled another detail. When Liu Hongshan attacked, he usually held the sword in his right hand and placed his left hand behind his back. At that time, he thought that Liu Hongshan was just pretending to be cool. Now that he thought about it, he probably couldn¡¯t use left hand flexibly. ¡°When I attack, I can focus on his left arm.¡± Lin Ran made a mental note and nodded at Liu Hongshan. ¡°I can agree to cooperate with you, but I have a condition.¡± ¡°What condition?¡± ¡°I want to challenge you to a death duel.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he stretched out his right palm. A wisp of sword intent instantly condensed and flew between his fingers like a small dragon. ¡°Back then, you ambushed Sword God. Now, you¡¯ve joined forces with the Great Yong Dynasty to attack the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. No matter what, I can¡¯t spare your life.¡± Lin Ran said coldly without any expression, ¡°I can cooperate with you to find a way out, but before I leave this place, I¡¯ll try my best to kill you. If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll fight you alone after we get out¡­ in a place where no one will be affected.¡± Liu Hongshan looked up at Lin Ran, then his gaze landed on the wisp of sword intent in Lin Ran¡¯s hand. After a moment, he suddenly reached out his right hand and shook Lin Ran¡¯s. ¡°I accept your challenge.¡± As he spoke, a wisp of sword intent was released from Liu Hongshan¡¯s palm and instantly entered Lin Ran¡¯s hand. At the same time, Lin Ran¡¯s sword intent entered Liu Hongshan¡¯s body. Their eyes lit up. This meant that the death duel between the two of them had already been formed. After quickly exchanging sword intent, Liu Hongshan let go and picked up a burning firewood from the fire. ¡°We should go. The sword intent might lure that thing over.¡± Lin Ran knew that Liu Hongshan was talking about the guy in armor, but he was not worried, because he knew that sword intent alone wouldn¡¯t attract him over. The reason was very simple. Lin Ran had been using sword intent to keep the remnant black insects attached to his clothes. If the sword intent could attract that person over, he would definitely not be able to sleep peacefully for more than twenty hours. However, Lin Ran did not intend to tell Liu Hongshan about this. Although the two of them were now in a cooperative relationship, the fact that they were mortal enemies had not changed. Therefore, the less Liu Hongshan knew, the more advantageous it was for Lin Ran. After confirming the cooperation, Liu Hongshan handed over a torch and instructed, ¡°I want to leave a spark here. Go outside and stand guard. Let me know when that thing comes.¡± Lin Ran took the torch and left. After he left, Liu Hongshan quickly wiped the ash off his arm, revealing a few smooth wounds. They were not very deep and were just some scratches. Looking at Lin Ran¡¯s back outside the door, Liu Hongshan sneered, but soon his face returned to normal. Then, he put down his sleeve to cover his arm and walked out as if nothing had happened. Chapter 162 - 162 A Scourge Like Him Wont Die So Easily 162 A Scourge Like Him Won¡¯t Die So Easily In the throne room of the palace. The empress was wearing a dragon robe with a crown, her eyes filled with anger. In the imperial court, the civil and military officials were lined up on both sides. However, they were not as high spirited as they usually were in the imperial court. Instead, they lowered their heads and did not dare to look the empress in the eyes. After a moment of silence, the empress said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s been half an hour. Have you come up with any ideas?¡± No one answered. The empress narrowed her eyes and was about to flare up when Grand Secretary Zhang Yueheng suddenly stood out. ¡°Your Majesty, I have a suggestion¡­¡± Seeing Zhang Yueheng, the empress immediately remembered that this person had used his position to take revenge on Lin Ran. However, the state affairs were more important now, so the empress did not show any displeasure. She suppressed her anger and said calmly, ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhang Yueheng took half a step forward, cupped his hands, and said, ¡°The Great Yong Dynasty must have made ample preparations to attack us at this time. I think that we can¡¯t fight them head-on in this battle. We should order the soldiers at the front line to retreat immediately and lure the enemy deeper.¡± ¡°At that time, the Great Yong Dynasty will definitely suspect that we are plotting something. While they are indecisive as to what to do, we can send a large number of troops to reinforce the front line and surround the enemy from all directions!¡± ¡°Lord Zhang, this is a brilliant idea!¡± ¡°Lord Zhang is indeed worthy of being the Grand Secretary. You really know the art of war well!¡± ¡­ As soon as Zhang Yueheng finished speaking, other officials immediately stood out to praise him. The empress was expressionless, and no one could tell what she was thinking. After the officials fell silent, she asked, ¡°Lord Zhang, do you know how many people the Great Yong Dynasty sent to invade our border this time?¡± Zhang Yueheng thought for a moment and replied, ¡°According to the second report from the front line, when the Great Yong Dynasty first invaded the border, they sent about 300,000 people. After that, they sent another 200,000 reinforcements. Now, there are about 500,000 people.¡± The empress nodded. ¡°Then do you know how many soldiers the Great Yong Dynasty has?¡± ¡°According to the latest secret report from the Grand Council, there are about 700,000 people with an average cultivation of the fourth level of the Martial Master Realm.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The empress nodded again with a faint smile on her face. ¡°Then do you know how many troops our Heavenly Saint Dynasty has?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Zhang Yueheng¡¯s expression changed, but he still bit the bullet and replied, ¡°There are about 500,000 troops ready for war, but if we include the civilians in the fortresses at the border, there are about 1.2 million people!¡± The empress continued to ask, ¡°Are these civilians trained?¡± Zhang Yueheng fell silent. The empress did not mind. She paused for a moment and continued, ¡°So your solution is to surround 500,000 people with 500,000 people. Not to mention how long it will take them to rush to the battlefield, there are still 200,000 people the Great Yong Dynasty can deploy. Are we not going to guard the other borders?!¡± Zhang Yueheng¡¯s face turned pale and he knelt on the ground. ¡°Your Majesty, my apology! I didn¡¯t think it through. I deserve to die.¡± ¡°Then go die.¡± The empress said calmly. Then, her eyes turned cold as she shouted sternly, ¡°Guards! Beat Zhang Yueheng up and take off his official robe. Take him to the Meridian Gate and execute him!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The guards accepted the order in unison and rushed into the imperial court. Before Zhang Yueheng could react, he was taken off his official hat and robe and dragged out by a few guards like a dead dog. After a few minutes, Zhang Yueheng¡¯s begging voice came from outside, but the empress pretended not to hear it. The remaining officials in the imperial court were dumbfounded. Although Zhang Yueheng said that he deserved to die, everyone knew that he didn¡¯t mean it. Why did the empress really kill him?! For a moment, the civil and military officials were all silent. The huge hall was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. At this moment, a white figure swept into the throne room with a strong wind. After landing, he revealed himself as a young man with a childish face. Seeing the young man, the empress was overjoyed. She waved her hand and shouted, ¡°You all can go.¡± ¡°Long live the emperor!¡± The civil and military officials knelt down and bowed. Then, they quickly left the throne room. When there was no one around, the empress immediately asked impatiently, ¡°Qiyun, how¡¯s the situation at the front line?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already sent Lin Ran¡¯s token to the various sects. They¡¯ve already set off.¡± Huo Qiyun replied softly. He paused for a moment and said, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, they should have already arrived at the battlefield. Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The empress heaved a sigh of relief. After thinking for a moment, she asked, ¡°Is there any news of Lin Ran?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s face tightened, then he shook his head with a solemn expression. When the empress saw this, her expression that had just softened became nervous again. ¡°It¡¯s been a day. Did something happen to him after he suddenly disappeared while fighting Liu Hongshan?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Huo Qiyun chuckled and replied, ¡°Good people like us don¡¯t live long. A scourge like him won¡¯t die so easily.¡± ¡­ In the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace. Under the pitch-black night sky, Lin Ran and Liu Hongshan each held a torch and walked slowly on the desolate ground. ¡°Achoo!¡± Lin Ran suddenly sneezed and rubbed his nose. ¡°Did I catch a cold? Although I can¡¯t use internal energy, this place isn¡¯t freezing at all.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re injured.¡± Liu Hongshan replied casually as he looked around. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lin Ran shook his head without thinking. Other than the dilapidated palace, there was nothing else here. After walking for so long, he had no idea where he was. Liu Hongshan sighed and looked up at the sky. Even at night, the sky here was still gray. There were no stars or moon, only wisps of white clouds floating on it. ¡°Stop looking. There¡¯s not a single star here.¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and teased, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re very good at finding the way? Go ahead!¡± Liu Hongshan was furious. He continued to look at the sky and said, ¡°This is not a normal world. Most of my experience is useless here.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything and just snorted in disdain, as if to say, ¡°You just realized it?¡± After walking for about two miles, Lin Ran threw away the torch in his hand and sat on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m done! We¡¯re already lost. We can¡¯t even find the palace anymore!¡± Liu Hongshan¡¯s torch was also showing signs of extinguishing, but he did not seem to want to give up. He took a deep breath and was about to say something when his expression suddenly changed. He suddenly turned around and pressed the Dragon Roar Dagger at his waist. Lin Ran also stood up at the same time. Just now, he clearly saw a figure flash past in the darkness not far behind Liu Hongshan! Chapter 163 - 163 Lost? The Unpredictable Palace 163 Lost? The Unpredictable Palace Clang! Lin Ran and Liu Hongshan stood with their backs facing each other as they looked around warily. ¡°What was that just now?¡± Liu Hongshan asked softly. His back was facing the shadow just now, so he did not see it with his own eyes. However, the acute sense of the surrounding movements he had developed over the years made him react instantly. Lin Ran thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s too fast to see clearly, but it seems to be a wolf.¡± ¡°That would be troublesome.¡± Liu Hongshan sighed softly. ¡°Wolves live in groups. If we can see one, it means that there¡¯s a group nearby.¡± Lin Ran chuckled and said, ¡°That might not be the case. Didn¡¯t I hear that the wolf pack will chase away the old wolf king? No matter how much the wolf king has contributed to the pack, when it becomes a burden, it will still be abandoned without hesitation.¡± Liu Hongshan turned around and looked at Lin Ran. After a moment, he said softly, ¡°That one just now was very fast. It¡¯s impossible for it to have been abandoned by the pack.¡± Lin Ran nodded in agreement and stopped talking. This place was empty and unobstructed. They couldn¡¯t use divine sense to investigate, so they had to pay close attention to their surroundings. Soon, Lin Ran realized a problem. They couldn¡¯t see their surroundings clearly. The sky emitted a gray light, but because of the brighter torches they were holding, the light was dimmed. However, at this moment, the torches could only illuminate a radius of about ten steps. Any further and it would be almost pitch-black. Moreover, as the flames on the torch gradually extinguished, the radius of light decreased drastically. ¡°We have to put out the torches!¡± Lin Ran whispered. Liu Hongshan extinguished the torch with his foot, obviously thinking the same thing as him. The moment the torches were gone, the two of them felt their vision darken at the same time. However, this feeling only lasted for a moment. Soon, they were accustomed to the gray light emitted by the sky, and this strange world slowly appeared in front of the two of them again. After looking around for a moment, Lin Ran didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. The palace they had been resting in was standing quietly a few hundred feet away from him. The fire Liu Hongshan started was almost extinguished, leaving only sparks. Looking back the way they came, the two rows of footprints extended almost straight into the distance. However, if one looked carefully, they would discover that the ¡°straight¡± footprints were slightly curved. In other words, they thought that they were walking in a straight line, but in fact, they were walking in a circle around the dilapidated palace. Lin Ran immediately mocked, ¡°You¡¯re talented in finding the way out, huh?¡± Knowing that he was in the wrong, Liu Hongshan did not retort. He cleared his throat and changed the topic. ¡°Since it¡¯s not far, let¡¯s go in first. There¡¯s a wall protecting us. We just have to guard the entrance.¡± With that, Liu Hongshan walked towards the palace with the door open. Lin Ran was about to follow when he suddenly realized that something was wrong and pulled Liu Hongshan back. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Liu Hongshan was caught off guard and almost fell. His tone was filled with displeasure. ¡°You can¡¯t wait to kill me anymore?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that impatient.¡± Lin Ran replied softly and pointed at the ground. ¡°That¡¯s not the palace we were resting in.¡± Liu Hongshan was stunned when he heard that. ¡°How is that possible? The door is open. The fire I started is still inside. Is there anyone else there?¡± ¡°You¡¯re as smart as you claimed to be.¡± Lin Ran sneered and stomped his feet on the ground. ¡°We didn¡¯t fly here. Where are the footprints?¡± Liu Hongshan¡¯s expression changed and he hurriedly lowered his head to look at the ground. The ground here was covered in a thick layer of sand. A feather would leave a mark on the ground, let alone two people walking on it. Even if they had yet to reach the spot where they set out, there should be some footprints at the entrance of the palace. There were two rows of footprints behind them. If they had been walking in circles, there should be footprints in front of them too. However, in front of the two of them, there were no traces of them having ever traversed the ground within a few hundred steps. Liu Hongshan said softly, his tone clearly vigilant, ¡°Should we go in and hide for a while?¡± Lin Ran smacked his lips and didn¡¯t answer because he didn¡¯t know what to do either. Indeed, the shadow he saw just now was a threat, but it was still less threatening than the strange palace. This palace first appeared out of nowhere and then lured them in through various arrangements, as if it was a trap set up by a living creature. Therefore, compared to this strange palace, Lin Ran would rather face the mysterious shadow. Thinking of this, Lin Ran planned to ask Liu Hongshan to leave this place first. However, before Lin Ran could speak, Liu Hongshan suddenly said, ¡°Ok.¡± Then, he held the Dragon Roar Dagger as he walked towards the strange palace. Lin Ran was confused and wondered if this guy was hallucinating. He hurriedly looked around warily and shouted softly, ¡°Liu Hongshan! Come back! I mean to leave this place first!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to care about me so much.¡± Liu Hongshan replied softly without looking back, ¡°But neither of us understands the situation here. It doesn¡¯t matter if we swap places or not.¡± Lin Ran was even more confused. He looked around suspiciously. After confirming that they were alone, he immediately felt a chill run down his spine. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but ask softly. This time, Liu Hongshan did not answer. He only made a hand gesture to the right, as if he was communicating with someone, but there was no one there. Lin Ran looked at Liu Hongshan and then at the place where he was gesturing. No matter how slow Lin Ran was, he now realized that something was wrong! ¡°Liu Hongshan!¡± Lin Ran shouted and hurriedly went forward to pull Liu Hongshan back. However, just as he reached out, Liu Hongshan suddenly turned around and slashed at his chest with the Dragon Roar Dagger! Chapter 164 - 164 Sudden Fallout 164 Sudden Fallout Liu Hongshan¡¯s strike came without warning, but fortunately, Lin Ran was on guard against him along the way, so he still managed to retreat and dodge immediately. In a flash, the sharp tip of the sword swept across his chest, leaving a faint red mark. Lin Ran instantly unsheathed Thunderball at his waist. However, just as he was about to counterattack, he stopped. At some point, Liu Hongshan¡¯s eyes turned white. ¡°Lin Ran! We are ambushed!¡± Liu Hongshan shouted and swung his sword at Lin Ran again. Lin Ran quickly dodged and took a few steps back. As if thinking that the distance between the two of them was safe, Liu Hongshan stopped attacking. However, he still held the Dragon Roar Dagger and put on a vigilant posture. Lin Ran looked at the strange Liu Hongshan. Although he didn¡¯t know what was going on, he could tell that Liu Hongshan was probably in some kind of illusion. His first thought was to leave this place immediately. Although the two of them were now cooperating, the fact that they were enemies did not change. Now that Liu Hongshan was in an illusion, it was a good opportunity to kill him. The guy in armor was a problem, but after Lin Ran mastered the use of the Thunderball Sword, he was confident that he could rush into the crack before that guy arrived. As for Liu Hongshan, who was in an illusion, Lin Ran just had to leave him here alone to fend for himself. However, on second thought, Lin Ran gave up on this idea. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know how this illusion happened or how long it would last. If Liu Hongshan returned to normal after he left, Liu Hongshan would probably immediately understand what was going on. Even if Liu Hongshan might not be a match for the guy in armor, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to escape. If possible, Lin Ran still wanted to keep him in this secret place. After giving up on the idea of leaving alone, Lin Ran began to wonder if he should take the opportunity to kill Liu Hongshan once and for all. However, on second thought, Lin Ran felt that it was inappropriate. It was not that he did not want to take advantage of the situation, but although Liu Hongshan was in an illusion, it was not difficult to tell from his speed of reaction that his cultivation wasn¡¯t affected. Liu Hongshan was in a very vigilant state. Attacking him at this time would definitely not be a wise move. If Liu Hongshan activated his internal energy in a critical moment and attracted the armored guy over, Lin Ran might not be able to escape either. After thinking about it for a long time, Lin Ran realized that the safest way was to figure out why Liu Hongshan was in an illusion. ¡°Liu Hongshan!¡± Lin Ran called out tentatively. After all, Liu Hongshan had called his name just now, so he guessed that Liu Hongshan should still be able to hear him. As expected, just as Lin Ran finished shouting, Liu Hongshan tilted his head slightly to his left. ¡°Why are you calling me again? I don¡¯t know where that thing is hiding. Be careful!¡± Seeing this, Lin Ran was enlightened. After Liu Hongshan fell into the illusion, he spoke in the same direction several times. This meant that the world in his eyes was not chaotic. There was a logic to this illusion. Thinking of this, Lin Ran asked, ¡°Did you see it clearly just now? What attacked us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looks like the shadows we saw just now.¡± Liu Hongshan replied softly. After a pause, he asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything on my side. How is it on your side?¡± ¡°Everything is normal?¡± Lin Ran replied casually with a complicated expression. In Liu Hongshan¡¯s eyes, Lin Ran had become the shadows they had seen just now. Did that mean that those shadows were part of the illusion? Lin Ran also saw a shadow flash past just now. Was he hallucinating too? Thinking of this, Lin Ran quickly raised Thunderball as a mirror to look at himself. However, the light here was too dim. He almost pressed his eyes to the blade, but he could only barely see the outline of his eyes. After trying a few more angles, Lin Ran finally gave up. However, he guessed that he was not hallucinating. Otherwise, the Liu Hongshan he saw should be nothing but air. Lin Ran glanced at Liu Hongshan, who was still in a vigilant posture. Then, he sat on the ground and began to write something on the ground with Thunderball. First, Lin Ran wrote the word ¡°poisonous gas¡± and crossed it. He and Liu Hongshan had been together the entire time. If there was poisonous gas, it was impossible for Liu Hongshan to be the only one affected. Then, Lin Ran wrote the word ¡°drug¡± and crossed it out again. He clearly didn¡¯t drug Liu Hongshan. In the end, Lin Ran wrote the words ¡°water and food¡± on the ground. Although the journey was harmonious, Lin Ran had been on guard against Liu Hongshan. He was very sure that Liu Hongshan did not eat or drink anything. In other words, this illusion did not take effect from inside his body¡­ Wait! Thinking of this, Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed and he suddenly looked up at Liu Hongshan¡¯s left arm.fm The biggest difference between the two of them was that Liu Hongshan¡¯s arm was injured and he had once burned herbs in the palace into ashes to stop the bleeding! If this illusion was caused by some kind of poison, then it was very likely that it existed in the herbs and seeped into Liu Hongshan¡¯s body through the wound! Herbs that could still take effect after being burned to ashes were not rare. The more Lin Ran thought about it, the more he felt that it was possible. He quickly asked Liu Hongshan, ¡°Liu Hongshan! How¡¯s the wound on your arm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine now.¡± Liu Hongshan pretended to be calm and replied softly, ¡°It still hurts a little, but it won¡¯t affect my movements.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he quietly stood up and walked towards Liu Hongshan. Finally, he stopped six steps away from Liu Hongshan. Through the exchange of moves just now, Lin Ran roughly estimated that the safe distance between the two of them was about six steps. At this distance, Liu Hongshan wouldn¡¯t be able to see him. ¡°This place is very strange. If you become a burden, don¡¯t blame me for abandoning you.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he held Thunderball in his right hand and slowly reached out to Liu Hongshan¡¯s left sleeve. It was just long enough to touch his sleeve. Liu Hongshan sneered. The tip of Thunderball had already quietly entered his sleeve. Then, Lin Ran cut open the fabric, revealing the wound on Liu Hongshan¡¯s arm! Chapter 165 - 165 Shooting Himself in the Foot 165 Shooting Himself in the Foot Lin Ran wanted to see what was going on with Liu Hongshan¡¯s arm. If the herbal ashes were really poisonous, there would definitely be a strange sign on his arm. As his sleeve was cut open, Liu Hongshan suddenly retracted his hand with a start. However, even though he was extremely fast, Lin Ran still saw it clearly. The smart Lin Ran reacted almost instantly. Liu Hongshan was not attacked at all. The wound on his arm was probably self-inflicted to deceive Lin Ran. As for Liu Hongshan¡¯s goal, it was very simple. If he wanted to get information from Lin Ran to find a way out, he had to tie the two of them together. Danger was the best reason. However, Liu Hongshan did not expect the herbs here to be poisonous and cause him to fall into an illusion. ¡°Lin Ran! I was just attacked!¡± Liu Hongshan shouted in a low voice with a vigilant expression. He did not know that Lin Ran had seen through his trick. ¡°That thing is very fast. Even my eyes can¡¯t catch its traces!¡± ¡°Is that so? Then you have to be careful!¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Although he was a little angry at being deceived by Liu Hongshan, he really couldn¡¯t flare up when he saw him like this. After a pause, Lin Ran said, ¡°Look at that palace. Something seems to have entered just now.¡± Liu Hongshan nodded and turned to look, but Lin Ran realized that he was not looking in the direction of the palace at all. In other words, Lin Ran was indeed not hallucinating. The palace was real, and Liu Hongshan only fell into the illusion after they saw the palace. At the same time, Lin Ran also noticed that there was only a small amount of herbal ash stuck to the wound on Liu Hongshan¡¯s arm. ¡°It seems that he¡¯s not deeply poisoned. He¡¯ll probably wake up soon.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. After looking around and underestimating that there was no danger, he sat on the ground and waited quietly. ¡­ As soon as the sky turned dark, the palace was brightly lit. In the imperial study, the empress frowned and paced back and forth with her hands behind her back. Li Tianyi watched from the side with a worried expression. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Your Majesty, you haven¡¯t rested for a day and a night. You should rest for a while. Your health is more important!¡± ¡°The soldiers at the front line are still fighting a bloody battle. How can I only care about myself?¡± The empress waved her hand and replied coldly. As soon as she finished speaking, a white figure flashed into the imperial study and landed on the ground. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Before Huo Qiyun could stand firm, he hurriedly shouted with an unconcealable joy on his face, ¡°Good news! The front line has reported that after those martial artists joined the battlefield, the first round of the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s attack has already been repelled!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Li Tianyi cheered and quickly went to the empress¡¯s side. ¡°Your Majesty, the front line is safe. You can rest for a while now!¡± The empress ignored Li Tianyi and looked at Huo Qiyun. ¡°How are the casualties on our side?¡± ¡°Thirty thousand soldiers were killed, more than seventy thousand were injured, two deputy generals were killed, and General Guo Fuzhen was seriously injured¡­¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression darkened as he replied softly, but he quickly added, ¡°But the Great Yong Dynasty didn¡¯t get the upper hand either. More than half of the 300,000 people who attacked in the first round were killed, and more than 20,000 people were captured. The Dao Seeking Sect disciples even captured the enemy¡¯s commander!¡± In terms of casualty ratio, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty could be said to have obtained a complete victory, but the sadness on the empress¡¯s face did not decrease at all. ¡°30,000 died in battle and 70,000 were injured¡­¡± The empress repeated, and her eyes became even more solemn. ¡°In other words, even with the 100,000 reinforcements from the West Garrison, there are less than 200,000 soldiers in the north.¡± Huo Qiyun bit his lip and didn¡¯t say anything. He knew what the empress was worried about. The Heavenly Saint Dynasty had less than 200,000 soldiers in the north, and not only did the Great Yong Dynasty have 100,000 crippled soldiers, but they also had 200,000 reinforcements sent in the second round. Most importantly, the Great Yong Dynasty had secretly developed a drug that could temporarily increase one¡¯s cultivation and had already distributed it in the army. However, in today¡¯s battle, the Great Yong army did not use the secret drug. This made people suspect that they had a bigger plan. Thinking of this, Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t be happy anymore. He sighed and said helplessly, ¡°If only Lin Ran was here. He would be able to think of a way.¡± At the mention of Lin Ran, the empress suddenly looked at Huo Qiyun and asked, ¡°Do you still have the token Lin Ran gave you?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Huo Qiyun agreed and quickly took out a small jade sword. ¡°He gave me a total of six, but this is the only one left.¡± ¡°One is enough.¡± The empress took the jade sword and returned to the desk. After searching for a moment, she took out a green jade hairpin from a brocade box. The material of the hairpin was not very good, and there was no exquisite carving. There was only an iris carved on the end of the hairpin. Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Your Majesty, this is¡­¡± ¡°You guys can leave first.¡± The empress interrupted. Huo Qiyun and Li Tianyi looked at each other and left the imperial study in silence. As soon as the door was closed, Huo Qiyun immediately asked in a low voice, ¡°Eunuch Li, you¡¯re by His Majesty¡¯s side every day. Do you know where that hairpin came from?¡± Li Tianyi shook his head in confusion. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it either¡­ Do you know that hairpin?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was just asking.¡± Huo Qiyun shook his head with a smile. Then, he looked at the closed door of the imperial study with worry in his eyes. In imperial study. After the empress dismissed the two of them, she sat down in front of the desk. Then, she pricked her finger with the small jade sword, squeezed out a drop of blood, and applied it to the green jade hairpin. After making the preparations, the empress pressed her palms together and held the small jade sword in her palm. Her lips moved slightly as if she was chanting something. As the empress chanted silently, the blood on the green jade hairpin slowly seeped into the hairpin. Then, the entire hairpin began to glow with a faint green light¡­ In the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace. The whiteness in Liu Hongshan¡¯s eyes had faded a lot, which meant that he was waking up from the illusion. Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he closed his eyes and was about to rest for a while, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in his mind. ¡°Lin Ran, can you hear me?¡± ¡°Your Majesty?!¡± Lin Ran suddenly opened his eyes and realized that there was still only him and Liu Hongshan on the empty wasteland. However, he was very sure that he had really heard the empress¡¯s voice! Chapter 166 - 166 A Wise Emperess 166 A Wise Emperess Just as Lin Ran was feeling puzzled, the empress¡¯s voice sounded in his mind again. ¡°Lin Ran? Can you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lin Ran immediately replied. Now, he was very sure that it was the empress¡¯s voice! As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Hongshan pursed his lips in annoyance. ¡°Why are you shouting again?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Only then did Lin Ran remember that there was someone beside him. He replied in a low voice, ¡°Your Majesty, I can hear you!¡± After a few seconds, the empress¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°Lin Ran! Lin Ran!¡± ¡°I can hear you! Go on!¡± Lin Ran replied impatiently in a low voice. After saying that, he felt that something was wrong. He had already replied three times, but the empress kept calling him, as if she could not hear his reply at all. ¡°Am I in an illusion too?¡± Just as he thought this, the empress¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°I¡¯m trying to contact you through a very dangerous method. I don¡¯t know if you can hear me. If you can, give me a hint.¡± Lin Ran was speechless. He looked up at the pitch-black crack in the dark sky and thought to himself, ¡°How can I give you a hint? Leave here?¡± After that, the empress repeated the same thing three times. After that, there was a long silence. The silence made Lin Ran a little anxious. He didn¡¯t know what ¡°dangerous method¡± the empress was talking about, but she hadn¡¯t spoken for so long. She had most likely given up on this method. ¡°How should I give you a hint¡­¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and fell into deep thought. At this moment, the whiteness in Liu Hongshan¡¯s eyes had almost completely disappeared. He didn¡¯t have much time left. Anxious, Lin Ran¡¯s mind began to race. After a moment, his eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°I know what to do!¡± ¡­ In the imperial study in the palace. The light emitted by the green jade hairpin made the entire imperial study green. The empress sat on the chair with her palms pressed together. She frowned slightly, and there was a hint of anxiety on her face. ¡°Lin Ran! If you can hear me, give me a hint!¡± Almost at the same time, she felt the small jade sword in her hand vibrate slightly. The vibration of the small jade sword was very light, almost to the extent that it was difficult to feel. However, the empress was holding the small jade sword tightly, so she still caught the vibration immediately. ¡°Lin Ran! Is that you?¡± The empress was delighted. ¡°If it¡¯s you, make it vibrate again!¡± Buzz¡ª Feeling the vibration of the small jade sword, the empress finally felt relieved. ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯ve finally contacted you¡­ Where are you? Are you still safe? When are you coming back?¡± ¡­ In the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace. When Lin Ran realized that the empress could receive his hint, he couldn¡¯t help but admire his intelligence. This idea was thought of by him. As for whether it would succeed, he was actually not too confident. However, since the empress could accurately find his location, she definitely had something that was directly related to him. It was most likely the sword intent he had scattered elsewhere. Therefore, Lin Ran began to try to control every wisp of sword intent he had scattered. God knew how much energy this process cost him, but fortunately, he still succeeded in the end. However, because there was really not much sword intent in the small jade sword, coupled with the fact that it was too far away, controlling the sword intent from afar to cause a slight vibration was already Lin Ran¡¯s limit. Before Lin Ran could be happy for a while, the empress¡¯s questions sounded in his mind. Not only was the question spoken quickly, but it was also very loud. It was obvious that the empress was very excited at this moment, but Lin Ran was so annoyed that he almost woke up from his meditative state. Lin Ran quickly took a deep breath to calm himself down. Only then did he start to feel speechless. He could only make the sword intent move a little even if he used all his strength. How could he answer so many questions? ¡­ In imperial study. The empress waited for a long time but received no response. She also realized that her way of asking questions was a little inappropriate. After thinking for a moment, she asked again, ¡°Are you safe now? If you¡¯re safe, vibrate it once.¡± Buzz¡ª The empress heaved a sigh of relief. After a pause, she asked, ¡°Where are you now? Are you still in the capital?¡± Buzz¡ª ¡°Can you come back now?¡± Buzz¡ªbuzz¡ª ¡°Are you with Liu Hongshan?¡± Buzz¡ª The empress¡¯s expression turned solemn again. After a moment of silence, she continued, ¡°The war between us and the Great Yong Dynasty has begun. I think you already know¡­¡± In the next few minutes, the empress told Lin Ran everything that had happened in the past few days, including her inner thoughts and worries. As the emperor of a country, she couldn¡¯t tell anyone this except Lin Ran. A few minutes later. The empress suddenly stopped. After a moment of silence, she continued with a firm attitude, ¡°It¡¯s quarter to five now. In four hours, I¡¯m preparing to sneak out of the palace and go to the front line. I want to personally lead the troops to attack the Great Yong encampment at night!¡± Buzz¡ªbuzz¡ª The small jade sword vibrated twice. Half a second later, it vibrated twice more. The empress understood what Lin Ran meant, but she didn¡¯t care. She paused for a moment and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve drafted a will. If I can¡¯t come back this time, I¡¯ll confer you the title of Regent. After your sons are born, you can choose a wise one to succeed the throne!¡± ¡°Lord Lin, I believe that you have the ability to bring the Heavenly Saint Dynasty back to its former glory. This is my last request.¡± After saying the last sentence, the empress opened her eyes. She first took off the hairpin on her head and placed it into the brocade box. Then, she grabbed the small jade sword with both hands and suddenly broke it into two! ¡­ In the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace. Sensing that trace of sword intent dissipating, Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly turned extremely ugly! ¡°Four hours!¡± Lin Ran set a countdown in his heart. With something so unexpected happening, he couldn¡¯t waste any time with Liu Hongshan anymore. After leaving the meditative state, he prepared to immediately activate his internal energy and leave. The Great Yong Dynasty had already made ample preparations to start a war this time. If there was no corresponding strategy, the empress would definitely not be able to return! Feeling anxious, Lin Ran opened his eyes and was about to move when he realized that Liu Hongshan had already regained consciousness. The whiteness in his eyes had completely dissipated. At this moment, he was holding the Dragon Roar Dagger and staring at him with a scrutinizing gaze. Chapter 167 - 167 The Undying Army 167 The Undying Army ¡°What are you doing?¡± Liu Hongshan asked calmly, but the hand that was holding the Dragon Roar Dagger tightened. ¡°I was waiting for you. You were in an illusion just now.¡± Lin Ran replied without changing his expression. Then, he roughly explained what happened, but he omitted the part about cutting Liu Hongshan¡¯s sleeve. Since Liu Hongshan was deliberately hiding something, he must have his own motives. At the same time, Lin Ran gave up on the idea of leaving. Liu Hongshan had already regained consciousness. He would never let him leave so easily. As Lin Ran explained, Liu Hongshan listened quietly without interrupting. There was no expression on his face, and it was unknown if he believed Lin Ran or not. After Lin Ran finished, Liu Hongshan frowned and asked, ¡°Then why did I fall into an illusion?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lin Ran shook his head calmly. ¡°Maybe you ate something you shouldn¡¯t.¡± Liu Hongshan didn¡¯t say anything and just turned around silently. From his actions, Lin Ran knew that he was checking his arm. Seeing the black color on his arm that had yet to completely disappear, Liu Hongshan roughly knew what was going on. He narrowed his eyes at the neatly cut sleeves and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my sleeves?¡± ¡°I cut it. I was also in an illusion just now, but my illusion wasn¡¯t as serious. After I attacked, I woke up.¡± Lin Ran replied without thinking. He knew that Liu Hongshan would ask about this, so he had already prepared an answer. Liu Hongshan narrowed his eyes and stared at Lin Ran, as if trying to determine if he was telling the truth. A moment later, Liu Hongshan suddenly retracted his gaze and turned to look at the familiar palace not far away. ¡°There are many strange things about this place. Are we still going in?¡± ¡°Let me go in and take a look first. You¡¯ve just recovered from the poison. Wait for me outside.¡± Lin Ran replied casually. After saying that, he stood up and walked towards the palace. Actually, Lin Ran didn¡¯t want to take the risk, but he had no choice. Within four hours, he had to think of a way to shake Liu Hongshan off. In this empty and deserted land, the palace was his only choice. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take the risk.¡± Liu Hongshan smiled, as if he didn¡¯t notice anything wrong with Lin Ran. Then, the two of them walked towards the palace together. When there were only a few dozen steps left, Liu Hongshan stopped and watched Lin Ran continue. Seeing where Liu Hongshan stopped last, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel troubled. This distance was very awkward. If he activated his internal energy, it would only take Liu Hongshan a second to arrive in front of him. At such a distance, Liu Hongshan could also see everything in the palace. Lin Ran¡¯s plan to sneak out wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°What a cunning old fox!¡± Lin Ran cursed in his mind. At the same time, he had already walked to the open door of the palace. Before he entered, he knew that it was not the one they had been resting in because the furnishings inside were completely different from that palace. The palace where the two of them were resting was empty, as if the master had moved everything away when he left. In this palace that looked similar, there were countless wooden shelves neatly arranged. At first glance, Lin Ran thought that he had arrived at the Hidden Sword Pavilion, but on closer look, he knew that it was not. The wooden shelves were not arranged in the manner of the Mystic Array Formation, and the style of the wooden shelves was different. These wooden shelves were more than a meter tall. On them were humanoid statues of people sitting cross-legged and meditating. It was unknown how many years they had been placed here, but their surfaces were covered in a thick layer of dust. Lin Ran casually swept one of them with his sleeve and realized that these statues had been wearing clothes before, but the clothes had rotted with the passage of time. After the dust settled, Lin Ran counted again. Every wooden shelf was filled with statues, and there were hundreds of such shelves in this palace, as if this was the production workshop for these statues. Then, Lin Ran looked at the fire he had seen from outside. After such a long time, the fire had long been extinguished, leaving only a piece of charcoal that was more than five feet long and as thick as a person¡¯s waist. It looked like it was the beam of this palace. As he thought to himself, Lin Ran looked up. There was indeed a big hole on the roof of the palace above. There were obvious charred marks on the edge, looking like it had been struck by lightning. Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately became strange. There was no real sky in this place, and of course, there was no natural phenomenon like wind, rain, lightning, and so on. This beam was most likely accidentally hit by the lightning produced by Thunderball while Lin Ran was using it. Lin Ran turned around and waved at Liu Hongshan in the distance. ¡°Come in! It¡¯s safe here.¡± Liu Hongshan walked over quickly, but just as he was about to enter, he saw the statues on the wooden shelves in the palace. His expression suddenly changed and he slowly pulled his foot back. ¡°Lin Ran¡­ come out.¡± Liu Hongshan said under his breath, as if he was afraid of disturbing something. At the same time, his eyes were fixed on the statue closest to the door, and the word ¡°nervous¡± was written all across his face! ¡°What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to come in and hide?¡± Lin Ran asked in confusion, feeling that Liu Hongshan¡¯s reaction was a little too much. It had to be noted that even when he was facing the guy in armor, he didn¡¯t seem to be so nervous. ¡°Stop asking! Just come out!¡± Liu Hongshan continued to gesture at Lin Ran to come out, his eyebrows almost knitted together. ¡°This place is very dangerous. Let¡¯s talk outside!¡± Seeing how serious he was, Lin Ran had no choice but to go out. Before Lin Ran could ask further, Liu Hongshan immediately took a step forward. After gently closing the door, he waved his hand and walked away at an extremely fast speed. After getting to a safe distance, Liu Hongshan finally heaved a sigh of relief and patted his chest. ¡°That was close.¡± At the same time, Lin Ran¡¯s confusion reached its peak. Seeing that Liu Hongshan seemed to have relaxed, he asked impatiently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you hallucinating again?¡± Liu Hongshan waved his hand and glanced at the palace with fear in his eyes. After a few minutes, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Your status in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty shouldn¡¯t be low, right? Have you heard of the Undying Army?¡± Chapter 168 - 168 The Importance of Thinking Carefully Before Doing It 168 The Importance of Thinking Carefully Before Doing It Looking at Liu Hongshan¡¯s serious expression, Lin Ran almost couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. He had indeed heard of the Undying Army, but it was all in some unrealistic third-rate novels. Liu Hongshan was already more than a hundred years old. Why would he still read that kind of thing? Seeing that Lin Ran was silent, Liu Hongshan thought that he didn¡¯t know. He paused for a moment and said softly, ¡°As the name suggests, the Undying Army is an army that won¡¯t die¡­¡± ¡°I know that.¡± Lin Ran quickly raised his hand to stop Liu Hongshan and replied, ¡°I read a few fictional novels where the Undying Army was mentioned. I didn¡¯t expect you to be a lover of novels too.¡± ¡°Novels?¡± Liu Hongshan was puzzled for a moment before realizing that Lin Ran had misunderstood. He said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the novels, but the real Undying Army in history!¡± Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liu Hongshan ignored Lin Ran¡¯s doubts. He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°It¡¯s not exactly accurate to say that it really existed because no one has seen it with their own eyes¡­ In other words, everyone who has seen the Undying Army is dead.¡± Lin Ran looked at Liu Hongshan suspiciously. His first reaction was that Liu Hongshan was talking nonsense, but he did not interrupt him. Although Lin Ran didn¡¯t believe it, since Liu Hongshan wanted to tell him, he would let him. He could take the opportunity to figure out how to get out of this situation. Liu Hongshan didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking. He looked at the palace in the distance and said, ¡°According to legend, the first time the Undying Army appeared was during the founding war of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± ¡°At that time, the Heavenly Saint Emperor was surrounded by the enemy on the mountain and had no food or water. There were only a few hundred troops left.¡± ¡°The enemy troops who were besieging the mountain thought that victory was in their grasp, but they did not expect the Heavenly Saint Emperor to be bestowed by the heavens and earth with the ability to command the dead!¡± ¡°These resurrected soldiers are tireless. They don¡¯t feel pain when they¡¯re attacked by swords and axes. Moreover, they¡¯re immortal. Even if their heads are cut off, their remaining bodies can continue to fight. If we want to destroy them, we have to smash their bodies into pieces!¡± Lin Ran nodded absent-minded. ¡°Oh, so powerful? What happened next?¡± ¡°Later on, the Heavenly Saint Emperor used this opportunity to break out of the encirclement. It can be said that without this Undying Army, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty wouldn¡¯t exist today.¡± Lin Ran nodded again. ¡°What does that have to do with us?¡± ¡°Did you not hear what I said just now?¡± Liu Hongshan suddenly turned to look at Lin Ran. ¡°Those people inside are very likely the Undying Army. What do you think it has to do with us?¡± Lin Ran was caught not paying attention and immediately felt a little embarrassed. He quickly pretended to be calm and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that coincidental. Let¡¯s not talk about whether that thing really exists or not. Didn¡¯t you say that no one has seen the Undying Army? Then how did you recognize it?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve been investigating this for 60 years.¡± Liu Hongshan replied in a low voice. Before Lin Ran could speak, he asked, ¡°Besides, if those things are not the Undying Army, how do you explain the shadows we saw before?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was a beast¡¯s shadow?¡± Lin Ran asked righteously and looked at Liu Hongshan with a subtle expression. ¡°Or did you not see clearly what it was at all? Were you lying to me?¡± Liu Hongshan¡¯s expression changed slightly. He subconsciously looked away. ¡°Why would I lie to you? I told you that this place is very strange. We have to cooperate to get out.¡± Lin Ran snorted and didn¡¯t say anything. He stood up and walked towards the palace. Seeing this, Liu Hongshan¡¯s expression changed drastically, and his tone became anxious. ¡°Come back quickly! It¡¯s dangerous over there!¡± ¡°I was inside just now. If it was dangerous, I would have already been in trouble.¡± Lin Ran sneered without looking back. As he spoke, he ran to the door of the palace and pushed it open without hesitation. He grabbed a statue and walked back. Seeing that Lin Ran had actually carried a statue back, Liu Hongshan¡¯s face darkened. He waved his hand from afar. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid! This thing is very dangerous!¡± ¡°Dangerous my ass! I¡¯ve checked it. It¡¯s just some clay statues!¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and returned to Liu Hongshan¡¯s side. He raised the statue and dropped it to the ground! ¡°No!¡± Liu Hongshan hurriedly stopped him, but it was too late. The statue fell to the ground and shattered into pieces. As a large number of fragments flew everywhere, the sneer on Lin Ran¡¯s face instantly froze¡ª After the statue shattered, what was inside was not clay, but pieces of yellowed human bones! Liu Hongshan¡¯s face turned pale. He instinctively took a dozen steps back and stared at the fragments on the ground with a terrified expression, as if he had seen something extremely terrifying. Lin Ran was also a little stunned. He didn¡¯t expect there to be human bones in this statue. When he realized what was going on, he quickly pressed his palms together and apologized, but he wasn¡¯t too worried. These broken bones were completely rotten. They were at least hundreds of years old. Therefore, compared to these broken bones, Lin Ran was more curious about what kind of place the palace was. Why were there so many statues inside, or rather, why were there so many corpses? Just as Lin Ran was feeling puzzled, he suddenly felt an internal energy fluctuation behind him. ¡°Liu Hongshan!¡± Lin Ran shouted and hurriedly turned around. He realized that Liu Hongshan had already activated his internal energy to the limit! ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed drastically as he shouted, ¡°Stop! What if that thing is attracted over?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the crazy one!¡± Liu Hongshan replied in a low voice with a cold gaze. As his internal energy surged through his body, the aura on his body was also very different from usual. His tone was the same, but it carried a sense of killing intent. Clang! The Dragon Roar Dagger let out a soft cry when it was unsheathed. Liu Hongshan stared in the direction of the palace. ¡°What you have to worry about now is whether you can survive until that thing comes over!¡± Lin Ran was confused. Just as he was about to ask again, he suddenly heard a rustling sound, as if some insect was flipping its wings, but the sound was much louder. After being in a daze for a moment, Lin Ran thought of something and suddenly turned to look at the palace. Through the door he had just opened, the statues on the wooden shelves in the palace were slowly coming back to life! Chapter 169 - 169 Attack From Both Sides 169 Attack From Both Sides All the statues on the shelves began to move in a strange posture. At first, the statues moved very little, but soon, their movements became larger and larger, and their joints became more and more agile, as if the soul was quickly adapting to the body. Before Lin Ran could react, Liu Hongshan suddenly slashed out a sword energy. Accompanied by the buzzing in the air, a sword energy nearly 100 feet long swept out and instantly crossed a hundred steps. With a bang, it cut the entire palace in half! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± After destroying the palace, Liu Hongshan shouted anxiously, ¡°This can only delay them for the time being. We have to leave this place immediately!¡± With that, Liu Hongshan jumped up and rode the Dragon Roar Dagger, turning into a phantom that rushed towards the pitch-black crack in the dark sky! Lin Ran was caught off guard by this sudden change. When he heard Liu Hongshan¡¯s urge, he subconsciously wanted to activate his internal energy to ride his sword and leave, but he suddenly realized that something was wrong. The danger here was not just the strange statues in the palace! Just as Lin Ran was thinking this, a white figure suddenly flashed across the distant sky. At first, it seemed to be hundreds of miles away, but in the next second, it appeared in front of Liu Hongshan. Lin Ran hurriedly looked up and saw a dazzling spark explode in the dark sky. A figure fell to the ground like a meteor. Clang¡ª The sound of metal colliding was deafening like a thunderstorm. At that time, Lin Ran felt a sharp pain in his ears, but he endured it and did not activate his internal energy. Liu Hongshan crashed into the ground, creating a huge pit. Before the dust could rise, the white figure in the sky came down, smashing into the pit. Boom! With an increasingly loud bang, the ground around the deep pit exploded! Lin Ran was hundreds of steps away from the deep pit, but he still felt the ground under his feet shake. Then, a hurricane swept towards him with countless gravel and sand! Not only that, but there was movement from the collapsed palace behind him, as if something was trying to come out from the ruins. Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed drastically. At the same time, he activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique without hesitation and arrived hundreds of feet in the air in a flash. From this angle, the scene on the ground was simply magnificent. Firstly, where Liu Hongshan fell, after being struck by the white figure again, a huge pit more than a hundred feet in diameter was blasted open. The flying gravel and dust were carried by the strong wind and spread out crazily in the form of a ring. Wherever the wind ring passed, the ground was flat as if it had been polished. It was so fast and powerful that if Lin Ran hesitated for a few more seconds, he would probably have been swept into the wind ring. Even if he didn¡¯t die, he would be severely injured! However, this was not what shocked Lin Ran the most. The wind ring blew past the collapsed palace, and a large number of broken bricks and tiles were swept into the sky. At the same time, there were countless mud-yellow figures. Although they were already shattered by the wind ring, they were still moving. Lin Ran knew that those were the statues placed in the palace, but he didn¡¯t have time to observe them carefully. This was because less than two seconds after he arrived in the air, a white figure flashed out of the deep pit on the ground and arrived in front of him almost instantly! The surface of the streamlined armor was covered in layers of knife marks and sword marks. The five fingers of his hands covered in armor were crossed in front of him, and he suddenly slashed out a sharp cross-shaped air slash! Without thinking, Lin Ran instinctively activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique and instantly appeared more than ten steps away. However, even though he was fast enough, he was still much slower than the armored man. The outer side of his left leg was swept by the edge of the cross-shaped air slash, leaving a wound half an inch deep and more than two inches long. Before the painful sensation could reach Lin Ran¡¯s brain, the armored man chased after him again. Lin Ran immediately activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique to the limit. His figure kept appearing and disappearing. Because he was so fast, it was as if dozens of Lin Ran had appeared in the air at the same time! However, even though Lin Ran had already increased his speed to the limit, he was still unable to shake off the armored man. Every time Lin Ran appeared, the armored man would appear immediately. After a few times, Lin Ran still couldn¡¯t get away. Instead, he was covered in multiple wounds. Lin Ran realized that this was not a long-term solution, so while dodging, he began to move towards the deep pit where Liu Hongshan was lying. It had been nearly ten seconds since Liu Hongshan fell to the ground, but Liu Hongshan had yet to appear. Therefore, Lin Ran wanted to confirm if Liu Hongshan had already been killed by the armored man. If Liu Hongshan was dead, he would think of a way to leave. If not¡­ Lin Ran turned around and looked at the armored man behind him. If the two of them attacked together, he didn¡¯t believe Liu Hongshan could withstand it! While thinking, Lin Ran had already arrived at the edge of the pit. When he got close, he realized that this pit was deeper than he had imagined. With the help of the dim light, he could only see sixty to seventy feet. Below was darkness, and even Lin Ran couldn¡¯t see clearly. As the armored man was closely behind, Lin Ran didn¡¯t have time to use his divine sense to investigate. In a flash, he arrived opposite the pit. At the same time, he summoned Thunderball and slashed at the bottom of the pit! The flickering white electric arcs lit up the bottom of the pit. Lin Ran took a closer look and saw that the pit was about 150 feet deep, but Liu Hongshan was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Could it be that he was already reduced to ashes?¡± Although Half-Saints had extremely strong bodies, it didn¡¯t seem impossible for Liu Hongshan to be annihilated by the armored man when he smashed into the pit. As he was thinking, Lin Ran¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed. He realized that there seemed to be a small hole on the wall beside the pit, but before he could see it clearly, the flickering lightning was suddenly extinguished. WIth the armored man chasing after him, Lin Ran had no choice but to put this matter aside for the time being. He activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique and dodged into the distance a few times. After he pulled away, he was about to stop circulating his internal energy. Since Liu Hongshan was already dead, what Lin Ran had to do next was to wait for the armored man to leave before rushing into the crack in the sky as quickly as possible. At this moment, there was a loud bang. Dust and smoke exploded on the originally flat ground. Liu Hongshan, who was covered in blood, stood proudly on the Dragon Roar Dagger. The powerful pressure of the seventh level of the Half-Saint Realm descended! Chapter 170 - 170 The More The Merrier 170 The More The Merrier In terms of cultivation, Liu Hongshan was only one level higher than Lin Ran. However, for some reason, his realm pressure was abnormally powerful. The pressure of the seventh level of the Half-Saint Realm descended from the sky, causing Lin Ran¡¯s internal energy to stop circulating for a moment. At this moment, the armored man had already arrived in front of Lin Ran0. His hands were crossed, and his armor was already covered in a layer of cold light! ¡°He¡¯s gonna get me killed this time.¡± Lin Ran cursed in his heart as he activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique crazily, but he didn¡¯t have much hope of escaping. Compared to the armored man¡¯s slash, Lin Ran¡¯s speed was a little too slow. Even if he could survive, he would probably have to leave a leg or an arm behind. At the critical moment, a sword energy suddenly shot into the sky and swept past Lin Ran¡¯s head. Then, it slashed heavily at the armored man¡¯s face! Clang¡ª With a crisp sound, sparks flew from the armored man¡¯s face and landed on Lin Ran¡¯s face, causing him to feel a sharp pain. At the same time, the armored man was also knocked back by this strike. The cross-shaped air slash deviated and brushed past Lin Ran¡¯s shoulder. Perhaps it was because the feeling of being on the verge of death was too shocking. After Lin Ras was out of danger, he was still standing rooted to the ground in a daze, dumbfounded. Seeing this, Liu Hongshan hurriedly shouted, ¡°This strike can¡¯t kill him! Get out of there!¡± ¡°Oh! Okay!¡± Lin Ran agreed and came back to his senses. In a flash, he appeared beside Liu Hongshan. After confirming that Lin Ran was safe, Liu Hongshan heaved a sigh of relief. He pursed his lips and mocked, ¡°I thought you were some big shot. Are you scared silly by such a small scene?¡± Lin Ran forced a smile and didn¡¯t say anything. There was still a hint of shock in his eyes. Liu Hongshan thought that Lin Ran was scared out of his wits by the scene just now, but only Lin Ran knew that the reason why he was shocked just now was because he saw an unbelievable phenomenon¡­ The moment the armored man was hit in the face by Liu Hongshan, his armet was slightly lifted. Although it was only for a moment, Lin Ran could still see it clearly with the help of the dazzling sparks. There was nothing under the armet. It was just a set of armor moving on its own. How could Lin Ran not be shocked to find that the armor that beat the two Half-Saints up was actually empty? As the two of them spoke, the armor had already stabilized itself. The two black holes on the visor looked at the two of them in the air and rushed forward again! ¡°You go left! I¡¯ll go right!¡± Liu Hongshan shouted and instantly rushed out. Seeing this, Lin Ran didn¡¯t have time to think. He grabbed the Thunderball and followed suit. The three of them confronted each other in the air. This was the first time Lin Ran and Liu Hongshan had worked together, but the two of them were abnormally tacit! The moment he approached the armor, Liu Hongshan suddenly activated a large amount of internal energy. The violent internal energy fluctuation instantly attracted the attention of the armor. Lin Ran took the opportunity to move closer. A violent electric arc jumped on the surface of the Thunderball and Lin Ran used all his strength to slash at the neck of the armor. Lin Ran firmly believed that no matter what it was, it would die once the head was off from its body. With a crisp clang, the blade of Thunderball almost entered the neck of the armor. However, perhaps because Lin Ran was not strong enough or the armor was too sturdy, the sword only cut through half of the armor¡¯s neck before it stopped moving. Seeing that the armor was about to counterattack, Lin Ran was about to abandon his sword and retreat when he heard Liu Hongshan shout, ¡°Hold it!¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he subconsciously tightened his grip on the hilt. He turned around and saw Liu Hongshan jump up in the air and kick the tip of Thunderball! The power of the two Half-Saints overlapped, bringing Thunderball right through the neck of the armor like a knife cutting tofu! The armet and visor were sent flying by the force. Lin Ran took the opportunity to look at the neck of the armor, and sure enough, it was empty. In the next second, the armor that had lost its ¡°head¡± fell from the sky. ¡°Not impressed.¡± Liu Hongshan sneered. His expression had already relaxed, and it was obvious that he did not notice the abnormality of the armor. Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before handing over Thunderball. ¡°Take it. You need an extra sword to fight.¡± Liu Hongshan glanced at Thunderball in front of him and suddenly looked suspicious. ¡°Is this some kind of trick you are playing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your sake.¡± Lin Ran replied coldly, staring at the headless armor that had fallen to the ground. ¡°That thing is empty. I don¡¯t think it will die so easily.¡± ¡°Empty?¡± When Liu Hongshan heard this, he was stunned for a moment. Then, he recalled that when the armor was beheaded, he did not even see a drop of blood. His expression immediately turned solemn. At the same time, the headless armor on the ground suddenly trembled and stood up shakily like a drunkard. Seeing this, Liu Hongshan no longer hesitated. He took the sword and thanked him. After a pause, he asked, ¡°What do you use if you give me the sword? Don¡¯t tell me you want me to charge in front?¡± ¡°I¡¯m rich.¡± Lin Ran smiled. With a flash of white light in his hand, a black and white divine sword appeared out of thin air. ¡°I have plenty of such divine swords!¡± Liu Hongshan looked at Thunderball, then at the Yin-Yang Sword, and finally at the Dragon Roar Dagger he was riding. ¡°I value quality over quantity¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I believe the more the merrier.¡± After saying that, Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and charged at the headless armor with his swords! At this moment, the headless armor was still on the ground. Perhaps it was because it had lost its head or because it was affected by the lightning on Thunderball, but its movements were clearly not as smooth as before. If they missed this opportunity and waited for the headless armor to recover, it would inevitably be a tough battle for the two of them! Liu Hongshan also understood this logic. He did not say anything else and followed. In an instant, the two of them arrived. Lin Ran waved his hand and threw out Army Breaker. The slender sword instantly pierced through the chest of the headless armor and nailed it to the ground. Then, Lin Ran held the Yin-Yang Sword with both hands, and a black and white Taiji pattern quietly took shape! Liu Hongshan was also preparing at the same time. He let out a muffled shout, and countless violent lightning instantly wrapped around Thunderball! However, just as the two of them were about to completely shatter the armor, a strong wind suddenly blew over. Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly changed. From the corner of his eye, he saw several mud-yellow figures running towards them like ghosts! Chapter 171 - 171 Coincidences Happen Every Day 171 Coincidences Happen Every Day There were thousands of statues in the previous palace. Although many of them were shattered by the air wave caused by the armor falling to the ground and some were smashed by the collapsed palace, there were still hundreds that were lucky enough to escape. At this moment, they formed an army and rushed towards the two of them. The scene was quite spectacular. Lin Ran and Liu Hongshan looked at each other and decided to retreat for the time being. These clay statues might be the legendary Undying Army. Without knowing the situation of the enemy, it was better not to make a rash move. In an instant, the two of them retreated more than a hundred feet into the air. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Just as he was curious about how these statues were going to attack, he realized that they didn¡¯t stop at all. They walked around the nailed armor and continued to rush forward. Lin Ran and Liu Hongshan looked at each other silently. A moment later, Lin Ran probed, ¡°Why do these Undying Army soldiers look so dumb?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ I made a mistake. Perhaps they are not the Undying Army.¡± Liu Hongshan rubbed his nose awkwardly and quickly said with a serious expression, ¡°Forget about this for now. Hurry up and shatter that armor and leave this godforsaken place!¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he stopped teasing and tightened his grip on the Yin-Yang Sword. Just as he was about to attack, he saw a few more statues running over from not far away. He hurriedly pulled Liu Hongshan to stop. These statues were covered in injuries. It was unknown if they were damaged by the collapsing palace or the air wave, but their movements were clearly not as agile as the main force in front. It was probably because of this that they were left behind. Lin Ran suddenly stopped. Of course, he was not afraid of these limping statues, but because he realized that when these statues ran over, they were kicking something white and round. On the desolate ground, a few statues kicked the round thing all the way over like footballers. However, when Lin Ran saw the thing they were kicking at, his expression changed instantly. It was the head of the headless armor! At this moment, the headless armor was still struggling. As its ¡°head¡± got closer and closer, the intensity of its struggle was clearly increasing. ¡°We can¡¯t let him get his head!¡± Lin Ran shouted and immediately rushed towards the statues. In a daze, he seemed to hear Liu Hongshan shout, ¡°No!¡± However, his Yin-Yang Sword had already been sheathed and instantly cut the statues into two! Crack! The broken statues fell to the ground and shattered into pieces. Countless broken bones and the sandalwood-like fragrance spread. The corners of Lin Ran¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Lin Ran! You¡¯re in big trouble!¡± Liu Hongshan roared and landed on the ground. He looked at the shattered bones on the ground with a serious expression. ¡°I told you not to attack. Why didn¡¯t you listen?!¡± ¡°If I dawdle any longer, it¡¯ll get its head!¡± Lin Ran pointed at the armet on the ground. At this moment, it was only two to three steps away from the headless armor. After a pause, Lin Ran looked at the statue fragments on the ground and said, ¡°Besides, this thing doesn¡¯t seem to have much power. I just wanted to deter them from approaching the armet, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be so fragile. You must be mistaken. How can the Undying Army be so trash?¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t understand?¡± Liu Hongshan glared at Lin Ran angrily. ¡°Smell your body!¡± Lin Ran subconsciously looked down at his body. His shirt had been torn by the armor, and now that a large amount of dust was stuck to his body by sweat, it didn¡¯t look like it was going to smell good. Lin Ran rolled his eyes at Liu Hongshan and said angrily, ¡°Why? Do you think you are cleaner than me?¡± ¡°Did I say anything about being clean? Smell it carefully again!¡± Lin Ran forced himself to smell his body again. Then, his expression turned strange. Amidst the strong smell of sweat, he vaguely smelled something similar to sandalwood. ¡°Is this the smell from the statue?¡± Lin Ran looked at the clay fragments on the ground and probed, but he still looked puzzled. ¡°But so what? I¡¯ll just go back and take a shower.¡± ¡°Can you still go back?¡± Liu Hongshan suddenly revealed a sad smile and narrowed his eyes as he looked in a certain direction. ¡°We¡¯ve been marked. Now, they won¡¯t run around aimlessly.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a rumbling sound came from afar, as if thunder was rumbling in the distant sky. However, Lin Ran knew that it was impossible for there to be thunder here. He turned around and followed Liu Hongshan¡¯s gaze to look into the distance. He saw that the group of clay statues had returned! From the direction of the statue army, it was obvious that they were coming for the two of them. However, Lin Ran still didn¡¯t take it seriously. He grabbed the hilt of his sword. ¡°So what if they come back? I¡¯ll just wipe them out all at once!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too confident.¡± Liu Hongshan pondered and said in a solemn tone, ¡°Do you remember how they revived in the beginning?¡± At the mention of this, Lin Ran blushed. ¡°Can we get over that? I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡± ¡°You know very well if you did it on purpose or not, but that¡¯s not what I want to say.¡± Liu Hongshan replied coldly. The aura on his body began to rise steadily, and countless small electric arcs jumped on Thunderball. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I think this smell is the key. There might be a tough battle ahead.¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous. Looking at the mud-yellow figures rushing over from afar, he felt that it was as terrifying as a group of demons from hell! However, this emotion did not last long. Almost in the next second, the group of mud-yellow figures suddenly split into three groups. The largest two of the three groups ran towards left and right, leaving the third group made of a dozen or so statues that were still charging at Lin Ran and Liu Hongshan. ¡°Trying to outflank us?¡± As soon as Lin Ran finished speaking, he knew that it wasn¡¯t the case. This was because the two groups on the left and right had split up again, and most of them had already run further away. ¡°Is this the tough battle you mentioned?¡± Lin Ran looked at the embarrassed Liu Hongshan and mocked angrily, ¡°Forget your useless analysis. They¡¯re just a group of brainless soldiers.¡± This time, Liu Hongshan did not retort. With a light sweep of Thunderball in his hand, more than ten electric arcs flew out and instantly shattered the dozen or so statues in front of him. ¡°Smash the armor and leave immediately. I don¡¯t want to stay in this godforsaken place for another moment!¡± After saying that, Liu Hongshan walked towards the headless armor with a dark expression. Lin Ran sneered and was about to follow when he suddenly felt that the ground under his feet was a little strange. Lin Ran subconsciously looked down and realized that the fine gravel on the ground was slowly flowing like water¡­ Chapter 172 - 172 Phoenix Rebirth 172 Phoenix Rebirth ¡°Liu Hongshan!¡± Lin Ran shouted and gestured for Liu Hongshan to look at the ground. In just a short while, the gravel on the ground was flowing much faster. If it was a trickle when Lin Ran first saw it, it had at least become a river now. When Liu Hongshan saw the abnormality on the ground, he immediately frowned. ¡°Is it quicksand?¡± Lin Ran shook his head without thinking because while the two of them were talking, countless gravel had already flowed past his feet, but he didn¡¯t feel trapped. Looking in the direction of the gravel flow, Lin Ran suddenly thought of something and looked back. Then, his expression turned ugly. ¡°Where are the broken bones?¡± When he shattered the clay statues just now, many yellowed bones were scattered on the ground. However, in just a short while, the shattered bones had completely disappeared, leaving not even the smallest piece behind. Just as the two of them were feeling puzzled, A few small mounds suddenly bulged on the ground where the sand was flowing. As the flowing gravel slowly rose, it was as if something was about to crawl out of the ground¡­ ¡°It¡¯s the Undying Army!¡± The two of them reacted almost at the same time. As soon as they finished speaking, the small mounds exploded at the same time and a few clay statues jumped out of the ground nimbly like apes! Clang! The Yin-Yang Sword drew an arc and instantly cut the clay statues in half. However, Lin Ran did not look relaxed at all, because he could clearly feel that the strength of these clay statues was clearly much higher than when they first appeared! The broken statue fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, quickly turning into dust and flowing into the sand. Almost at the same time, a few small mounds slowly rose from the ground. At the same time, the ruins of the palace not far away began to tremble again. Since the clay statue outside could be revived, the ones that were shattered in the palace must be no exception! Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately darkened. These clay statues were inexhaustible. Moreover, every time they were revived, they would be stronger than before. If this continued, he and Liu Hongshan would die of exhaustion! ¡°So this is the true form of the Undying Army!¡± Liu Hongshan shouted excitedly, as if he had discovered something extremely shocking. He muttered excitedly, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, they will only fall asleep again after killing everyone who is marked by the smell.¡± ¡°Before that, no matter what happens, they can revive endlessly and fight their enemies to the death!¡± ¡°As their enemy, isn¡¯t it a little strange for you to be so excited?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and suddenly felt that something was wrong. These clay statues could be revived indefinitely, but what was the mechanism? From the appearance of the resurrected clay statues just now, their bodies should be made of this gravel. However, it was impossible for the gravel to move freely. There must be some kind of energy driving this process. As he thought about this, Lin Ran casually cut open the clay statues that had just been revived. His gaze landed on the flowing gravel under his feet. At this moment, the gravel was flowing extremely quickly, like a torrent that had gone out of control. Looking at the direction and trajectory of the current, Lin Ran suddenly felt that this scene looked familiar¡­ ¡°Is this how it works?¡± Lin Ran muttered and jumped into the air. 100 feet, 200 feet, 500 feet¡­ In the end, when he was a thousand feet above the ground, Lin Ran finally stopped. At the same time, what could not be seen while he was on the ground unfolded in front of him. ¡°As expected.¡± Lin Ran smiled. Then, Liu Hongshan appeared beside him. ¡°Are you trying to escape?¡± Liu Hongshan asked coldly. He held the Dragon Roar Dagger in his hand while riding Thunderball. Although he did not make any hostile movements, it was obvious from the fact that he was holding Dragon Roar Dagger that he was on full alert. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. I just want to confirm something.¡± Lin Ran smiled and said calmly. Then, he pointed at the ground. ¡°What do you think this looks like?¡± Liu Hongshan looked at the ground suspiciously. The first thing he saw was the mud-yellow statues. At this moment, they had already split into hundreds of teams and were running on the ground like a herd of frightened wild horses. Each team only had two or three clay statues, but they covered a huge area. After a short moment of confusion, Liu Hongshan realized something. The clay statues seemed to be moving around aimlessly, but they were actually moving along a specific path. Looking down from high above, their footprints outlined countless lines on the ground, as if they were drawing some complicated patterns. Within the range of this pattern, all the gravel seemed to have come alive and surged crazily. The flowing gravel overlapped with the still footprints, forming a huge and extremely complicated pattern that was still changing. ¡°This is¡­ an array formation?¡± Liu Hongshan muttered in disbelief. Even though he was experienced and knowledgeable, he had never seen such a shocking scene! Lin Ran nodded, and the constantly changing array formation on the ground was reflected in his dark eyes. ¡°This array formation is called Nirvana. It was created by an unknown strategist under the Heavenly Saint Emperor.¡± ¡°When the array formation was completed, the lives of 3,000 martial artists were sacrificed. From then on, the souls of these 3,000 martial artists have been imprisoned in the array formation forever for the person who set up the array formation to control.¡± ¡°If Nirvana is not broken, the souls of 3,000 martial artists will not be destroyed. They can take form using everything in the world. Moreover¡­¡± At this point, Lin Ran suddenly stopped. He raised the Yin-Yang Sword and cut his fingertips. Drops of blood containing endless sword intent fell towards the array formation on the ground. Liu Hongshan narrowed his eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°The phoenix underwent nirvana and was reborn from the flames. The undying underwent nirvana and scourges rampaged the world.¡± Lin Ran muttered softly and suddenly smiled brightly at Liu Hongshan. ¡°If the enemy¡¯s flesh and blood falls into the array formation, it will become nourishment for the 3,000 undead¡­ How much do you think the blood of a sixth level Half-Saint can improve them?¡± Lin Ran suddenly raised his hand, and Thunderball at the foot of Liu Hongshan instantly turned into a white light and disappeared! Without support, Liu Hongshan lost his balance and fell to the ground. Lin Ran¡¯s eyes flickered with a cold light as he held the Yin-Yang Sword upside down and shouted coldly, ¡°Liu Hongshan! I¡¯ve completely understood the truth of this place. Those things will no longer pose a threat to you and me. It¡¯s time to settle the score between us!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a white light flashed in Lin Ran¡¯s left hand, and Thunderball appeared out of thin air again. Then, with a muffled shout, a black and white cross-shaped sword energy surrounded by countless lightning bolts suddenly slashed out! Chapter 173 - 173 Truth of the Secret Place Revealed 173 Truth of the Secret Place Revealed In midair. Although Liu Hongshan was caught off guard the moment Thunderball disappeared, he quickly reacted and regained his footing in the air. He stood on the Dragon Roar Dagger and flew up again. When he turned around and saw the cross-shaped sword slash descending from the sky, Liu Hongshan¡¯s expression turned solemn but only for a moment. This sword energy intertwined and covered a length of dozens of feet. However, it was not precise enough. Liu Hongshan only turned his body slightly and the cross-shaped sword energy swept past his chest and hit nothing. The clothes on Liu Hongshan¡¯s chest were cut open by the sword energy, revealing a muscular chest that was covered in scars. He smiled teasingly at Lin Ran. ¡°I didn¡¯t know a Half-Saint would actually stab people in the back.¡± ¡°Cut that crap. I deliberately missed this strike. Otherwise, do you think you can dodge it?¡± Lin Ran sneered, and the Yin-Yang Sword turned into a white light and disappeared. ¡°I told you that before I leave this place, I¡¯ll try my best to kill you. That strike just now is just a warning.¡± ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you let me die knowing why?¡± Liu Hongshan looked up at Lin Ran with a faint smile. It was impossible to tell if he was teasing or really asking. Lin Ran hesitated for a moment and nodded. Liu Hongshan looked at the array formation that was getting more and more complicated on the ground. ¡°You said that you already know the truth of this place. What is that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a defense. The last defense.¡± Lin Ran replied honestly. He knew that Liu Hongshan was trying to get information, but he was already confident that he could keep him here, so he was not worried that this information would be known to the outside world. ¡°This secret place is the greatest secret of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Not only is it the place where all the secrets are stored, but it¡¯s also the most important foundation of the dynasty.¡± ¡°In the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, only the emperors know of the existence of this place. Along with this secret is an ancestral rule¡ªone is not allowed to enter unless the country is under siege.¡± Hearing this, Liu Hongshan¡¯s eyes widened. Then, he continued after Lin Ran, ¡°When the country is under siege, the current emperor can bring people in.¡± ¡°These Undying Army will protect them, and the secrets hidden here will help the emperor to make a comeback?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Ran nodded and took out a ruby necklace from his waist. ¡°This is a holy item passed down from generation to generation in the Heavenly Saint royal family. It¡¯s also the key to controlling the undead and the armor. Unfortunately, only the blood of the royal family can activate it.¡± ¡°The arrangement of a genius!¡± Liu Hongshan couldn¡¯t hide his excitement and shouted, ¡°The Undying Army will hold back those who can¡¯t fly on their swords, and the armor can bring down those in the air.¡± ¡°Two Half-Saints like us are not a match for the armor. If a martial artist with a lower cultivation level than us was here, he would probably be instantly killed!¡± ¡°How did the people at that time think of using this secret place to defend and counterattack at the same time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all!¡± Lin Ran chuckled and looked at Liu Hongshan meaningfully. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice any changes in your body?¡± ¡°Change?¡± Liu Hongshan looked puzzled. He looked down at his body, still not understanding what Lin Ran meant. Lin Ran retreated higher and said with a faint smile, ¡°Try unleashing all your strength in one strike.¡± Liu Hongshan looked hesitant. His first reaction was that Lin Ran wanted to find out more about him. However, Liu Hongshan was too curious. After hesitating for a long time, he finally grabbed the hilt of his sword and slashed out. Clang! With a dragon roar, tens of millions of sword energy instantly formed an invisible torrent that roared and surged into the distance! Liu Hongshan was instantly shocked by this scene. It had to be noted that he had only used 30% of his strength in this strike, but the might produced by this strike was almost comparable to his full strength strike! ¡°Did my realm increase again?¡± An idea suddenly popped up in Liu Hongshan¡¯s mind. However, after checking, he realized that his cultivation was still at the seventh level of the Half-Saint Realm. There was no sign of him breaking through to the eighth level. Seeing Liu Hongshan¡¯s shocked expression, Lin Ran knew that he had already discovered it. He chuckled and said faintly, ¡°In this world, there¡¯s a mysterious array formation. I don¡¯t know what it is, but it can allow a martial artist to unleash strength that far exceeds their own level.¡± ¡°This change happens subtly, so unless one knows in advance, it¡¯s very difficult for ordinary people to notice it. At the same time, this magical increase is related to the time one stays here¡­ Do you know what this means?¡± ¡°It¡¯s another layer of protection.¡± Liu Hongshan narrowed his eyes and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°The people from the Heavenly Saint Royal Family will enter first. After using this array formation to increase their strength, they can catch the enemy off guard the moment the enemy enters.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Lin Ran nodded with a smile, but he was more or less shocked. After entering the secret place for the second time and going through many things, he finally figured this out. However, Liu Hongshan had only been here once, but he could already come up with so much. It was obvious how quick on the uptake he was. For some reason, Lin Ran felt sad that he had to be enemies with Liu Hongshan. If not for the fact that he and Liu Hongshan stood on different sides, the two of them would definitely have become very good friends. However, at the same time, if not for the fact that the two of them stood on different sides, they wouldn¡¯t have had these common experiences. Thinking of this, Lin Ran retracted his thoughts and held Thunderball in his hand. ¡°You know everything you want to know. Now, I¡¯ll give you some time to adapt to your increased strength. After that, we should end this once and for all!¡± Liu Hongshan clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes to feel the surging power in his body. Suddenly, his lips curled into a cruel smile. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but I like to adapt while in battle.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Ran agreed. Their gazes collided in the air, and then they raised their swords and flew towards each other! Chapter 174 - 174 Being Honest to Each Other 174 Being Honest to Each Other Clang¡ª Thunderball and the Dragon Roar Dagger suddenly collided in the air, causing a loud bang that resounded through the world. In the dazzling sparks, the two of them were sent flying like arrows, but in an instant, they collided again! In fact, with Lin Ran and Liu Hongshan¡¯s cultivation, as long as they waved their hands and slashed out a sword energy, they could easily take someone¡¯s head from a hundred miles away. However, for some reason, the two of them tacitly chose this most primitive combat method. In the sky within a thousand feet, dazzling sparks flickered like fireworks. The sound of metal colliding was deafening. Even the Undying Army on the ground was so frightened by this huge aura that they could not move! Half an hour later, the destructive battle finally stopped. The two of them retreated hundreds of feet at the same time and hovered in the air to confront each other. Lin Ran looked at Thunderball in his hand. The originally smooth blade had become like a sawtooth, but the Dragon Roar Dagger in Liu Hongshan¡¯s hand was still as shiny as new. With a flash of white light, Thunderball turned into Army Breaker. Lin Ran placed his sword on his shoulder with both hands and looked at Liu Hongshan from afar. ¡°Again!¡± With that, the two figures collided again. The body of Army Breaker was wide and long, making it very difficult to swing, but its strength and power were also extremely shocking. Lin Ran slashed with all his might, and even Liu Hongshan, who was born with divine strength, had to be careful. The sound of metal colliding was even louder than before. However, every move consumed a lot of physical strength. This time, in less than half an hour, the two of them were separated again. After they separated this time, there were clearly more wounds on their bodies. Although they were not deep, they were concentrated on their vital points. It was obvious how dangerous this round was. After taking a breath, Lin Ran took the opportunity to check Army Breaker. The blade was not as chipped as Thunderball, but there was a crack on the sword. The crack was not deep or wide, but it would definitely affect the strength of the sword. If the sword broke in the following round, Lin Ran¡¯s life would probably be at stake. With a flash of white light, Army Breaker was put away into the Divine Sword Technique Manual, but this time, no new divine sword appeared in Lin Ran¡¯s hand. In the distance, when Liu Hongshan saw this scene, his gaze subconsciously landed on Star Splitter that Lin Ran used to nail the armor to the ground. ¡°Are you going to add an opponent to the battle?¡± Lin Ran understood what Liu Hongshan meant. He flexed his fingers and chuckled. ¡°If I can kill you, I don¡¯t mind having another opponent.¡± Liu Hongshan smiled and raised his hand to wipe the blood seeping out of a wound on his neck. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s no need for us to end it here. Perhaps we can talk?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡± Lin Ran rejected without hesitation. ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll kill you today.¡± ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t think so.¡± The smile on Liu Hongshan¡¯s face became even more mysterious, and his tone was vaguely cunning. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know the whereabouts of that demon? Xiao Huai¡ªis that what you call her?¡± ¡°Xiao Huai?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly as he finally remembered something he had neglected for a long time. When he saw Liu Hongshan at the Meridian Gate, Lin Ran had been wondering where Xiao Huai was. Xiao Huai went to see Liu Hongshan with Huo Qiyun. In the end, only Huo Qiyun was sent back, but Xiao Huai had been missing. Because the situation was critical, Lin Ran didn¡¯t have time to investigate. Now that Liu Hongshan suddenly mentioned it, he realized that Xiao Huai had yet to appear. Seeing that Lin Ran was silent, Liu Hongshan knew that this threat was useful. He smiled and continued, ¡°It seems that you really value her a lot¡­ Speaking of which, I can¡¯t figure it out. Is it worth it to save a demon?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression darkened as he replied coldly, ¡°Cut the crap! What did you do to Xiao Huai?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so excited. I won¡¯t hurt her. I¡¯m counting on her to help me gather more strength.¡± Liu Hongshan chuckled and said, ¡°Speaking of which, she¡¯s my benefactor. Without her, my strength wouldn¡¯t have increased so quickly. Back then, I used the Taotie Evil Technique to absorb her flesh and blood to jump from the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm to the Half-Saint Realm.¡± ¡°However, she doesn¡¯t seem to have done much all these years. I absorbed most of her flesh and blood this time, but it only helped me increase my realm by half a level.¡± Liu Hongshan kept smiling as he spoke, as if he was showing off his achievements. However, Lin Ran¡¯s expression darkened. He had seen how Liu Hongshan devoured flesh and blood. If Xiao Huai had already been devoured by him, she would probably be dead by now! ¡°Where is she?¡± Lin Ran asked coldly with a dark expression. At the same time, a white light flashed, and the Yin Yang Sword and Thundeball appeared in his hands at the same time. Meanwhile, the clothes wrapped around Lin Ran¡¯s waist surged. Then, a black liquid crawled up his body and split into two streams at his neck, flowing towards his hands, further expanding the killing range of the two divine swords Lin Ran was holding. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to have been hiding such a magical thing on you!¡± Liu Hongshan stared at the two streams of black worms with a fanatical gaze, as if he wanted to peel them off Lin Ran and eat them. Lin Ran ignored Liu Hongshan and repeated coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one last time. Where is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in a very safe place.¡± Liu Hongshan came back to his senses and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to fool you. That place is really safe. She¡¯s very useful to me. I don¡¯t want her to die so early.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes. ¡°If I ask you where exactly she is, will you ask me to let you off?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± Liu Hongshan nodded, and his expression suddenly changed. ¡°But to be precise, it¡¯s the other way around.¡± With that, Liu Hongshan suddenly tore off his shirt. Every inch of his skin was covered in layers of old scars. Just as Liu Hongshan tore off his shirt, Lin Ran immediately noticed his left arm. Unlike Liu Hongshan¡¯s upper body, there were almost no scars on his left arm. Moreover, the skin color was clearly different. At this moment, there were countless small red patterns like earthworms on it. At this moment, the red patterns were slowly wriggling under Liu Hongshan¡¯s skin like they were alive¡­ Chapter 175 - 175 One Person or the Entire World? 175 One Person or the Entire World? Seeing the small red patterns, Lin Ran suddenly remembered the black patterns he saw when Liu Hongshan fell into an illusion. The shape and size of these two patterns were the same. The only difference was their color. At that time, Lin Ran thought that it was a symptom of being poisoned, but he did not expect it to be Liu Hongshan¡¯s hidden trump card! ¡°Just like how excess food will form fat, this is the strength I haven¡¯t digested after absorbing it.¡± As Liu Hongshan spoke, his fingertips gently brushed past the squirming red patterns, as if he was caressing his lover¡¯s face. ¡°If I digest them all now, do you think you¡¯ll still be my match?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Ran had an answer almost immediately. Even with Liu Hongshan¡¯s current strength, he could only barely fight him to a draw. If Liu Hongshan¡¯s strength increased by another level, Lin Ran would probably not even have the chance to fight back. However, even so, Lin Ran was not afraid at all. ¡°As long as I summon Star Splitter back, you¡¯ll be chased by that armor. At that time, I¡¯ll find an opportunity to remove your Dragon Roar Dagger. Without the ability to fly on your sword, you¡¯ll be surrounded by the Undead Army on the ground!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Liu Hongshan nodded in agreement with Lin Ran, but he still looked relaxed. ¡°But that way, you¡¯ll never know where Xiao Huai is.¡± Without waiting for Lin Ran to speak, Liu Hongshan continued, ¡°If you want to find her with the sword intent you left in Xiao Huai¡¯s bracelet, I advise you to give up on that idea as soon as possible. If it¡¯s really that simple, I won¡¯t use it as a bargaining chip to negotiate with you.¡± Lin Ran frowned. He really had this thought just now. He did not expect Liu Hongshan to have seen through him. With the last solution gone, Lin Ran lost into deep thought again. It was true that Xiao Huai was a demon, but that was only the name of a race. From their previous interactions, Lin Ran felt that Xiao Huai was kind-hearted. Almost all the bad things she did were instigated by Liu Hongshan. Due to all these reasons, Lin Ran¡¯s attitude towards Xiao Huai had slowly changed from being hostile in the beginning to pitying her. Therefore, if possible, he still wanted to do his best to protect this innocent girl. However, if he wanted to save Xiao Huai, he could only let Liu Hongshan leave. If Lin Ran did that, not only would everything he had done so far be in vain, but it would also be a calamity for the people of the world! Lin Ran had never thought of himself as a great person who cared about the world, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to sacrifice the lives of the people for a person. Seeing the conflict in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, Liu Hongshan knew that he was very hesitant. After thinking for a moment, Liu Hongshan said again, ¡°How about this? Let me leave and I¡¯ll tell you where Xiao Huai is. Moreover, I will also get the Great Yong Dynasty to withdraw their troops.¡± Hearing that this war could be ended, Lin Ran¡¯s eyes lit up, but what followed was deep suspicion. ¡°Why should I believe you? Didn¡¯t you spend so much time and energy just to overthrow the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the same as that kid called Huo. You see things clearly, but not clearly enough.¡± A sneer appeared on Liu Hongshan¡¯s face. ¡°Do you think I did all this just to take revenge on the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He could clearly tell that Liu Hongshan was implying something, but he didn¡¯t make a rash guess because he knew that Liu Hongshan would take the initiative to say it. As expected. Liu Hongshan paused for a moment before continuing as if he was talking to himself, ¡°According to my original plan, after killing Emperor Sheng Yuan, I¡¯ll ascend the throne and use the Sacred Abyss Sword to order the troops at the front line to surrender.¡± ¡°In the future, as the new emperor of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, I will discuss something with the Great Yong Dynasty. This is my private matter. You don¡¯t have to ask too much. As long as they agree, I can make the Heavenly Saint Dynasty submit to them and even make it part of the Great Yong Dynasty!¡± ¡°But now¡­¡± At this point, Liu Hongshan shrugged helplessly. ¡°That fake Sacred Abyss Sword is destroyed. I can¡¯t continue with my plan. The next step is to find the real Sacred Abyss Sword, but that will take time.¡± ¡°Before that, this war is meaningless to me. In fact, I want it to stop more than you. After all, no matter who wins in the end, my plan will fail completely.¡± ¡°Therefore, even if I kill you here, I still have to stop this war after I get out. In that case, I might as well do you a favor. I still want to see your expression when the Heavenly Saint Dynasty is destroyed in front of you.¡± Lin Ran looked at Liu Hongshan and didn¡¯t say anything. The logic behind this wasn¡¯t complicated. It didn¡¯t take him long to confirm that what Liu Hongshan said was true. However, after spending all this time with him, Lin Ran realized that Liu Hongshan was abnormally meticulous. Would he really tell him everything so easily? After a short hesitation, Lin Ran made a decision. ¡°Tell me where Xiao Huai is and I¡¯ll let you leave.¡± Lin Ran put away his swords and said in a low voice. He agreed to Liu Hongshan¡¯s conditions not because he believed in him, but because Liu Hongshan¡¯s words made him understand something else. ¡°Letting Liu Hongshan go will cause the people of the world to suffer.¡± This scenario might not necessarily happen. For example, Lin Ran could kill Liu Hongshan before that, or for some reason, Liu Hongshan would give up and turn over a new leaf. In short, what had yet to happen was always full of variables. Compared to the disaster that had yet to happen, the danger Xiao Huai faced was objective. If Lin Ran didn¡¯t save her, she would die. With this in mind, it was obvious what to choose. ¡°You¡¯re a smart man.¡± Liu Hongshan smiled as if he had predicted Lin Ran¡¯s choice. ¡°But I still have to advise you not to be too kind-hearted.¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly, not understanding what Liu Hongshan meant. Liu Hongshan didn¡¯t explain and said something in an extremely low voice. While Lin Ran was focused on figuring out what he said, he suddenly turned around and flew towards the crack in the sky! Chapter 176 - 176 Escaping Through the Crack 176 Escaping Through the Crack In an instant, Liu Hongshan crossed the critical point of the world turning upside down and rushed towards the crack. His speed was actually faster than what he had shown previously! Seeing this, Lin Ran immediately realized that Liu Hongshan had been hiding his strength. Even when the two of them were fighting just now, he did not show his full strength. Lin Ran took a deep breath and shouted, ¡°There¡¯s no need to run so fast! I¡¯m different from you. I always do what I say!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Hongshan had already rushed into the crack. It was unknown if he heard it or not. Lin Ran looked at the crack helplessly and suddenly realized that something was wrong. If Liu Hongshan closed the door outside, wouldn¡¯t he be trapped here? Thinking of this, Lin Ran was about to leave immediately. He reached out his right hand to summon Star Splitter back, but on second thought, he gave up on the idea. At this moment, the headless armor was nailed to the ground by Star Splitter. If he removed the sword, the armor would start attacking him. Unfortunately, Lin Ran had to abandon this divine sword for the time being. However, he didn¡¯t mind. He had already figured out the true use of this secret place. He just had to bring the empress back when he had the time in the future to retrieve this sword. As he thought to himself, Lin Ran apologized to the armor and the Undying Army from afar. Then, he rode his sword and flew past the critical point. The world instantly reversed. Lin Ran immediately stabilized himself and flew towards the crack anxiously. Fortunately, Liu Hongshan was not so mean as to seal the exit. Soon, Lin Ran returned to the courtyard of the Hundred Fragrance Palace. At this moment, the sky was completely dark. Looking at the clear and real starry sky above him, Lin Ran suddenly felt like a lifetime had passed. From the moment he found Xiao Huai in the Hidden Sword Pavilion, things had been happening non-stop. Although it had only been a few days, he felt that it had been a few years! Lin Ran stood up and closed the secret door of the secret place. Then, he rode his sword and rushed to the imperial study. Lin Ran was really tired at this moment, but there was less than an hour before the empress would personally lead an army and set out to the front line. He had to deal with it before taking a rest. Not long after, Lin Ran landed in the courtyard of the imperial study. Although the war at the front line was tense, this place still looked the same as usual, as if it was not affected by the tense atmosphere of the war. The door of the imperial study was closed. Li Tianyi stood at the door and yawned. Seeing him here, Lin Ran knew that the empress must be inside. ¡°Eunuch Li!¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he flashed to the door. ¡°I have something to report to His Majesty!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Li Tianyi stopped Lin Ran and covered his mouth and nose with one hand. ¡°Lord Lin, I know that His Majesty thinks highly of you, but you have to pay attention to your appearance, right? Your clothes are tattered and you are disheveled.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lin Ran looked down at his shirtless and bloodstained body and felt that it was a little inappropriate. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll go back and clean myself up first. Stay here and don¡¯t let His Majesty leave!¡± With that, Lin Ran turned to leave, but Li Tianyi stopped him. ¡°Lord Lin, you¡¯ve already been promoted to a general. You need to act like a general.¡± As Li Tianyi spoke, he let go of his hand and pointed at the young eunuch. ¡°Don¡¯t you have something urgent to report? It¡¯ll take a lot of time taking a round trip. Why don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Lin Ran interrupted Li Tianyi and asked with a frown, ¡°Did you just say that I became a general? When did this happen?¡± ¡°Yo! Lord Lin, are you so forgetful?¡± Li Tianyi raised his eyebrows at Lin Ran. ¡°Not only you, but Young Master Huo is also conferred the title of deputy general. Fifteen minutes ago, the two of you just thanked His Majesty and left. How could you forget so quickly?¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± When Lin Ran heard this, his expression changed drastically. Fifteen minutes ago, he was fighting Liu Hongshan. Why could he be here? Therefore, the ¡°Lin Ran¡± that Li Tianyi saw must be someone else in disguise. In this palace, only the empress had the ability to pretend to be him! As he thought about this, Lin Ran reached out and pushed Li Tianyi to the side. He raised his foot and kicked the door of the imperial study open. When he entered, the entire imperial study was empty. Where was the empress? ¡°Damn it! Can¡¯t you all stop making me worried?¡± Lin Ran stomped his feet and instantly rose from the ground. He summoned Thunderball in the air and turned into a stream of light that shot into the distance! The wind howled in his ears, and Lin Ran was burning with anxiety. The distance from the capital to the northern border was far, but he had taught Huo Qiyun some movement techniques before. Fifteen minutes was enough for them to run very far. Fortunately, Lin Ran had just come out of the secret place. The few dozen hours he spent there gave him a lot of additional strength. In just a moment, he had traveled for hundreds of kilometers. However, there was still no sign of Huo Qiyun and the empress. Lin Ran braced himself and traveled for another hundreds of kilometers. Just as he was about to give up and head straight to the north, he finally saw two small black specks vaguely appear in the night sky in the distance. ¡°Huo Qiyun!¡± Lin Ran shouted happily. Then, he activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique to the limit. Almost every time he flashed, he could cross dozens of kilometers! After flashing more than ten times, Lin Ran arrived in front of the two of them. ¡°Lin Ran?¡± Seeing Lin Ran appear, the empress was stunned for a moment before her eyes turned red. ¡°That¡¯s great¡­ You¡¯re finally back!¡± Huo Qiyun also looked happy. ¡°You still know to come back! Do you know how much has happened in the past few days?!¡± With a dark expression, Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything. He hugged the empress with his left hand and slapped Huo Qiyun in the face with the other. Slap! The slap was especially crisp in the silent night sky. Huo Qiyun was slapped and fell to the ground with a scream! Chapter 177 - 177 Heading to the Front Line 177 Heading to the Front Line Seeing Huo Qiyun fall from the sky, the empress was shocked. This place was a thousand feet above the ground. If he fell to the ground like this, Huo Qiyun would either die or be crippled! ¡°Lin Ran! What are you¡­¡± The empress looked anxious and was about to question Lin Ran, but before she could ask, she was overwhelmed by a wave of dizziness. When she looked around again, she was already standing on solid ground. At the same time, Huo Qiyun was falling down from the sky with a deafening cry. The empress¡¯s heart was in her throat, but Lin Ran didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid. He reached out and caught Huo Qiyun, who was falling. At this moment, Huo Qiyun had already closed his eyes and was prepared to die. After being placed on the ground, he only came back to his senses after half a minute. Thinking of what had just happened, Huo Qiyun immediately felt angry. He covered his face with his left hand and punched Lin Ran with his right hand. ¡°Are you crazy? Why did you hit me?¡± Huo Qiyun widened his eyes and said angrily. As soon as he finished speaking, the other side of his face was hit hard. Instantly, his vision darkened and he fell to the ground. When the empress saw how unreasonable Lin Ran was, she immediately looked displeased. ¡°Lin Ran! Just tell Qiyun what he did wrong. Why did you hit him the moment we met?!¡± ¡°He took the slaps for you.¡± Lin Ran glared at the empress coldly. Although his tone was still respectful, it was obvious from his clenched fists that he was trying his best to suppress the anger in his heart. The empress was frightened by Lin Ran¡¯s gaze and couldn¡¯t speak properly. ¡°W-What do you mean? Are you saying I did something wrong?¡± ¡°You think you didn¡¯t do anything wrong?¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and asked coldly, ¡°As the emperor of a country, how can you go to the front line just like that? Don¡¯t you know what you are capable of? Hundreds of thousands of people are dying on the battlefield now. What makes you think you won¡¯t be one of them?¡± ¡°Lin Ran! You¡­¡± ¡°What? I think you¡¯re just there to cause trouble!¡± Lin Ran interrupted the empress and scolded, ¡°Do you think by going to the front line, you¡¯ll be a good emperor? Do you know how many people they need to mobilize to protect you?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re a grown-up. Why are you still so childish when you do things? Do you really think we¡¯ll win the war the moment you show up? What if you die? How much will it affect morale? Have you thought about all this?¡± Lin Ran shouted sternly with a red face. This time, he was really angry. As soon as his temper flared up, he forgot about who he was talking to. The empress was intimidated by Lin Ran¡¯s aura and her eyes instantly turned red. Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He covered his face with both hands and said angrily, ¡°Lin Ran! You¡¯re going too far! How can you talk to His Majesty like that?¡± ¡°You still have the cheek to open your mouth? I haven¡¯t said anything about you yet!¡± Lin Ran instantly turned to look at Huo Qiyun. ¡°You know who she is, don¡¯t you? She wants to fool around, and you are fooling around with her. Can¡¯t you think of the consequences? You¡¯ve been in the martial world for decades. Where did all your experience go?¡± Huo Qiyun was clearly angry after being scolded. However, when he saw Lin Ran raise his right hand, he suppressed his anger and didn¡¯t retort. Fortunately, after Lin Ran vented his anger, he slowly calmed down. He looked at the two of them and said coldly, ¡°Stop standing there! Return to the palace!¡± ¡°No!¡± The empress grabbed Lin Ran. ¡°I want to go to the front line!¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes. ¡°So everything I said just now was for nothing, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± The empress shook her head, her eyes filled with determination. ¡°But the soldiers at the front line are all fighting a bloody battle for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. As the emperor of a country, how can I hide cowardly at the back?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the reason, you don¡¯t have to go.¡± Lin Ran took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. ¡°This war will end tomorrow morning at the latest.¡± The empress looked puzzled when she heard this. Huo Qiyun seemed to have thought of something and got up from the ground. He went to Lin Ran¡¯s side and asked excitedly, ¡°Are you going to the Northern Border personally? Then can you bring me along?¡± ¡°Get lost! I¡¯m not going to the Northern Border!¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes at Huo Qiyun and roughly explained his agreement with Liu Hongshan. When he heard that Liu Hongshan planned to become the emperor in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and then submit to the Great Yong Dynasty, Huo Qiyun suddenly revealed a strange expression, but it disappeared in an instant. After Lin Ran finished speaking, the empress thought for a moment and asked suspiciously, ¡°Can the enemy be trusted?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Lin Ran nodded and said, ¡°I can feel that he doesn¡¯t care who wins or loses this war.¡± The empress nodded thoughtfully before shaking her head. ¡°No, I still have to go to the Northern Border!¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Lin Ran was so angry that he laughed. He looked at the empress and asked helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ve already made it very clear that this war will end soon¡­ Did I not make myself clear, or do you not believe me?¡± ¡°Lord Lin, what are you talking about? I naturally believe you, but I don¡¯t believe that Liu Hongshan.¡± The empress rubbed the corners of her red eyes. Before Lin Ran could speak, she continued, ¡°The Great Yong Dynasty has suffered great casualties this time. I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t retreat empty-handed just like that. I know that the front line is dangerous, but aren¡¯t you back now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look at the situation first. If the Great Yong army retreats before tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll return. If the Great Yong army continues to attack, I¡¯ll lead the army personally. Since you¡¯re around, I¡¯ll be safe, right?¡± Lin Ran was speechless. He had to admit that he was convinced by the empress¡¯s analysis. Actually, Lin Ran was also a little suspicious of Liu Hongshan. His original plan was to send the empress back to the palace before going to the front line to see what was going on. However, now that the empress insisted on going, Lin Ran could only go with the flow. After all, he and Huo Qiyun were both here. If they could not keep the empress safe, there would be no safe place in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty for her. ¡°Fine.¡± Lin Ran sighed and nodded in agreement. ¡°But that, I have to go somewhere first.¡± When the empress heard this, she looked puzzled. ¡°Where? Is it very important?¡± Lin Ran nodded with a solemn expression. ¡°I have to save Xiao Huai first.¡± Chapter 178 - 178 The Most Dangerous Place Is the Safest 178 The Most Dangerous Place Is the Safest Hearing that something had happened to Xiao Huai, Huo Qiyun immediately looked anxious. ¡°What happened to Xiao Huai? Is she still safe?¡± Ever since he started cooperating with Xiao Huai to scheme Liu Hongshan, although Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say it, he had already taken her as his companion. After all, if Xiao Huai had not stood up for him at that time, he might have already attacked Liu Hongshan and been killed and thrown down Furnace Peak. ¡°She¡¯s fine¡­ at least for the time being.¡± Lin Ran replied softly and roughly explained what Liu Hongshan had done to Xiao Huai. Even though Lin Ran had omitted a lot of details, after Huo Qiyun and the empress heard it, their expressions darkened. ¡°This despicable Liu Hongshan!¡± Huo Qiyun stomped his feet and suddenly thought of something. He looked at Lin Ran. ¡°By the way! Didn¡¯t you challenge him to a death duel? Let¡¯s go find him now and kill him together!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill Liu Hongshan, but not now.¡± Lin Ran rejected it. Before Huo Qiyun could speak, he continued, ¡°Besides, have you forgotten the rules of the death duel? No one is allowed to interfere in the battle between the two. Even if I bring you there, you can¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°Rules don¡¯t apply to that kind of person. He deserves to be punished by everyone!¡± Huo Qiyun waved his hand and said angrily, ¡°If you don¡¯t dare to go, wait here! I¡¯ll go myself!¡± With that, Huo Qiyun was about to leave. Lin Ran was about to stop him when the empress suddenly shouted sternly, ¡°Huo Qiyun! Stop!¡± The empress¡¯s shout was very sudden. Lin Ran was shocked, and Huo Qiyun was so frightened that he stood rooted to the ground, not daring to lift his feet. After stopping Huo Qiyun, the empress frowned slightly and said in a low voice, ¡°Rules are rules. If we don¡¯t follow the rules simply because he is despicable, then what¡¯s the point of setting up rules?¡± Seeing that Huo Qiyun was about to talk back, the empress softened her tone and said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯ve also killed many people¡­ To their families, aren¡¯t you a bad person too? You said we don¡¯t need to apply rules to evil people, but is it easy to distinguish good from evil?¡± Huo Qiyun was rendered speechless by the empress¡¯s question. It was not that he was convinced by her logic, but when he was suddenly confronted with such a philosophical question, his brain couldn¡¯t quite react to it. Seeing the confusion in Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes, Lin Ran knew that Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t understand at all. However, as long as Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t act rashly, he wouldn¡¯t expect anything else from him. After a moment of silence, Lin Ran clapped his hands and changed the topic. ¡°Alright, alright! let¡¯s save Xiao Huai first before going to the north to help the soldiers!¡± The empress nodded slightly. Huo Qiyun asked, ¡°Where is Xiao Huai? Is it far from here?¡± ¡°Not far. Just over there.¡± Lin Ran pointed in a direction. He could vaguely see a tall mountain range standing quietly under the night sky. ¡°Mount Sword?!¡± Huo Qiyun recognized the tall mountain peak at a glance. ¡°Xiao Huai is actually on Mount Sword?!¡± ¡°Yes, the tree hole where the Sacred Abyss Sword is stored.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. When he heard it from Liu Hongshan, his reaction was similar to Huo Qiyun¡¯s. Logically speaking, as the holy land of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, Mount Sword attracted a lot of attention. Therefore, when Liu Hongshan was hiding Xiao Huai, he should not have chosen this place. However, Lin Ran quickly understood that perhaps it was precisely because Mount Sword attracted a lot of attention that Liu Hongshan chose it. The fake Sacred Abyss Sword had already been stolen and destroyed, so naturally, no one would pay attention to the tree hole. This way, that place became the safest place to hide Xiao Huai. In addition, there was some kind of restriction in the tree hole. Not only could it block the detection of divine sense, but it could also block the dispersion of sword intent. Unless one used the Mount Patrol Token to open the tree hole, no one would notice that there was a person hiding inside. This was also why Liu Hongshan said confidently that unless he took the initiative to tell Lin Ran where Xiao Huai was, Lin Ran might never find her. After Lin Ran explained, the three of them arrived at Mount Sword. Previously, the mountain guardian, Wang Kailin, was Liu Hongshan in disguise. After he was exposed and left, the empress had yet to appoint a new mountain guardian. Therefore, at this moment, Mount Sword was quiet and pitch-black. ¡°We¡¯re going to save Xiao Huai. Hurry up and change your outfit.¡± Before setting off, Lin Ran urged the empress, ¡°We¡¯ll go straight to the front line in a while. As the emperor of a country, why are you dressed like the commander of the imperial guards?¡± When the empress heard this, she felt that it made sense, so she nodded and went to the wooden house where the mountain guardian lived to change. As soon as the door was closed, Huo Qiyun looked at Lin Ran and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Why did you send her away?¡± Huo Qiyun pointed in the direction of the wooden house. ¡°Besides, your body smells awful. You should be the one who needs to get changed.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression stiffened, then he looked speechless. ¡°You are never so smart when it comes to serious matters.¡± Huo Qiyun shrugged like Lin Ran usually did and asked with a serious expression, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you worried that Xiao Huai isn¡¯t here?¡± ¡°Liu Hongshan probably won¡¯t lie to me about this.¡± Lin Ran shook his head and hesitated for a moment before saying softly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid your Sister Empress won¡¯t be able to accept what she sees.¡± Huo Qiyun looked confused, and Lin Ran put away the smile on his face. He frowned slightly and said softly, ¡°The Taotie Evil Technique that Liu Hongshan cultivates can instantly turn a living person into a skeleton¡­ Who knows what Xiao Huai looks like now?¡± Hearing this, Huo Qiyun finally understood, and his expression instantly turned serious. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go take a look first.¡± Lin Ran sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not the first time Liu Hongshan has devoured Xiao Huai, but Xiao Huai still has a complete body. This means that she has some kind of recovery ability. If she¡­ we¡¯ll hide her somewhere else first and bring her to see the empress after she recovers.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded. Then, the two of them went to the Sacred Sword Hall of Mount Sword. In the yard, the peach tree that had been growing for hundreds of years was still lush. The trunk that opened had already returned to its original state. Lin Ran¡¯s expression was extremely solemn. He knew that he might see something he would never forget in his life¡­ Chapter 179 - 179 Facing It Together, Just Kidding 179 Facing It Together, Just Kidding In the Sacred Sword Hall of Mount Sword, under an ancient peach tree. Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun stood side by side and looked at each other. Huo Qiyun moved his lips and was about to speak when Lin Ran suddenly said, ¡°You do it.¡± ¡°Why should I do it?¡± Huo Qiyun panicked. ¡°Xiao Huai is your good friend. You do it!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been through thick and thin together with her before. You should do it.¡± ¡°Your cultivation level is higher! You do it!¡± ¡°You¡¯re more handsome! You do it!¡± ¡­ After arguing for a while, they still couldn¡¯t make up their minds. Lin Ran sighed heavily. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s do it together!¡± Huo Qiyun hesitated for a moment before nodding. Then, the two of them reached out and grabbed the token. Click! The indentation on the tree trunk made a crisp sound as the token was inserted into it. Almost at the same time, the sound of a mechanism operating came from inside the tree trunk. Looking at a large piece of bark slowly unfolding like an automatic door, Lin Ran subconsciously closed his eyes. However, just as he almost closed his eyes, Huo Qiyun bumped his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s face it together!¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he could only keep his eyes open. At this moment, the bark had completely opened. ¡°Phew¡ª¡± Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. Xiao Huai was squatting with her arms wrapped around her knees. Her pale face was buried in her knees. She looked extremely weak, but fortunately, she wasn¡¯t turned into a skeleton. The space in the tree hole was not big. Even if Xiao Huai was only seven or eight years old, this space was still a little too small for her. She was curled up in it like a child abandoned in the cold wind. Just as Lin Ran was feeling mixed emotions, he suddenly heard Huo Qiyun ask, ¡°How is it?¡± Lin Ran thought to himself, Can¡¯t you see? He turned around and was furious to see that Huo Qiyun, who had just asked him to ¡°face it together¡±, had closed his eyes and even covered them with his other hand! ¡°Very tragic. I¡¯m about to vomit!¡± Lin Ran replied in a choking voice. Then, he gently touched Huo Qiyun¡¯s hand with his finger. ¡°Help me hold her arm. I¡¯ll pick up the other parts.¡± Hearing this, Huo Qiyun screamed and dashed out, disappearing almost instantly. ¡°Tsk! Coward!¡± A mischievous smile appeared on Lin Ran¡¯s face, but when he turned around and saw Xiao Huai huddling up in the tree hole, the corners of his mouth instantly fell. After Lin Ran carefully carried Xiao Huai out of the tree hole, Huo Qiyun stomped back angrily from afar. At this moment, he had already realized that he had been tricked, but seeing how weak Xiao Huai was, he was no longer in the mood to bicker with Lin Ran. He asked softly with a worried expression, ¡°Is she alright?¡± ¡°Very weak.¡± Lin Ran held Xiao Huai¡¯s slender hand and said softly, ¡°She¡¯s in a bad state now. The evil aura in her body is almost exhausted. It¡¯s very difficult for her to recover on her own.¡± Huo Qiyun probed, ¡°Shall we transfer some internal energy to her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless. Internal energy and evil aura are two completely different things.¡± Lin Ran shook his head. After thinking for a moment, he raised his hand and summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. Then, he carefully placed the black side that was stained with evil aura in Xiao Huai¡¯s hand. As soon as the two of them came into contact, wisps of black fog surged out of the Yin-Yang Sword. Then, it attacked Xiao Huai¡¯s skin and seeped into her skin before disappearing. Huo Qiyun was delighted. ¡°It worked!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not very effective.¡± Lin Ran replied in a low voice. Perhaps because he had cultivated the Nine Yin-Yang Swords, he could clearly feel the evil aura flowing in Xiao Huai¡¯s body. ¡°The current Xiao Huai is like a lake that¡¯s about to dry up. To her, the evil aura in the Yin-Yang Sword is just a stream.¡± ¡°This stream can prevent the lake from completely drying up, but it¡¯s almost impossible to fill the lake up.¡± Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s words, Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but look worried. ¡°Then what should we do? Is there no other way?¡± ¡°There is.¡± Lin Ran said that he had a solution, but there was deep hesitation in his eyes. ¡°We can let her recuperate in Sword Grave, but that place is¡­¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t finish, but Huo Qiyun already understood what he meant. Xiao Huai was born in Sword Grave, but that place was definitely not a good memory for her. After being bitten by countless black insects and suppressed by the Five Elements Seal, as soon as she escaped, she was harmed and used by Liu Hongshan. Now that Xiao Huai fainted and was unconscious, if she opened her eyes and saw the familiar scene, she would probably be tormented by the tragic past and really become a demon. Seeing the hesitation in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, Huo Qiyun narrowed his eyes and probed, ¡°If we don¡¯t send her to Sword Grave, Xiao Huai might be in this unconscious state forever, right?¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°Not necessarily. Liu Hongshan let Xiao Huai live to collect strength for him. Xiao Huai is only useful to him when she is awake.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t know how much time it will take for her to wake up.¡± After a short silence, Huo Qiyun pressed Lin Ran¡¯s shoulder and said seriously, ¡°Let¡¯s take her to Sword Grave. I¡¯ll stay there with her.¡± ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Although it¡¯s not dangerous in Sword Grave, if you stay there for too long, you will definitely be affected by the sword intent and killing intent there.¡± ¡°I know. Don¡¯t forget that I waited for you there once.¡± Huo Qiyun smiled brightly. ¡°I can keep myself safe. If Xiao Huai sees me after she wakes up, it should be able to help her calm down, right?¡± ¡°In theory, that¡¯s right.¡± Lin Ran nodded, his eyes filled with worry. ¡°But even if she¡¯s recuperating in Sword Grave, I don¡¯t know how long it will take for her to wake up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Huo Qiyun waved his hand indifferently. Before Lin Ran could speak, he continued, ¡°Your most important task now is to take good care of Sister Empress. Leave such a small matter to me.¡± Seeing that Huo Qiyun was determined, Lin Ran could only nod in agreement. Then, he brought Xiao Huai to the main peak of Mount Sword. He raised his hand and summoned the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. After the dragon pattern gem on the hilt flickered for a moment, a deep cave entrance slowly appeared on the stone wall. ¡°You don¡¯t have to come in!¡± Huo Qiyun smiled and carried Xiao Huai into the cave. Seeing Huo Qiyun¡¯s departing figure gradually disappearing in the darkness, for some reason, Lin Ran suddenly had an ominous feeling¡­ Chapter 180 - 180 Returning to the Wooden House 180 Returning to the Wooden House ¡°Huo Qiyun!¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but shout. The ominous feeling was so strong that his back broke out in cold sweat! ¡°What happened?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice came from the depths of the cave. At this moment, his vision was completely swallowed by the darkness. His voice was distorted by the reflection of the cave, but one could still hear the confusion in his voice. ¡°I feel that something is wrong.¡± Lin Ran suppressed the uneasiness in his heart and said as calmly as possible, ¡°This solution might not be as safe as we think. Let¡¯s think about another one.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not safe? Haven¡¯t we already been to Sword Grave?¡± Huo Qiyun chuckled and took a few steps towards the light outside. ¡°When did you become so wishy-washy? Are you scared out of your wits by Liu Hongshan?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Lin Ran was speechless. Of course, he wasn¡¯t scared out of his wits by Liu Hongshan, but he couldn¡¯t deny what Huo Qiyun said. Ever since he came out of the secret place, he could clearly feel that he was being too cautious. ¡°Could it be that the array formation in the secret place can also affect one¡¯s personality?¡± Lin Ran suddenly had this absurd thought, but he knew that it was impossible. After coming back to his senses, Lin Ran took a deep breath and said seriously, ¡°I really feel that something¡¯s wrong. Why don¡¯t I go in with you first? I¡¯ll come out after confirming that there¡¯s no problem.¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran was about to enter the cave when he heard Huo Qiyun say impatiently, ¡°Can you stop dawdling? Sister Empress must have changed her clothes. Hurry up and go back to find her!¡± Lin Ran stopped in his tracks. They had been gone for almost fifteen minutes. The empress should indeed have changed her clothes. ¡°I can handle this myself. I¡¯m not a child anymore!¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but laugh. On second thought, he realized that he might have really been unnecessarily cautious. Lin Ran had also been to Sword Grave. There were three main dangers: One of them was the black insects, but their greatest threat was to give people rashes. It was far from fatal. The second was the violent sword intent and killing intent that filled it. However, as long as Huo Qiyun stayed focused, with his cultivation, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to last for a few months. The last and most realistic problem was that there was no food or water inside. Although martial artists could abstain from eating after reaching a certain realm, no one was willing to starve. ¡°Then be careful! I¡¯ll come to deliver food to you every three days!¡± Lin Ran shouted into the depths of the cave, causing a rumbling echo. It was unknown if Huo Qiyun could still hear him clearly. Then, Lin Ran held the Ten Miles Dragon Roar and sealed the entrance to Sword Grave. Because he didn¡¯t know where Huo Qiyun was, he only sealed the entrance to prevent anyone from entering by mistake. After taking one last look at the rough mountain wall, Lin Ran rode his sword and soared down the mountain. At this moment, he still didn¡¯t know what danger Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai would be in. Otherwise, he would have rushed in without hesitation. Let¡¯s not talk about the future for now. Now that Lin Ran had mastered Sword Flight, he arrived at the wooden house at the foot of the mountain in the blink of an eye. The empress stood in the empty space outside the wooden house. She had already taken off her mask and changed the guard commander¡¯s clothes into a black robe. The sleeves and lapels were embroidered with red and gold five-clawed dragon patterns. Although it was not as luxurious as the dragon robe, it accentuated the empress¡¯s valiant aura. From the footprints on the muddy ground, the empress had clearly been pacing back and forth anxiously here for a long time. As soon as Lin Ran landed on the ground, the empress immediately asked in confusion, ¡°Why are you the only one back? Where¡¯s Qiyun? Where¡¯s Xiao Huai? Didn¡¯t you find her?¡± ¡°I found her, but Xiao Huai is injured. Huo Qiyun has to stay behind to take care of her.¡± Lin Ran deliberately pretended to be relaxed. The empress had enough to worry about. There was no need to worry her with such a thing. ¡°It¡¯s good that you found her.¡± The empress heaved a sigh of relief and didn¡¯t suspect anything. Then, she raised a hand to cover her mouth and nose and frowned at Lin Ran. ¡°There¡¯s water inside. Do you want to wash yourself? After all, you¡¯re a general now. It¡¯s inappropriate to look so¡­¡± Lin Ran looked down at his dirty body and blushed. He said, ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Then, he quickly rushed into the wooden house. A moment later, when Lin Ran came out again, he had already washed up. However, he didn¡¯t bring a change of clothes, so he could only find a mountain guardian robe from the cabinet to change into. Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s new outfit, the empress couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you wearing this after so long¡­ I think it looks quite good on you. Since Mount Sword is unguarded now, why don¡¯t I transfer you back?¡± Lin Ran knew that the empress was joking, so he played along. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. As long as you feel safe without my protection.¡± The empress chuckled and didn¡¯t reply. Lin Ran suddenly thought of something and said seriously, ¡°By the way, if you can¡¯t find someone to guard Mount Sword, I have a good candidate.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Hong Liquan.¡± ¡°The winner of the Martial Arts Examination this year?¡± When the empress heard this, she frowned. ¡°I remember that he has already joined the Five Elements Imperial Guards, right? Why do you want him to guard Mount Sword?¡± ¡°I got to know him when I was captured.¡± Lin Ran then said, not mentioning that he and Huo Qiyun had caused trouble in Lotus Town. ¡°He¡¯s in charge of interrogation in the Water Guards now, but he doesn¡¯t seem to like that job very much.¡± Previously, when he was in the nameless house in Lotus Town, Lin Ran remembered that Hong Liquan had told him that he would rather be sent to Mount Sword to be a mountain guardian than stay in the Five Elements Imperial Guards for the rest of his life. As for whether Hong Liquan was telling the truth or not, Lin Ran actually didn¡¯t know. However, the final decision was still in the empress¡¯s hands. He was just making a suggestion. Lin Ran raised his hand and summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. Then, he reached out his right hand to the empress. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll take you to the front line!¡± Chapter 181 - 181 The Greatest Contributor of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty 181 The Greatest Contributor of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty Heavenly Saint Dynasty, Northern Border. Lin Ran rode on his sword with the empress and finally arrived at dawn. At the northest part of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, although it was not considered cold, it was quite desolate. The morning sunlight coated the ground with a cold golden light, and a tall, long and majestic city wall lay on the ground like an earth-colored dragon. In order to prevent the enemy from approaching stealthily, within a radius of nearly ten miles north of the city wall, all the vegetation and hills were uprooted, and all the gullies were filled. The sandy soil flowed on the ground like a solid flood. When Lin Ran saw this scene in the air, he couldn¡¯t help but recall the spectacular scene in the secret ground of the Hundred Fragrance Palace. To the north of the city wall, there were more than ten medium-sized castles. They seemed to be scattered randomly, but Lin Ran realized at a glance that the distance between each castle was basically the same. All the castles formed an irregular circle with a green oasis in the middle. Against the earthen castle, it was as eye-catching as a high-quality emerald. ¡°This is the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s military city.¡± Seeing that Lin Ran was sizing up the military city on the ground, the empress took the initiative to explain, ¡°When there was no war, these soldiers were the residents of the city. They are self-sufficient through farming in that oasis.¡± ¡°But once the war starts, they will immediately put on their armor and rush to the battlefield¡­ These border soldiers contributed greatly to the peace of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty!¡± ¡°If they hear this, they¡¯ll be overjoyed.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he controlled the Yin-Yang Sword to slowly descend towards the city wall. As soon as he got closer, he saw many ant-like black spots crawling up and down the city wall, as if they were repairing the city wall that had been destroyed by the war. The soldiers on the city wall also noticed the two people in the air. After a series of muffled shouts, almost everyone put down the tools in their hands and took out bows and arrows. The martial artists of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty were good at using swords, but to these soldiers with low cultivation, bows and arrows were better at long-range attacks. ¡°It seems that they treat us as enemies.¡± The empress chuckled. From the glint in her eyes, it was obvious that she was very satisfied with the quick reaction of these soldiers. Lin Ran took a deep breath and shouted, ¡°The emperor is here! Hurry up and kneel.¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran slapped the empress¡¯s back and instantly activated the Regal Technique, Sovereign Descent! The ¡°giving¡± in ¡°Sovereign Descent¡± could allow Lin Ran to use his internal energy to temporarily increase the cultivation of others. The empress felt the surging internal energy and instantly understood what Lin Ran meant. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and an emperor¡¯s aura spread out! This aura was not powerful, but it was like an invisible mountain that slowly pressed down on everyone, making them not dare to resist. Everyone on the city wall immediately put down their weapons and knelt on the ground, shouting in unison, ¡°Your Majesty, all the soldiers of the Northern Garrison are at your service.¡± ¡°Rise!¡± The empress gave the order. Lin Ran landed on the city wall on his sword. With a thought, he retracted his internal energy, and the aura of an emperor dissipated. Putting away the Yin-Yang Sword, Lin Ran looked up and saw the soldiers covered in dust and injuries. He couldn¡¯t help but be touched. Tears welled up in the empress¡¯s eyes. She opened her mouth a few times and finally said, ¡°Thank you, everyone, for your hard work¡­¡± When the soldiers heard this, they immediately knelt on the ground and replied in unison, ¡°For His Majesty, I am willing to risk any danger.¡± ¡°Stand up.¡± The empress raised her hand and gestured for them to stand up. After adjusting her mood, she asked seriously, ¡°Where is General Guo Fuzhen?¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± A soldier in light armor took half a step forward and said, ¡°General Guo was injured the day before yesterday and is recuperating in Fort Liushi.¡± Just as the empress was about to ask again, Lin Ran hurriedly went forward and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s go find General Guo first.¡± The empress nodded and said loudly to the soldiers, ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve contributed greatly to protecting the border. The people of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and I will not forget you! All the soldiers who participated in the battle will be heavily rewarded!¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± The soldiers knelt down again to thank her, their voices louder than before. Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but laugh in his heart. It seemed that these soldiers preferred real rewards to the empress¡¯s kind words. The two of them walked down the city wall and arrived at Fort Liushi, which was the closest to the city wall. Then, they successfully found General Guo Fuzhen. At this moment, General Guo Fuzhen was standing on the observation platform on the northside of Fort Liushi, wrapped in thick gauze. Before Lin Ran and the empress could get close, Guo Fuzhen had already discovered them. Then, he jumped down from the observation platform and ran towards the two of them. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty!¡± Guo Fuzhen shouted in a low voice from afar. After saying that, he ran close and knelt on the ground. The force of this kneel was so great that Lin Ran could vaguely feel the ground under his feet tremble. ¡°Peak of the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm.¡± Lin Ran instantly sensed Guo Fuzhen¡¯s cultivation level and began to size up this famous general. Lin Ran¡¯s first impression of Guo Fuzhen was that he was burly, the kind that was imposing. Guo Fuzhen knelt on the ground with his hands cupped and his head lowered. He was shirtless, and his muscular arms were almost as thick as Lin Ran¡¯s thigh. On the edge of the palm-thick gauze on his chest, one could even vaguely see his thick chest hair. Although he was seriously injured, Guo Fuzhen¡¯s voice was still as deep as a bell. ¡°I¡¯m injured and can¡¯t wear armor. Please forgive me for being rude!¡± Lin Ran blocked his ears unconsciously. The empress hurriedly said, ¡°General Guo, you¡¯re being too serious. You¡¯ve contributed greatly to guarding the border with the soldiers of the Northern Garrison. You were injured because of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. You are a hero.¡± As she spoke, the empress took a few steps forward and personally helped Guo Fuzhen up. Looking at Guo Fuzhen, who was standing straight, Lin Ran widened his eyes. This person was almost three meters tall. Even the tall empress looked like a little bird in front of him¡­ No, it should be a little worm. Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately became strange. He really couldn¡¯t imagine how this burly man, who was like a silverback gorilla, could give birth to a daughter as petite and exquisite as Consort Rong. Chapter 182 - 182 Consort Rong Is Pregnant 182 Consort Rong Is Pregnant After exchanging a few pleasantries, Guo Fuzhen invited the two of them to Fort Lius. As soon as he entered the city gate of Fort Liushi, Lin Ran was shocked by the scene in the city. Although this fort looked very dilapidated from the outside, it was quite prosperous inside. There were all kinds of restaurants and shops. It was not inferior to the towns near the capital. The only difference was that most of the residents in the city had gone to repair the city wall, so the streets looked a little deserted. After arriving at the general¡¯s residence, the empress was invited to take a seat while Guo Fuzhen returned to his room to put on a coat. Then, he returned to the hall to meet the empress. ¡°General Guo.¡± The empress pointed at the city wall that was being repaired in the distance through the door. ¡°Is the battle over so that you are mending the city wall?¡± When Guo Fuzhen heard this, he nodded slightly, but his eyes revealed a hint of doubt. ¡°It¡¯s strange. At half-past four this morning, the Great Yong Dynasty sent troops to invade, but when I led the army to face them, they suddenly retreated.¡± ¡°I thought that this should be a tactic by the Great Yong Dynasty to harass us, so I didn¡¯t lead the troops to chase after them. However, Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already sent people to keep an eye on their movement. If the Great Yong Dynasty makes any moves, we will definitely be able to react in time!¡± ¡°General Guo, thank you for your hard work.¡± The empress thanked him and looked at Lin Ran. Guo Fuzhen did not know the inside story, but the two of them knew very well that the sudden retreat of the Great Yong Dynasty was not a tactic. Instead, it was Liu Hongshan¡¯s doing. However, even though they knew the inside story, the two of them could not help but be a little surprised. Fighting a war was expensive. Mobilizing hundreds of thousands of troops was not as simple as it sounded. Just the food, horses, and supplies could add up to an astronomical figure. In the past few days of war, the Great Yong Dynasty had lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers and wasted countless money. In the end, because of a word from Liu Hongshan, they immediately retreated. It could be seen that Liu Hongshan definitely had a high status in the Great Yong Dynasty. Just as Lin Ran was wondering about Liu Hongshan¡¯s identity in the Great Yong Dynasty, Guo Fuzhen suddenly rubbed his hands and asked, ¡°Your Majesty, I have something to ask¡­ I wonder if my daughter is doing well in the palace?¡± At the mention of his daughter, Guo Fuzhen¡¯s fierce face revealed the love of a father. The empress was stunned for a moment before she smiled and said, ¡°General Guo, don¡¯t worry. Consort Rong is doing very well in the palace. Now that she¡¯s pregnant with my child, according to the imperial physician in the palace, you can expect to become a grandfather in autumn!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Guo Fuzhen was overjoyed. A simple and honest smile appeared on the famous general¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°General Guo, you should thank Lord Lin!¡± The empress chuckled and pointed at Lin Ran. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Lord Lin that Consort Rong was able to get pregnant.¡± The expression on Lin Ran¡¯s face instantly froze. He widened his eyes and stared at the empress, thinking to himself, ¡°Why did you bring it up?¡± Guo Fuzhen did not know what was going on between the two of them. When he heard the empress¡¯s words, he carefully examined the young man in the eighth-grade official robe for the first time. As soon as they looked at each other, Guo Fuzhen sensed the unfathomable power in Lin Ran¡¯s body. He couldn¡¯t help but look respectful. ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± ¡°Commander of the Imperial Guards.¡± Lin Ran cupped his hands and replied. After a pause, he added, ¡°I was lucky enough to get promoted by His Majesty to a general this morning.¡± Guo Fuzhen¡¯s expression changed. He hurriedly cupped his hands. From the commander of the imperial guards to a general, it sounded like Lin Ran had only been promoted from the third-grade to the second-grade. However, it had to be known that the guards in the palace and the guards at the border were completely different. The main duty of the palace guards was to defend, but the guards at the border were required to both attack and defend. In Guo Fuzhen¡¯s heart, the ability needed to become a general in the army was higher than the commander of imperial guards. After greeting each other, Guo Fuzhen asked in confusion, ¡°Lord Lin¡­ Oh, no, General Lin, just now, His Majesty said that it¡¯s all thanks to you that my daughter was able to get pregnant. May I ask what it means?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lin Ran, who had always been eloquent, was instantly speechless. In front of Consort Rong¡¯s father, he couldn¡¯t possibly say that he impregnated her, right? Seeing that Lin Ran was speechless, the empress couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. After a moment, she said, ¡°General Guo, a few days ago, an assassin sneaked into the palace to assassinate me. You must have heard about it, right?¡± ¡°I heard that the assassin was sent by the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Guo Fuzhen nodded and continued, ¡°However, I¡¯m at the border, so I don¡¯t know the details.¡± The empress was not surprised. Her expression darkened as she continued, ¡°That day, the assassin sneaked into the palace and disguised as Consort Rong.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Guo Fuzhen narrowed his eyes, and his powerful aura erupted. ¡°This assassin really deserves to be cut into pieces! She actually tried to implicate my Guo family!¡± The empress was caught off guard by this surging aura and her face turned pale. Fortunately, Lin Ran reminded him, so Guo Fuzhen retracted his aura in time. After taking a few breaths, the empress looked at Lin Ran and said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Lord Li that we were able to catch the assassin and save Consort Rong.¡± ¡°Otherwise, not only will Consort Rong be killed by that assassin, but your Guo family will also be implicated.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Guo Fuzhen was enlightened. He turned his burly figure towards Lin Ran and knelt on the ground. ¡°General Lin, thank you for saving the Guo family!¡± ¡°General Guo, please get up!¡± Lin Ran was taken aback and quickly went forward to help him up. ¡°It¡¯s just my duty. General Guo, you don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± ¡°General Lin, you¡¯re wrong!¡± Guo Fuzhen knelt on the ground and did not move. He widened his eyes and said seriously, ¡°Not only did you save my daughter¡¯s life, but you also saved the reputation of my Guo family! I have to thank you for your kindness!¡± With that, Guo Fuzhen kowtowed three times. Then, with Lin Ran¡¯s help, he stood up with a bruise on his forehead. Seeing how sincere Guo Fuzhen was, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bad. After all, he didn¡¯t mean to save Consort Rong at that time. It was just a coincidence. Just as Lin Ran was feeling awkward, the empress suddenly said, ¡°General Guo, the Northern Garrison has suffered heavy casualties in this battle. Now is the time to recruit people. I want Lord Lin to be your deputy general. What do you think?¡± Chapter 183 - 183 Promoted Again 183 Promoted Again As soon as the empress said this, the other two were stunned. The reason why Lin Ran was stunned was very simple. Before he set out for the north, he had already made it clear with the empress. No matter if the war was over or not, he would send the empress back to the palace. Now that the empress wanted to keep Lin Ran in the Northern Garrison, could it be that she didn¡¯t want to return to the palace? Compared to Lin Ran, General Guo Fuzhen thought of many things¡ª First of all, although Guo Fuzhen didn¡¯t know Lin Ran¡¯s exact realm, since even he, who was at the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm, felt that he was unfathomable, Lin Ran must be above the Grandmaster Realm. In the agreements between countries, those above the Grandmaster Realm were not allowed to participate in the war. Even if the empress wanted to violate the agreement, the generals in the army could not be appointed casually, especially in the border army. Every decision of the generals might decide the lives of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Even if Lin Ran had the ability and the empress wanted to promote him, she should first arrange for him to be a lieutenant in the army. Only when he was familiar with the Northern Garrison and his ability was proven could he then be promoted to a deputy general. Therefore, when the empress suggested making Lin Ran his deputy general, Guo Fuzhen was quite puzzled. In his opinion, this was something only a fatuous ruler could do, and the empress was clearly not a fatuous ruler. Although Guo Fuzhen looked burly, since he could be the general of the Northern Garrison, he naturally had some wisdom. In just a breath, Guo Fuzhen figured out the empress¡¯s intentions. After kneeling down to take the order, he cupped his hands at Lin Ran. ¡°Congratulations, Deputy General Lin!¡± Lin Ran was stunned by this congratulation, but he couldn¡¯t ask the empress in front of Guo Fuzhen, so he cupped his hands back without saying anything. As soon as he did that, Guo Fuzhen revealed a troubled expression. ¡°The war has ended, but the city is in urgent need of repair. It¡¯s really not suitable for His Majesty to stay for long. However, the soldiers in the army also need to recuperate and can¡¯t escort His Majesty back to the palace¡­ What should we do?¡± Looking at Guo Fuzhen¡¯s troubled expression, the empress smiled faintly. ¡°General Guo, have you forgotten that you just obtained a deputy general?¡± With that, the two of them looked at Lin Ran. Lin Ran blinked and cupped his hands helplessly. ¡°General Guo! I¡¯m willing to escort His Majesty back to the palace!¡± ¡°Alright! Thank you then, Deputy General Lin!¡± Guo Fuzhen laughed heartily, and the empress could not help but chuckle. If Lin Ran still couldn¡¯t understand the purpose of the empress doing this at this moment, he would be too slow on the uptake. The empress had promoted him again! The deputy general of the Northern Garrison had real military power. Even if his rank didn¡¯t change, his actual status had taken to a new height. Most importantly, Guo Fuzhen had a tacit understanding with the empress. After accepting the ¡°deputy general¡±, he sent Lin Ran to escort the empress back to the palace. This way, Lin Ran¡¯s mission and goal remained the same. He was still directly in charge of the empress¡¯s safety. The only change was that he was now an important official of the imperial court with military power. Although Lin Ran did not ask the empress, he could guess that she was probably preparing to start a war with the Great Yong Dynasty. As Lin Ran was thinking, Guo Fuzhen took out a jade token from his waist. It was about an inch thick and the size of a palm. The surface was engraved with Azure Dragon and White Tiger. Although the material was ordinary, the craftsmanship was really good. The lines were smooth and vivid. As he moved the jade token, the light on the surface changed, as if the legendary beasts on it had come to life. Just as Lin Ran was looking at it carefully, Guo Fuzhen pressed something and the entire jade token instantly cracked into five pieces. Lin Ran was shocked. When he took a closer look, he realized that the jade token was pieced together by a few different jade tokens. At this moment, Guo Fuzhen held the White Tiger Token and turned it gently in his palm. With a soft click, the inch-thick White Tiger Token was split into two from the middle. ¡°Deputy General Lin.¡± Guo Fuzhen handed over half a White Tiger Token with a solemn expression. ¡°The Northern Garrison is divided into five platoons. When there¡¯s no battle, you can use this token to mobilize 150,000 soldiers of the White Tiger Platoon.¡± ¡°If I die on the battlefield, with this token, you can command all the soldiers in the Northern Garrison at your will, so Deputy General Lin, please keep it well!¡± ¡°General Guo, don¡¯t worry! I will definitely protect this token with my life.¡± Lin Ran knelt on one knee and took the commander¡¯s token with both hands. As if infected by Guo Fuzhen¡¯s seriousness, a rare serious expression appeared on his face. Guo Fuzhen nodded heavily and returned to his usual expression. He reached out to help Lin Ran up from the ground and cupped his hands at the empress. ¡°Your Majesty, the city is damaged and needs repairing. We can¡¯t really provide you a comfortable stay. Please set off early and return to the palace!¡± The empress nodded slightly and was about to speak when a low horn sounded from afar. Then countless low horns overlapped, like the roar of a huge beast! ¡°It¡¯s the signal of an enemy attack!¡± Guo Fuzhen shouted, and his expression changed drastically. Almost at the same time, Lin Ran felt the aura of martial artists approaching quickly. They were all at the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm, and there were hundreds of them! In a flash, Lin Ran appeared in front of the empress. At the same time, he summoned the Yin-Yang Sword and held it in his hand. He looked at Guo Fuzhen and said in a low voice, ¡°General Guo, the people who came are all at the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm. There are at least 400 of them. Can you handle them?¡± Guo Fuzhen looked at Lin Ran in confusion, clearly wondering how he knew. ¡°Report¡ª¡± At this moment, a soldier ran in anxiously and knelt on the ground to shout, ¡°General! A large number of people are approaching on swords from the north. Their realm is unknown!¡± Guo Fuzhen¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°How many people are there?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see clearly. There are about four to five hundred people!¡± Guo Fuzhen turned around and looked at Lin Ran in surprise. Then, he instructed sternly, ¡°Get my armor and sword!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The soldier agreed and was about to leave when Lin Ran suddenly shouted, ¡°Wait!¡± Guo Fuzhen turned around and wanted to ask, but he realized that Lin Ran was frowning with his eyes closed, as if he was sensing something. A moment later, Lin Ran opened his eyes and smiled calmly. ¡°General, tell everyone to let their guards down.¡± Chapter 184 - 184 Successful Reunion 184 Successful Reunion When Guo Fuzhen heard this, he frowned slightly. The empress seemed to have thought of something and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°Do you know the enemy?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not enemies. They¡¯re my people.¡± Lin Ran chuckled and turned around to wink at the empress. ¡°Do you still remember the ¡®Sin Camp¡¯ I mentioned to you before?¡± When Lin Ran said ¡°Sin Camp¡±, he meant the martial artists who participated in King Zhao¡¯s rebellion and were recruited into the army of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Because this army was filled with sinners, Lin Ran gave them the name ¡°Sin Camp¡±. The empress instantly reacted and waved at Guo Fuzhen, who was still hesitating. ¡°General Guo, do as Deputy General Lin says.¡± Although Guo Fuzhen was a little suspicious, he still said to the soldier who came to report, ¡°Open the gate to let them in!¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± The soldier turned around and ran away. Soon, the low sound of the horn fell silent. Almost at the same time, a dark cloud floated past the city wall. On closer look, it was hundreds of martial artists flying on swords! Even if they did not deliberately release their auras, the aura of hundreds of ninth level Senior Martial Masters was still quite terrifying. Boom¡ª Guo Fuzhen subconsciously released his aura and was about to go out to check when someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder. It was a light touch, but it was able to calm the restless internal energy in Guo Fuzhen¡¯s body. ¡°General Guo, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go.¡± Lin Ran chuckled and put away the Yin-Yang Sword before walking out. Guo Fuzhen, on the other hand, was shocked! It had to be noted that his aura just now was in full swing and he circulated his internal energy to its max. With just a light touch on the shoulder, Lin Ran could suppress his internal energy. His cultivation was at least a realm higher than his! ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Guo Fuzhen hesitated for a moment before asking the empress tentatively, ¡°May I ask what realm Deputy General Lin is at?¡± The empress raised her head to look out with a faint smile. Guo Fuzhen turned around and saw that Lin Ran had already walked into the courtyard. As he looked up at the group of martial artists flying on swords in the sky, a powerful aura erupted! ¡°A Half-Saint?!¡± Guo Fuzhen¡¯s eyes instantly widened as he muttered in shock. Like him, the more than 400 martial artists on their swords in the sky were also shocked. The moment Lin Ran released his aura, the four hundred people felt their bodies tremble. Not only was Lin Ran¡¯s aura incomparably powerful, but it was also endless like a vast sea. Just the aura he displayed alone was comparable to the aura of more than 400 of them combined! ¡°It¡¯s Sword God!¡± Someone in the crowd shouted. It was obvious that they recognized Lin Ran¡¯s sword intent. Then, the four hundred people flew down and landed on the ground. In the blink of an eye, the originally empty yard was filled with people. Some of them even had to stand outside the door. There were too many of them! ¡°Sin Camp reporting for duty¡­¡± A middle-aged man who seemed to be leading the team was about to greet when he saw Lin Ran. He was stunned. ¡°Who are you? Why do you have Sword God¡¯s sword intent?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly. He suddenly remembered that when he went to recruit these people, he was dressed as the Ten Miles Sword God. In other words, these people did not know him! Fortunately, Lin Ran reacted quickly and replied in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me to appear at the border, so I disguised myself¡­ Here my name is Lin Ran, and I¡¯m the deputy general of the Northern Garrison.¡± ¡°Oh¡ªI see!¡± That person was enlightened and had no doubts about Lin Ran¡¯s words. After all, there was an agreement between the countries that those above the Grandmaster Realm were not allowed to participate in the battle. If Ten Miles Sword God was spotted coming to a sensitive place like the border between two countries, it would indeed cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. At this moment, the empress and Guo Fuzhen also came out. Seeing this courtyard filled with martial artists, even Guo Fuzhen, who was a man of the world, could not help but be taken aback. It had to be known that the soldiers in the army were generally at the Martial Master Realm. Even in all the armies in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, ninth level Senior Martial Masters were rare. But now, there were more than 400 ninth level Senior Martial Masters standing in his courtyard. How could Guo Fuzhen not be surprised? Lin Ran was about to introduce them when Guo Fuzhen saw the middle-aged man and immediately smiled. ¡°Benefactor! Why are you here?¡± ¡°Benefactor?!¡± Lin Ran and the empress were puzzled. Guo Fuzhen hurriedly explained, ¡°Your Majesty, at the end of the day before yesterday, I led troops to attack the Great Yong Dynasty. I didn¡¯t expect to fall into their trap and be surrounded. If not for these benefactors arriving in time to save me, I¡¯m afraid I would have died on the battlefield!¡± ¡°General Guo, you are welcome!¡± The middle-aged man glanced at Lin Ran with gratitude and emotion on his face. ¡°We¡¯re all sinners. If not for the sword¡­ Senior Lin Ran giving us a chance to redeem ourselves, we would probably have died under his sword!¡± ¡°It¡¯s our duty to reinforce the battlefields. Saving you is just our duty. If General Guo wants to thank someone, thank Senior Lin Ran instead.¡± Hearing this, Guo Fuzhen immediately looked at Lin Ran. Although he didn¡¯t know why these martial artists called Lin Ran Senior, Guo Fuzhen had already realized that Lin Ran¡¯s ability was not as simple as he thought. Before Guo Fu could thank him, Lin Ran hurriedly waved his hand and said, ¡°We all work for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡± With that, Lin Ran looked at the people in the courtyard. He pretended to be displeased and said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you kneeling when you see the emperor?¡± ¡°The emperor?¡± Everyone was stunned when they heard this. Their gazes gathered on the handsome young man beside Lin Ran. At the same time, Lin Ran secretly placed his hand on the empress¡¯s back and instantly activated the Regal Technique, Sovereign Descent. Boom¡ª A surging emperor¡¯s pressure swept out. Almost instantly, everyone knelt on the ground with pale faces and their foreheads pressed against the ground. Even General Guo Fuzhen was no exception! Seeing Lin Ran wink at her, the empress couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. Then, she said calmly, ¡°I rarely leave the palace. It¡¯s not surprising that you don¡¯t know what the emperor looks like¡­ Rise!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the emperor¡¯s pressure that seemed to make the world shake dissipated. Everyone kneeling on the ground heaved a sigh of relief. Then, they shouted in unison, ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live His Majesty!¡± ¡°Rise.¡± The empress repeated herself. After giving Lin Ran a look, she retreated into the hall with Guo Fuzhen. These martial artists were all guilty people. Even if the empress did not say anything, the fact that she was present made them feel stressed out. Moreover, the existence of the Sin Camp was a secret. In front of Guo Fuzhen, there were many things that could not be said openly. Chapter 185 - 185 Six Sword Tokens, Mysterious Invitation 185 Six Sword Tokens, Mysterious Invitation After the empress left, the members of the Sin Camp and Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. When he could no longer see the empress and Guo Fuzhen, Lin Ran looked at the middle-aged man and asked, ¡°You¡¯re a disciple of Mount Baiyun, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Yuan Yangguo, the disciple of the Second Elder of Mount Baiyun.¡± Yuan Yangguo hurriedly cupped his hands and replied with an excited expression, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Sword God to still remember me after so long!¡± ¡°I remember every one of you.¡± Lin Ran smiled and glanced at the more than 400 people in the yard. Although he couldn¡¯t name most of them, they did look familiar. When everyone heard this, they revealed excited expressions, as if they had obtained a great honor. No one questioned him because he was the Ten Miles Sword God. After a pause, Lin Ran looked at Yuan Yangguo and asked in a low voice, ¡°How are your casualties?¡± At the mention of this, the atmosphere in the crowd became gloomy. Yuan Yangguo tried his best to reply in a relaxed tone, ¡°On the first day we came, we didn¡¯t know the situation well and lost a lot of people, but the situation quickly improved. There are still 451 people left out of the 500.¡± Lin Ran nodded. ¡°Make a list of those who died. I¡¯ll ask His Majesty to pardon them and hold a funeral for them.¡± ¡°On behalf of those 49 brothers, thank you, Sword God!¡± Yuan Yangguo immediately knelt down to thank him. The other martial artists in the courtyard also knelt down. Just as Yuan Yangguo had said, they were sinners. If Lin Ran hadn¡¯t given them this chance, they would have long died under his sword. Once they rebelled, their families and even their descendants would be implicated! However, if they could obtain the empress¡¯s pardon, these problems would be resolved. This was also one of the important reasons why they were willing to agree to go to war. ¡°Get up. We agreed on this long ago.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and continued to ask Yuan Yangguo, ¡°Speaking of which, why are you here? According to the agreement, you¡¯re not allowed to appear anywhere outside the battlefield. After the war ends, you have to return to your sects immediately.¡± Yuan Yangguo¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°Sword God, we planned to leave after the Great Yong Dynasty retreated, but someone came to us with your sword token and asked us to wait for you here.¡± As he spoke, Yuan Yangguo took out a small jade sword. Although the sword intent in it had dissipated, Lin Ran could still recognize it as his sword token. ¡°Wait for me here?¡± Lin Ran frowned, feeling that something was wrong. He gave Huo Qiyun a total of six sword tokens. One of them was in the hands of the empress, and the other five were in the hands of the five people in charge of the sin camp. This idea was suggested by Huo Qiyun. With more people communicating, the Sin Camp would be able to react faster. Yuan Yangguo was one of the five people in charge. While Lin Ran was deep in thought, Yuan Yangguo waved at the crowd. Four more people walked out, each holding a sword token. Seeing the sword token the four of them were holding, Lin Ran felt that something was wrong. At this moment, Yuan Yangguo reached into his pocket again and took out an identical sword token. ¡°Six?!¡± Lin Ran subconsciously exclaimed. He had only given Huo Qiyun a total of six sword tokens. One of them was in the empress¡¯s hand now. There should only be five here! ¡°We also think that this is very strange.¡± Yuan Yangguo said in a low voice with a complicated expression, ¡°You only chose the five of us, so including Young Master Huo, there should only be six sword tokens.¡± Lin Ran immediately caught the main point. ¡°Isn¡¯t Huo Qiyun the one who went to see you?¡± Yuan Yangguo nodded and took out a small portrait from his sleeve. The lines were simple, but it was very vivid. Lin Ran took the portrait and studied it for a moment. It was impossible to tell the age of the person from the portrait, but Lin Ran was certain that he had no impression of this person. At the same time, Lin Ran realized something else. The six sword tokens here were not from the same batch. The sword tokens in the hands of Yuan Yangguo and the other four people in charge were relatively new, and the one in Lin Ran¡¯s hand, which was given to Yuan Yangguo by the mysterious person, was already slightly worn. ¡°Zou Hao?¡± Lin Ran suddenly thought of the sect master of the Dao Seeking Sect, Zou Hao. Previously, when he and Huo Qiyun went to the Dao Seeking Sect to visit, he had stored the cultivation technique ¡°Sword Flight¡± in a sword token and left it to the Dao Seeking Sect. These sword tokens were carved by Lin Ran using his sword intent. There were subtle differences between each sword token, so it was impossible for them to be fake. However, the person in the portrait was clearly not Zou Hao. Could it be that he was in danger or was already under someone¡¯s control, so he used this method to ask him for help? Thinking of what he had asked Zou Hao to investigate, Lin Ran¡¯s expression subconsciously turned solemn. Lin Ran already knew that Liu Hongshan was the one who turned more than 3,000 people into bones near Mount Sword back then, but Zou Hao didn¡¯t know that he had already found out the truth. It was very likely that he was in danger during the investigation! ¡°Where did you see this person?¡± Lin Ran asked in a low voice. Since the other party wanted to meet him, he might still be waiting there! Yuan Yangguo turned around and pointed at the city wall. ¡°North of the city wall, 70 miles away.¡± Lin Ran frowned. ¡°¡±Within the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yuan Yangguo nodded. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°At that time, we were chasing a group of deserters from the Great Yong Dynasty and unknowingly crossed the border.¡± ¡°Those deserters were led by a lieutenant. There were about 200 of them and they were very strong, but in the end, they were all wiped out by us in a forest¡­ That was when this person appeared.¡± Yuan Yangguo pointed at the portrait in Lin Ran¡¯s hand with a hint of fear on his face. ¡°He appeared among us out of thin air. At that time, there were more than 70 of us, but no one knew where he came from.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes. To be able to avoid the divine sense of a ninth level Senior Martial Master, this person had to be at least a Senior Grandmaster! Chapter 186 - 186 Predicting the future, actual combat or drill? 186 Predicting the future, actual combat or drill? Yuan Yangguo didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking. He continued as he recalled, ¡°At that time, other than suddenly appearing, he didn¡¯t show any strange behavior, so we weren¡¯t too vigilant.¡± ¡°I asked him if he was a martial artist of the Great Yong Dynasty, but he didn¡¯t answer. He only gave me this sword token and asked me to go to see you after the war¡­¡± At this point, Yuan Yangguo suddenly paused. He frowned slightly and looked hesitant, as if he had a difficult time saying something. ¡°What happened?¡± Lin Ran took the initiative to ask. Afraid that it was something private, he deliberately walked to a corner. As expected, Yuan Yangguo followed over. He lowered his voice and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Sword God, I suspect that that person is involved in the war that the Great Yong Dynasty started.¡± Lin Ran said, ¡°Oh?¡± as if he was very interested. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yuan Yangguo¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°That was the first day we rushed to the battlefield¡ªthe second night after the war began. The Heavenly Saint Dynasty had yet to defeat the enemy¡¯s first attack, and we had no idea what the direction of this war would be.¡± ¡°But that person insisted that I come to see you after the war. It¡¯s as if¡­ as if¡­¡± Yuan Yangguo hesitated again, as if he did not know how to describe it. ¡°It¡¯s as if he knew that the Great Yong Dynasty would retreat.¡± Lin Ran immediately continued the second half of Yuan Yangguo¡¯s sentence because this was easy to guess. Whether it was Fort Liushi or the city wall, it was only meaningful if it was placed at the border of the two countries. If this war continued, no matter who won or lost, the location of the border would change. The Northern Garrison would either give up on these cities or build new ones near the new border. Unless it was like now, before the border changed, the Great Yong Dynasty suddenly retreated¡ªand it could only be the Great Yong Dynasty taking the initiative to retreat. This was because if the Heavenly Saint Dynasty retreated, the Great Yong Dynasty might destroy the city. Yuan Yangguo nodded repeatedly at. After a few seconds, he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t believe this at first, but since I really saw you here, it means that that person did foresee all of this in advance, so I think¡­¡± At this point, Yuan Yangguo paused again. He turned around to look at the others. After making sure that no one was eavesdropping, he whispered, ¡°I think this might be a test from the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± ¡°Test?¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows and looked at Yuan Yangguo, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ¡°You¡¯re saying that their plan was to attack for three days and then abandon hundreds of thousands of soldiers before retreating? The Great Yong Dynasty doesn¡¯t have that much population, do they?¡± ¡°Sword God, I know what you¡¯re saying. They¡¯ve been laughing at me for a few days¡­¡± An awkward expression appeared on Yuan Yangguo¡¯s face. It turned out that he had lowered his voice not because he was afraid that others would eavesdrop, but because he was afraid that those people would laugh at him when they heard him talk about this. Without waiting for Lin Ran to speak, Yuan Yangguo said with a serious expression, ¡°But there¡¯s something strange. I realized that every time the Great Yong Dynasty launches a large-scale attack, there will be a small team of hundreds of people watching at the back. Moreover, they¡¯re all masters.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about the supervising team, right?¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and chuckled. ¡°Deserters are something that affects morale very much. Even if only one deserter appears, it might quickly cause the entire army to collapse. Therefore, in every large-scale war, especially this kind of country war, the supervising team will be arranged at the back of the army.¡± ¡°As long as a deserter appears on the battlefield, the supervising team will kill him immediately to prevent this fear from spreading. This is just a very normal thing. There¡¯s nothing strange about it.¡± ¡°Sword God, I joined the army before I went to Mount Baiyun to become a disciple. I know what a supervising team is¡­¡± Yuan Yangguo pursed his lips and replied softly. Before Lin Ran could say anything, he continued awkwardly, ¡°But those people are clearly not the supervising team. They didn¡¯t make a move at all. When they realized that their side was losing, they immediately retreated¡­ Oh, right! Those people¡¯s cultivation is clearly much higher than the main force at the front line!¡± As if afraid that Lin Ran wouldn¡¯t understand, Yuan Yangguo stretched out ten fingers and said, ¡°For example, while facing the main force, each one of us was able to fight ten of them at the same time.¡± ¡°But if it¡¯s the small team of a few hundred people at the back, it¡¯ll be difficult even if it¡¯s one-on-one. Sometimes, it¡¯ll even take two to three to fight one of them! Our 49 brothers died while chasing after that small team!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lin Ran also felt that something was wrong. To him, a ninth level Senior Martial Master was not considered a master, but on a battlefield where those above the Grandmaster Realm did not participate, this cultivation level was already the highest. The 500 people from Sin Camp could be said to be invincible on the battlefield. Even if they faced an equal number of elite troops, the death rate would not be as exaggerated as 10%¡ª Unless there were masters above the Grandmaster Realm in that small team! At the same time, Lin Ran recalled something else. He remembered that Guo Fuzhen was also seriously injured when he was chasing after the enemy. Now that he thought about it, there was something strange about that chase. The general of Northern Garrison personally led the troops to chase after the enemy. Under the premise that he had the advantage in morale and numbers, he was still severely injured by the enemy. If this matter were to spread to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, even a fool would not believe it. This was simply unbelievable! The only problem was that Lin Ran didn¡¯t know what Guo Fuzhen was facing before Yuan Yangguo and the others arrived that day. Thinking of this, Lin Ran instructed Guo Fuzhen, ¡°Get the others to return to their sects. In addition, bring one person in charge and choose 30 experienced martial artists. After you travel to a distance, change into the clothes of the Northern Garrison and come back secretly.¡± Yuan Yangguo didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran wanted to do, but he still nodded and walked towards the crowd. When Lin Ran returned to the hall, the empress and Guo Fuzhen were chatting. Seeing Lin Ran return, the empress held back her smile and asked in a low voice, ¡°Is the list ready?¡± Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°What list?¡± ¡°The list of people who died in the Sin Camp.¡± The empress pointed at Guo Fuzhen and said, ¡°General Guo said that the Sin Camp is always in the most dangerous place. Over the past few days, many of them have died. Those who died in battle died for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. I want to pardon them for their crimes.¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but look relieved. Previously, he was wondering how to tell the empress about this. After all, it was not a small crime to rebel. He didn¡¯t expect the empress to think the same way as him. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the list later. I have something very important to investigate first.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and changed the topic. Then, he looked at Guo Fuzhen and said, ¡°General Guo, can I ask you something?¡± Chapter 187 - 187 Doing It Myself 187 Doing It Myself Lin Ran looked at Guo Fuzhen and asked directly, ¡°General Guo, when you fought the Great Yong Dynasty previously, did you notice anything unusual?¡± ¡°Unusual?¡± Guo Fuzhen frowned slightly when he heard that. Then, he remained silent for a long time. Lin Ran was not surprised to see this. As the general, Guo Fuzhen had to observe the overall situation on the battlefield. This way, it was inevitable that he would miss out on some details. Moreover, that kind of team made up of a few hundred people was too similar to the supervising team. When Guo Fuzhen, who had been on the battlefield for decades, saw them, he naturally thought that they were an ordinary supervising team. However, just as Lin Ran was about to give him some hints, Guo Fuzhen suddenly slapped his thigh. ¡°I remember now! Every time The Great Yong Dynasty launches a large-scale attack, there will be a team of 100 to 300 people at the back!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes lit up. Instead of saying it explicitly, he continued to ask, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the supervising team?¡± ¡°Definitely not!¡± Guo Fuzhen replied firmly, ¡°That team is very strong. Most of them are on par with me. I was injured by one of them when I was chasing after them.¡± The empress nodded slightly. ¡°In that case, it¡¯s indeed not the supervising team.¡± Lin Ran blinked, not understanding. The empress explained, ¡°The supervising team is responsible for supervising the battle, so their cultivation is almost on par with the general. This is to ensure that no matter who is escaping the battlefield, the supervising team can kill him immediately.¡± ¡°However, the ultimate goal of a war is to win. If all the masters are gathered in the supervising team, it will undoubtedly affect the combat strength of the army. Therefore, in a supervising team, at most a few are masters. The rest are just there to make up the numbers.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Lin Ran nodded in understanding. Then, he felt a little embarrassed. He was already a deputy general of the Northern Garrison and had a commander¡¯s token that could mobilize 150,000 people, but he didn¡¯t even know this basic information. Fortunately, the empress did not really ask him to lead troops to war. She gave him the power to mobilize these 150,000 people just in case of emergency. Just as Lin Ran was deep in thought, the empress suddenly asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly asking this, Deputy General Lin? Did you discover something new?¡± After obtaining Guo Fuzhen¡¯s confirmation, Lin Ran was already certain that the Great Yong Dynasty had another motive for starting this war. Then, he repeated his conversation with Yuan Yangguo. With that, Lin Ran looked at Guo Fuzhen again. ¡°According to Yuan Yangguo, the strength of the main force of the Great Yong Dynasty is relatively low. I wonder if General Guo felt this way during the battle?¡± Guo Fuzhen thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Although the Great Yong Dynasty has a large number of soldiers, in terms of combat skills and courage, they are not much different from the commoners of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± ¡°When we first fought, I thought that the Great Yong Dynasty was intentionally holding back their military strength. However, after hearing Deputy General Lin¡¯s words, I feel that they might have other motives.¡± ¡°But why?¡± The empress asked in confusion, ¡°Even if the large army sent by the Great Yong Dynasty is made up of civilians, the hundreds of thousands of casualties are still real. Do they have so much population that they want to get rid of some?¡± ¡°That will have to be investigated.¡± Lin Ran sighed softly. He looked at the empress and said in a low voice, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m going to enter the territory of the Great Yong Dynasty later. It¡¯s not safe for you to stay here. Let me send you back to the palace as soon as possible.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to the Great Yong Dynasty?¡± The empress¡¯s expression changed and she immediately said, ¡°I want to go too!¡± ¡°No!¡± Lin Ran and Guo Fuzhen said in unison. After the two of them looked at each other, Guo Fuzhen was the first to speak. ¡°Your Majesty, the war has just ended. As the emperor of a country, how can you take the risk to enter an enemy country?¡± ¡°General Guo is right!¡± Lin Ran also chimed in. He couldn¡¯t say anything too harsh to the empress in front of Guo Fuzhen, but he already looked a little displeased. ¡°You can leave such a small matter to me. You¡¯re the emperor. How can you do such a dangerous thing yourself?¡± ¡°My dear ministers, there¡¯s no need to say anything else. I¡¯ve made up my mind!¡± The empress put on airs and waved her hand. ¡°Besides, with Deputy General Lin around, what danger can there be?¡± Seeing that the empress was putting on airs as the emperor, Lin Ran widened his eyes and wanted to curse. When he saw Guo Fuzhen, he suppressed his anger and gritted his teeth. ¡°General Guo, I have something to discuss with His Majesty. Can you leave first?¡± ¡°You are not allowed to go!¡± The empress immediately shouted. She had known Lin Ran for a long time and naturally knew what he was thinking. In front of Guo Fuzhen, Lin Ran would respectfully call her Your Majesty, but once Guo Fuzhen left, he would definitely tie her up and send her back to the palace. After being in a dilemma for a moment, Guo Fuzhen suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He held his chest and fell to the ground. ¡°Aiya! My old injury is acting up!¡± Lin Ran and the empress were speechless. They didn¡¯t expect Guo Fuzhen to put on such a bad show¡­ However, even if Guo Fuzhen¡¯s acting was a little bad, at least he had achieved his goal. A few soldiers rushed in and carried Guo Fuzhen away, leaving Lin Ran and the empress alone in the hall. ¡°You¡­¡± As soon as Lin Ran spoke, the empress suddenly stood up and hugged a pillar at the side. ¡°Don¡¯t come over! I won¡¯t go back no matter what! If you dare to use violence against me, I¡¯ll kill your entire family!¡± ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Lin Ran sneered. ¡°I have no parents or friends here. My entire family lives in your harem!¡± The empress was stunned for a moment before she understood what Lin Ran meant. She hugged the pillar even tighter. ¡°In any case, I won¡¯t leave! If you dare to kidnap me and bring me back to the palace, I¡¯ll go to the Great Yong Dynasty myself!¡± Seeing the empress¡¯s reaction, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°I¡¯m going to investigate, not to play. Why do you have to follow me?¡± The empress said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m the emperor of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Of course I have to do it myself!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that!¡± Suddenly, Lin Ran realized that something was wrong and looked at the empress with a scrutinizing gaze. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Lin Ran shouted and narrowed his eyes at the empress. He asked coldly in an emotionless tone, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you came not just because you are worried about the border soldiers, right?¡± The empress did not say anything, but her eyes were darting around. Lin Ran¡¯s heart sank. The empress was indeed hiding something from him! Chapter 188 - 188 Spirit Rhinoceros 188 Spirit Rhinoceros From a few years ago, when Lin Ran went to see the empress as the winner of the Martial Arts Examination, he had known the empress for a few years. Although the two of them did not interact much over the years, the two of them had been fighting side by side recently and had some understanding of each other. Lin Ran knew that as the emperor of a country, the empress must have a lot of secrets that she couldn¡¯t tell outsiders, so if she didn¡¯t want to tell him, he naturally wouldn¡¯t ask. However, the situation this time was different. The empress insisted on entering the enemy¡¯s territory. If anything happened, it would threaten the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty! Thinking of this, Lin Ran¡¯s expression suddenly turned serious. He stared at the empress and asked in a low voice, ¡°You know what the consequences of this will be, so I won¡¯t waste my breath on that. Tell me, what¡¯s your goal?¡± The empress still didn¡¯t speak, so Lin Ran didn¡¯t ask further. He flashed close and reached out to hold the empress¡¯s hand. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk, don¡¯t. I¡¯ll send you back to the palace.¡± ¡°How dare you! Lin Ran, how dare you!¡± The empress scolded, but her dignity as an emperor seemed to have lost its effect on Lin Ran. After saying that, she was pulled down from the pillar. ¡°Lin Ran! I¡¯m not going back!¡± The empress shouted and struggled with all her might, but she was too busy worrying about state affairs to cultivate. How could she be Lin Ran¡¯s match? Soon, Lin Ran escorted the empress to the door with one hand. Then, with a flash of white light, the black and white Yin-Yang Sword appeared in his hand. ¡°This is your last chance. Are you going to tell me or not?¡± ¡°Lin Ran! You bastard!¡± The empress gritted her teeth and cursed with a sobbing voice, ¡°I¡¯m the emperor! How can you treat me like this?!¡± ¡°This is for your own good.¡± Lin Ran replied indifferently. As he spoke, he raised his hand and threw out the Yin-Yang Sword, preparing to set off on his sword. When the empress saw the Yin-Yang Sword, she panicked. Her expression changed and she hurriedly shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you!¡± Clang¡ª The Yin-Yang Sword fell to the ground with a crisp sound. Lin Ran raised his hand and put it away. Then, he let go of the empress and said calmly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you cooperate earlier? Tell me, what do you want?¡± The empress staggered a few steps back and calmed down after walking away from the door. She glanced at Lin Ran and said with a dark expression, ¡°Lin Ran, do you know you¡¯re a bastard?!¡± ¡°My pleasure.¡± Lin Ran pressed his right hand on his left shoulder and bowed with a cheeky smile. Then, the smile on his face suddenly disappeared. ¡°Don¡¯t waste time. Tell me or leave.¡± The empress glared at Lin Ran again, then gritted her teeth and replied softly, ¡°I¡¯m going to look for my mother.¡± ¡°Mother?¡± Lin Ran was stunned. He didn¡¯t know much about the members of the royal family. He only knew that the empress¡¯s mother seemed to be a general and was the only female general in the army since the establishment of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. The empress rubbed her red and swollen wrist and nodded. Her eyes were slightly red. It was unknown if it was because of the pain or if it was because her mother reminded her of something. Seeing the empress like this, Lin Ran¡¯s tone softened. ¡°What happened to your mother? Was she kidnapped by someone from the Great Yong Dynasty?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The empress shook her head and looked past the door at the distant city wall. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes. ¡°Back then, when the Great Yong Dynasty started the war, the Northern Garrison was forced to retreat. At the critical moment, Mother was ordered to lead troops to resist.¡± ¡°That war lasted for a full three months. In the end, the Great Yong Dynasty was defeated. The border of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty extended 300 miles north. This city wall was completed after that war, but when the soldiers returned victorious, my mother was nowhere to be seen.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart softened. He tried his best to comfort the empress. ¡°Blades don¡¯t show any mercy. This is unavoidable¡­¡± ¡°No, my mother is still alive. I have evidence.¡± As the empress spoke, she reached into her pocket and took out a green jade hairpin. The surface of the hairpin was smooth. The entire hairpin was simple and elegant, and there was only a small iris carved at the end. Lin Ran narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is this the one I brought out of the secret area?¡± The empress nodded slightly and gently stroked the hairpin with her fingertips as she introduced, ¡°This hairpin is called the Spirit Rhinoceros. It looks like it¡¯s made of jade, but it¡¯s actually made of a beast horn called the Spirit Rhinoceros.¡± ¡°Spirit Rhinoceros always appears in pairs. If one dies, the other won¡¯t survive either. People use their rhinoceros horns to make hairpins. The man and woman in love will each take one to show their loyalty.¡± Lin Ran stroked his chin thoughtfully. ¡°It sounds quite romantic, but it¡¯s cruel to the Spirit Rhinoceros.¡± The empress took a deep breath and did not reply. She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°The process of making a spiritual rhinoceros is extremely cruel. First, you have to capture a pair of adult Spirit Rhinoceros and tie them up face to face. Then, you have to kill them in the cruelest way.¡± ¡°After seeing their loved ones being killed with their own eyes, the resentment of the rhinoceros will invade the rhinoceros horn and make it into a rhinoceros hairpin.¡± Lin Ran was speechless. Then, he smacked his lips with a complicated expression. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that romantic anymore.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± The empress nodded in agreement. ¡°Because the process is too cruel, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty prohibited this hundreds of years ago.¡± ¡°This pair of rhinoceros was offered by an antique merchant. It might be the last pair of Spirit Rhinoceros in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. The late emperor liked them very much, so he gave one to my mother. As for the other pair, it went missing after the late emperor died. Later, I found out that the late emperor might have personally taken it to the secret place before he died.¡± Lin Ran asked, ¡°You¡¯ve already tried to contact your mother with it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The empress nodded and paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°However, there are side effects to using the Spirit Rhinoceros. Because you have to completely immerse your mind in it, it¡¯s very easy to be affected by resentment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is the real reason why the making of Spirit Rhinoceros is forbidden, right?¡± Lin Ran sneered and mocked. Suddenly, his expression changed as he looked at the empress and probed, ¡°When I was still in the secret place, you said that you used a very dangerous method to contact me¡­ Did you use Spirit Rhinoceros?¡± Chapter 189 - 189 Water Can Carry a Boat, It Can Overturn a Boat 189 Water Can Carry a Boat, It Can Overturn a Boat ¡°As long as the longing in your heart is strong enough, even if the person you miss doesn¡¯t have Spirit Rhinoceros, you can still establish that connection. However, the success rate is not high, and I can¡¯t hear your voice.¡± A hint of worry appeared in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you¡­ alright?¡± ¡°So far, I¡¯m alright.¡± The empress smiled. ¡°So far, I¡¯ve only used Spirit Rhinoceros twice. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m worried about being affected by the resentment in it, but this pair of Spirit Rhinoceros is too old. There¡¯s not much resentment left in them.¡± Lin Ran immediately understood. ¡°So you want to go to the Great Yong Dynasty and use Spirit Rhinoceros again to confirm your mother¡¯s location?¡± The empress did not say anything and only nodded in agreement. ¡°I see.¡± Lin Ran covered his face and suddenly felt a little helpless. For the future of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, he could not let the empress take the risk. However, what could stop a girl from looking for her mother? The atmosphere became solemn, as if time had stopped flowing. After an unknown period of time, the empress suddenly spoke with a pleading tone, ¡°Lin Ran, please take me to the Great Yong Dynasty. I promise that after entering the Great Yong Dynasty, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± ¡°The thing is that I know nothing about the situation in the Great Yong Dynasty. I can¡¯t guarantee your safety even if you listen to me.¡± Lin Ran covered his face and replied in a low voice. After a moment, he reached out to the empress. ¡°Give it to me.¡± The empress was stunned. ¡°Give you what?¡± ¡°Spirit Rhinoceros.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he flashed forward and took the hairpin from the empress. ¡°Go back to the palace. I¡¯ll go find your mother.¡± The empress revealed a helpless expression. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to find her. You don¡¯t even know what my mother looks like.¡± ¡°Simple.¡± Lin Ran smiled as if he was already confident. ¡°If you make a mask and put it on, I¡¯ll know what your mother looks like.¡± ¡°Mask?¡± The empress frowned slightly and smiled stiffly. ¡°Are you crazy? Only skilled craftsmen can make human skin masks. How can I know such a thing?¡± ¡°Cut it out! You made that thing yourself!¡± Lin Ran waved his hand indifferently. ¡°Previously, I pretended to be Sword God and went to various sects. That mask has the smell of your bedroom. What craftsman can enter your bedroom?¡± The smile on the empress¡¯s face instantly disappeared. After a few seconds, she lowered her shoulders in frustration. ¡°I need some time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have plenty of time now.¡± Lin Ran nodded, and his eyes lit up. ¡°I happen to have something to arrange.¡± After leaving the empress to produce the mask, Lin Ran found Guo Fuzhen who was supervising the work on the observation platform at the edge of the city. ¡°General Guo.¡± Lin Ran shouted and handed over the White Tiger Token and everything else that could reveal his identity. ¡°I¡¯m going to the Great Yong Dynasty to investigate some things. Bringing these with me might cause unnecessary trouble. Please keep them for me for the time being.¡± When he said this, Lin Ran felt very awkward. After all, a while ago, he had just promised that he would protect the White Tiger Token with his life, Fortunately, Guo Fuzhen was understanding. He only nodded to show that he understood and took it over. After putting it away carefully, Guo Fuzhen probed, ¡°Deputy General Lin, what did His Majesty say?¡± ¡°His Majesty is preparing something. After that, I¡¯ll send His Majesty back to the palace.¡± Hearing that the empress was about to return to the palace, Guo Fuzhen heaved a sigh of relief. Then, Lin Ran asked about the situation at the border on the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s side. Although the two sides were dozens of kilometers apart, they had been scheming for so many years and had sent countless spies to each other. Therefore, Guo Fuzhen knew a little about it. After a brief introduction, Guo Fuzhen continued, ¡°Deputy General Lin, what I told you is just the usual situation. The war has just ended. Perhaps they will make some changes. You have to be careful.¡± Lin Ran nodded to show that he understood. After bidding farewell to Guo Fuzhen, he went back and saw a team of 30 people standing in the yard. The one in the lead was Yuan Yangguo who left a while ago. ¡°Sword God!¡± Seeing Lin Ran, Yuan Yangguo immediately came over. ¡°You asked us to go further away before coming back, so we went straight to Yinzhou City. We¡¯re not late, are we?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know where Yinzhou City was, but looking at how travel-worn these people were, he knew that it was definitely not close. He nodded. ¡°The time is just right. You guys rest for a while. I have to send His Majesty back to the palace first. We¡¯ll set off when I return!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Everyone agreed in unison. Lin Ran entered the hall and found the empress in a small room in the back hall. The empress was still wearing the black robe embroidered with golden dragon patterns, but her face had already changed. It was obvious that she was wearing a human skin mask. Perhaps because of the limited time and materials, this mask was really a little rough. Many places were uneven, and the color was not uniform in some places. However, it was enough to show what a person looked like. Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything. He leaned closer and looked at it carefully. Although this mask was very rough, he could tell that the empress¡¯s mother was also a rare beauty. She looked 60 to 70% similar to the empress, but her facial features were softer. She did not look like a general on the battlefield, but like a young lady from a wealthy family. Lin Ran quickly remembered it and said to the empress seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve remembered it. Leave this to me.¡± The empress nodded and did not say anything. Her eyes subconsciously drifted away, as if she still felt a little indignant. Seeing this, Lin Ran¡¯s heart softened, but he also knew that now was not the time to be soft-hearted. He took a deep breath and said in a serious tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if I find her, I¡¯ll definitely do my best to bring her back.¡± The empress was still looking somewhere in silence. Lin Ran knew that she was most likely angry at him, so he didn¡¯t say anything else. He changed the topic and reached out his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you back to the palace first.¡± ¡°You go first. Someone will send me back.¡± The empress finally spoke, but her voice was so low that it was almost inaudible, as if she was in a low mood. Lin Ran could understand how she felt, so he didn¡¯t say anything else. He just reminded her to be careful and turned to leave. When the door closed again, the empress suddenly heaved a long sigh of relief. Then, as if she was exhausted, she closed her eyes and collapsed on the chair. Chapter 190 - 190 Entrusted by Someone to be loyal 190 Entrusted by Someone to be loyal In the courtyard. As soon as Lin Ran arrived, Yuan Yangguo and the others, who were resting by the wall, immediately stood up. ¡°Sword God.¡± After Yuan Yangguo bowed, he looked behind Lin Ran in confusion. ¡°Where¡¯s His Majesty?¡± ¡°His Majesty is afraid of wasting our time and wants us to set off as soon as possible. Someone will send her back.¡± Lin Ran replied casually and did not notice that in the crowd behind Yuan Yangguo, someone was stealing glances at him with his head lowered. ¡°I see¡­¡± Yuan Yangguo nodded thoughtfully and changed the topic. ¡°Shall we set off now?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything. He looked at the gap in the wall in the distance and felt that something was wrong. ¡°Sigh¡­ Perhaps I¡¯m overthinking?¡± Lin Ran sighed and muttered to himself. Finally, he looked at everyone and said, ¡°Yuan Yangguo, come with me and lead the way. The rest of you, split into groups of five and set off at fifteen minutes intervals. Our place of gathering is the forest in the Great Yong Dynasty!¡± Everyone accepted the order in unison. Lin Ran added, ¡°This is a secret operation, so we can¡¯t be discovered by the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s border army. Once anyone is exposed, immediately return here, change into your clothes, and return to your respective sects. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With that, Lin Ran grabbed Yuan Yangguo and instantly disappeared. It was only about 70 miles from Fort Liushi to the forest that Yuan Yangguo mentioned. With Lin Ran¡¯s cultivation, it would only take him a moment to reach it. However, in order to avoid being discovered by the soldiers of the Great Yong Dynasty, Lin Ran could only fly to a height that was difficult to see with the naked eye. He used the continuous white clouds to cover his figure and reduce his speed so that he could suppress the fluctuations of his internal energy to an extremely low level. However, even if Lin Ran suppressed his speed, it was still as fast as lightning for Yuan Yangguo. Winds howled in his ears, and a large cloud slapped his face like a water curtain. All of this made Yuan Yangguo, who was only a Senior Martial Master, tremble in fear. If not for Lin Ran holding his shoulder, he would probably have slipped off the Yin Yang Sword! ¡°Sword God! Can we slow down?¡± The pale-faced Yuan Yangguo shouted at the top of his lungs. It was so noisy in the sky that no one could hear him. ¡°This is already very slow. If it¡¯s any slower, I¡¯ll fall!¡± Lin Ran grabbed Yuan Yangguo and replied casually. At the same time, he stared fixedly at the ground, as if he could still see the subtle changes on the ground through the thin clouds. In just a moment, Yuan Yangguo couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. He could only talk to distract himself. ¡°Sword God! Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Ask it.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t a master like you be indifferent to fame and fortune?¡± Before Lin Ran could speak, Yuan Yangguo hurriedly added, ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else! It¡¯s just that after other martial artists enter the Grandmaster Realm, they will choose to enter seclusion to cultivate in order to shatter the void and ascend as soon as possible.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve already reached the Half-Saint Realm. Not only did you not enter seclusion, but you are also running around all day for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Why?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lin Ran was speechless. He had really never thought of this. He had transmigrated to this world and did not have much interest in things like shattering the void and ascending. Therefore, although he had been cultivating seriously, he had never thought of reaching a certain realm. However, if this was the only reason, Lin Ran wouldn¡¯t waste his time helping the empress, so there must be another reason. He was not very utilitarian, so his reason was definitely not to get promoted or make a name for himself¡­ ¡­ After a long while, Lin Ran finally gave his answer. ¡°This is a promise I made to a senior.¡± Lin Ran thought of the Sword God¡¯s letter. Now, he knew that most of the content in the letter was added by Liu Hongshan. However, the sword manual and the words ¡°protect the person wearing the ruby necklace¡± were really left behind by the Ten Miles Sword God before he died. Since he had inherited the legacy of the Ten Miles Sword God, he naturally had to do this well. As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Yangguo suddenly shouted, ¡°We flew past it!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lin Ran quickly looked down. He saw that on the ground a few thousand feet below, a forest that covered an area of about ten kilometers was quickly retreating! Lin Ran grabbed Yuan Yangguo and arrived hundreds of feet above the forest in a few flashes There was no longer any cloud here to take cover, but there was no one around, so Lin Ran didn¡¯t have to worry about being exposed. Controlling the Yin-Yang Sword to descend, the two of them quickly landed in the middle of the forest. Putting down Yuan Yangguo, who was about to faint from fear, Lin Ran began to size up the forest. He didn¡¯t feel anything when he looked down from the sky previously. Now that he was in the forest, Lin Ran realized how spectacular this terrain was. As far as the eye could see, countless grayish-white stone pillars pierced into the sky like inverted stalactites. The thinnest one was about the size of Lin Ran¡¯s thigh, and the thickest one probably needed five or six people to wrap their arms around it. Every time he saw such a scene, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the wonders of nature. However, before he could admire it for long, a voice that had been silent for a long time suddenly sounded in his mind. [Ding!] [Special location detected. The host is in the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s Thousand Blades City.] [Host, do you want to sign in?] Chapter 191 - 191 Theres Always Someone Better 191 There¡¯s Always Someone Better Ever since the system was activated in the Eight Directional Mountain last time, it had been silent for a long time. Now that he suddenly heard the system¡¯s voice, Lin Ran was not used to it. After a few seconds, Lin Ran came back to his senses. However, Lin Ran ignored the system because he had already figured out the pattern of signing in. Every time a new location was detected, especially a special location, the reward for signing in for the first time would be the best. If he used the divine sword he had never signed in for the first time, the chances of obtaining a top-grade reward would also increase greatly. It was not easy to find a ¡°special location¡±. In any case, he had already figured out the route. It was not too late to find a new divine sword and come back to sign in later. Lin Ran calmed himself down and was about to ask Yuan Yangguo where he saw that mysterious person when he suddenly paused. He turned around and saw a young man in white standing on a stone pillar a hundred steps away. That person was dressed in white. At first glance, Lin Ran thought that it was Huo Qiyun, but when he took a closer look, he knew that it wasn¡¯t. This was because that person looked clearly much more mature than Huo Qiyun. The white-robed young man stood tall and straight on the stone pillar, as if he had been there since the beginning. The wind blew his clothes up, making him look like he was standing on the cloud. There was a faint smile on the young man¡¯s lips. Other than his sinister expression, he looked like a gentle scholar. ¡°Stop lying on your stomach. The enemy is here.¡± Lin Ran looked at the young man in white from afar and said to Yuan Yangguo, who was behind him. With just a glance, he was certain that the white-robed young man was the mysterious person Yuan Yangguo had met previously. His sinister eyes were exactly the same as the one in the portrait. Before Yuan Yangguo could respond, the white-robed young man suddenly leaned forward and fell to the ground with his head facing down! Lin Ran¡¯s heart tightened. Although he didn¡¯t expect to find this person so easily, if he fell to his death here, Lin Ran would have come here for nothing. Fortunately, what Lin Ran was worried about did not happen. The white-robed young man fell to the ground like a meteor. However, when he was about ten feet away from the ground, he suddenly turned in the air and landed gracefully. ¡°Are you Lin Ran?¡± As soon as the young man in white landed, he asked. His voice crossed nearly a hundred steps and entered Lin Ran¡¯s ears. Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and nodded expressionlessly. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Xuan Wushang.¡± Xuan Wushang bowed in a strange manner. Then, he stretched out two fingers on his right hand and took out a piece of cloth that was two fingers wide and nearly a foot long from his left sleeve. ¡°Do you recognize this?¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and looked at it for a moment. Then, he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m too far away to see clearly. Can I go closer?¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Xuan Wushang smiled, and the sinisterness in his eyes seemed to have faded a lot. ¡°This distance is very good. Let¡¯s not ruin this harmony.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Xuan Wushang raised his hand gently, and the cloth was blown into the air by a breeze. Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn. He did not feel any internal energy fluctuation from Xuan Wushang, but the cloth seemed to have eyes and was slowly flying towards him! There were only two possibilities. Firstly, Xuan Wushang cultivated some kind of secret technique that allowed him to control wind and use a very small amount of internal energy to send out the cloth. Secondly, Xuan Wushang¡¯s cultivation was not inferior to Lin Ran¡¯s. Even in the entire world, there were very few people who could enter the Half-Saint Realm. However, Lin Ran had never seen a cultivation technique that could be used without any weapon. Therefore, even if Lin Ran didn¡¯t want to admit it, he was still more inclined to believe the latter possibility. While he was thinking, the cloth was already in front of him. Lin Ran grabbed it and realized that it was a sword belt woven of sisal. The texture of the sword belt was tough and resistant to wear. In the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, many martial artists would use this sword belt to keep the sword. However, the craftsmanship of this sword belt was very exquisite. There were golden threads sewn on the edges. It was clearly not something ordinary martial artists could afford. ¡°Is it Zou Hao¡¯s?¡± Xuan Wushang revealed an expression that looked like he was neither smiling nor angry. ¡°As expected, he was sent by you.¡± Lin Ran asked coldly, ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°In a very safe place¡ªfor us, at least.¡± Xuan Wushang smiled and the sinister expression returned to his face. ¡°I advise you to stop investigating. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences.¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly. ¡°What do you mean? Investigate what?¡± This time, Xuan Wushang did not answer. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew over, causing his robe to flutter and wrapping his entire body in clouds. Then, he quietly disappeared into the thin air. Lin Ran¡¯s eyes widened and he instantly arrived where Xuan Wushang was standing in a flash, but there was no longer anyone around. His vast divine sense swept out and instantly covered a radius of a few kilometers. However, he did not find any signs of anyone passing by. Only then did Lin Ran really become nervous. All along, although he had never behaved arrogantly, in the depths of his heart, he did have the thought of being the number one in the world. After all, even Grandmaster Realm martial artists were rare in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. As a sixth level Half-Saint, why couldn¡¯t he be conceited? However, in just a few minutes, this meeting with Xuan Wushang had overturned Lin Ran¡¯s understanding of this world. It reminded him of an old saying, ¡°There¡¯s always someone better.¡± After being shocked for a moment, Lin Ran wanted to ask for Yuan Yangguo¡¯s opinion. After all, although his cultivation was ordinary, he always seemed to be able to notice some details others couldn¡¯t. However, as Lin Ran turned around, he saw that Yuan Yangguo had fainted at some point. ¡°Sigh¡­ Huo Qiyun is more reliable!¡± Lin Ran sighed and was about to step forward when he suddenly sensed something and looked up at the sky. He saw more than ten black dots flying towards him at an extremely fast speed! Chapter 192 - 192 A Big Shot Under the Mask 192 A Big Shot Under the Mask The dozen or so black dots were extremely fast, as if they were being chased by someone. When Lin Ran first saw them, they were still more than ten miles away, but in just a moment, they arrived in front of him. They were the 30 martial artists he had arranged previously. After recognizing the people, Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly turned solemn. Previously, he had instructed these people to set off in groups of five because he was worried that they would be discovered by the Great Yong Dynasty border. In the end, they came in flocks. Unless the archers at the Great Yong Dynasty border were blind, they could spot them even with their eyes closed! Lin Ran hurriedly sent out his divine sense in the direction where they came from, but he didn¡¯t find anyone chasing after them. ¡°Could it be that they¡¯re too fast for the Great Yong Dynasty to catch up?¡± Lin Ran was puzzled. At the same time, the dozen or so people in the air saw him and landed. ¡°Sword God!¡± As soon as everyone landed, one of the young men went forward to greet him. ¡°Xiang Tiancong from the Immortal Cliff Cave?¡± Lin Ran asked tentatively. As soon as the other party nodded, he slapped him on the head. He gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°What did I tell you? I asked you to set off in groups of five at fifteen minutes intervals. Are you afraid that the Great Yong Dynasty can¡¯t notice you so you swarmed over?¡± ¡°Sword God, we¡­¡± Xiang Tiancong looked aggrieved, but just as he spoke, someone in the crowd suddenly coughed lightly. Hearing the cough, Xiang Tiancong¡¯s expression immediately changed. He nodded obediently and admitted his mistake. ¡°Sword God, it¡¯s our fault, but don¡¯t worry. I can guarantee that we are not discovered!¡± Lin Ran ignored him and looked at the crowd where the light cough came from. Then, he realized something strange. These dozen or so people surrounded one person in the middle. No matter from which angle, it was hard to see that person¡¯s figure and appearance. Lin Ran raised his chin at the crowd and glanced at Xiang Tiancong. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Xiang Tiancong pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything, but his reaction clearly showed that something was wrong. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to ask him anymore. He walked to the front of the crowd and swept his sharp gaze across everyone¡¯s faces. The dozen or so people looked at each other before silently retreating to the side. As soon as the people dispersed, the ¡°big shot¡± in the middle was revealed. It was a skinny young man who looked to be in his early twenties. Without the cover of others, the young man immediately lowered his head, not daring to look Lin Ran in the eye. Unfortunately, he was still a step slower. When he lowered his head, Lin Ran had already seen his face clearly. Almost instantly, Lin Ran frowned. Lin Ran found this young man familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember exactly who he was. If he was from one of the larger sects, such as Mount Baiyun or Immortal Cliff Cave, Lin Ran could call him by his name. However, he couldn¡¯t call this young man by his name, which meant that the sect he belonged to was not famous. How could a small fry from a small sect be protected by so many people? Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and released a faint pressure. ¡°Who are you?¡± The young man did not speak, but his head was lowered even deeper, looking like he was bowing. Lin Ran was about to interrogate further when his eyes suddenly widened. He noticed a small bulge on the side of the young man¡¯s left earlobe. If others saw this, they might not think too much of it, but Lin Ran was too familiar with what it was. It was the part where one grabbed to strip off the human skin mask! Without this small bulge, it was nearly impossible to strip off the human skin mask after wearing it. Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly turned ugly because he was suddenly struck by an idea. Without hesitation, Lin Ran reached out and grabbed the bulge. At the same time, the young man took a step back in shock. With a soft sound, the human skin was stripped off, and the young man finally revealed his true appearance. He had sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, fair skin, and cherry lips. Although he looked a little feminine, he also had a heroic aura that ordinary men did not have. The air instantly froze. A hint of embarrassment appeared on the empress¡¯s face. After a few seconds, she pretended to be calm and said, ¡°Lord Lin, what a coincidence. You¡¯re also here¡­¡± ¡°Yes, what a coincidence.¡± Lin Ran replied expressionlessly. At this moment, he felt that he was about to explode with anger. He twirled the human skin mask in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to explain?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The empress was speechless for a moment. Her clear eyes darted to Xiang Tiancong and the others, but no one dared to say anything. They looked up at the sky as if it was none of their business and quietly hid behind the surrounding stone pillars. Seeing that no one was willing to help, the empress¡¯s eyes darkened. She muttered to herself, ¡°These cowards. How dare they disobey my order!¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± Lin Ran said coldly, his gaze piercing. He lowered his voice and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, ¡°Did I not make myself clear? Or do you not know where this place is and how dangerous this operation is?¡± Seeing that Lin Ran didn¡¯t fly into a rage, the empress immediately relaxed a little. She frowned slightly and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t bring me along. I had no choice but to do this¡­¡± At this point, the empress suddenly said seriously, ¡°I was the one who planned this. They were just following the order. I know you¡¯re very angry now, but please don¡¯t blame them.¡± ¡°You put yourself in great danger and yet you are still worried about others.¡± Lin Ran was so angry that he laughed. After thinking for a moment, he looked at the empress. ¡°The one I saw in the general¡¯s residence was not you, right? You deliberately made that mask very rough so that I would not pay attention to your actual face shape.¡± The empress bit her lower lip and did not say anything, but this reaction said it all. ¡°No wonder the person under the mask kept quiet and spoke very softly. It turns out that he was afraid that I would find out¡­¡± Lin Ran understood this and was speechless. As the emperor of a country, why didn¡¯t the empress spend her time thinking about how to deal with the Great Yong Dynasty? Why did she have to play tricks with him all day? Chapter 193 - 193 Its All Nonsense 193 It¡¯s All Nonsense Even Lin Ran had to admit that he was fooled by the empress. However, the fact that she was too weak to participate in this operation was unquestionable. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to stay here. I¡¯ll send you back to the palace.¡± After saying that, Lin Ran held the empress¡¯s hand and was about to set off. Reasoning with unreasonable people was never going to work. ¡°We can¡¯t go back. At least not now.¡± The empress suddenly spoke with a smug smile. ¡°I changed your plan.¡± ¡°I asked half of the team to attract the attention of the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s garrison, while the other half took the opportunity to cross the border. The border of the Great Yong Dynasty is tightly guarded. If you want to return to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty quietly, you have to wait until tomorrow morning at the earliest!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed. Just now, he was wondering why there was no one chasing after the team when they swarmed over in such a big group. It turned out that the border soldiers of the Great Yong Dynasty were lured away. With this move, the empress had completely cut off their path of retreat¡ªat least until the Great Yong Dynasty let down their guard. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Lin Ran suddenly turned to look at the empress. With a dark expression, he said angrily, ¡°This is the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s territory. Every moment we stay here, we¡¯ll be in greater danger.¡± The empress was shocked by Lin Ran¡¯s aura. She was stunned for a few seconds before saying softly, ¡°It¡¯s not that dangerous, right? If no one discovers that we¡¯ve crossed the border, we¡¯ll be fine¡­¡± ¡°What makes you so confident?¡± Lin Ran interrupted the empress and looked at the sky in the distance. ¡°If it¡¯s so easy to sneak across the border, will the spies in charge of obtaining information lose their life?¡± The empress¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked in the direction Lin Ran was looking at and realized that in the distant sky, a few inconspicuous black dots were approaching. ¡°We¡¯ve been discovered.¡± Lin Ran sighed and looked at the empress with a complicated expression. Then, he instructed loudly, ¡°Xiang Tiancong! Get everyone to find a place to hide ten miles away. Gather here after dark!¡± Lin Ran held the empress¡¯s hand again. ¡°Come with me and close your eyes.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them disappeared on the spot. At the same time, Xiang Tiancong and the others immediately scattered to find hiding places in groups of two. When the black dots on the horizon arrived at the forest, it was already empty. Seven miles south of the forest. On a banyan tree that had been growing for hundreds of years, Lin Ran used his sword energy to open up a space. Although it was not big, it was more than enough for him and the empress to hide. He glanced at the empress and said sarcastically, ¡°The conditions here are not comparable to the palace. Your Majesty, please make do with it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve never been pampered since I was young. It¡¯s fine as long as I have a place to rest.¡± The empress replied very formally. Then, she lay down and immediately made a comfortable sound. ¡°Get up!¡± Lin Ran reached out and pulled the empress up. He glared at her and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m being sarcastic. Can¡¯t you tell? Do you think I¡¯m really being nice?¡± There was no one else here, so Lin Ran¡¯s attitude was not so good. The empress knew that she was in the wrong and did not dare to retort. She silently hugged her knees and sat in a corner, her eyes filled with tears. Lin Ran was dumbfounded. This was the first time he had seen the empress so weak and helpless. He quickly comforted her, ¡°I, I didn¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s just that this place is dangerous. You¡¯re the emperor¡­¡± ¡°Can you stop calling me Emperor?¡± The empress suddenly looked up at Lin Ran. Her eyes were filled with tears, but her eyes were sparkling. ¡°Everyone thinks that being an emperor means having supreme status and power, but in my opinion, it¡¯s an invisible shackle!¡± ¡°You all think that an emperor can do whatever he wants, but other than bringing peace and stability to the dynasty, do you know how many things I¡¯m not allowed to do?¡± Seeing the tears in the empress¡¯s eyes, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be moved. After a moment of silence, he asked softly, ¡°Do you know why the martial artists of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty prefer swords?¡± ¡°Sword is straight, representing the righteous path the martial artists take. The blade is sharp, but it¡¯s not as formidable as a machete.¡± The empress replied without thinking. ¡°Well said, but it¡¯s all nonsense.¡± Lin Ran sneered and raised his hand to summon the Yin-Yang Sword. He rubbed the sword with his fingertips and said softly, ¡°The sword has two blades. It can hurt the friend and the foe.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the sword reminds the martial artist that when they want something, they¡¯re destined to lose something.¡± Before the empress could dwell on what Lin Ran meant, Lin Ran put away the Yin-Yang Sword and shrugged. ¡°But what I said just now was nonsense too. See, what people think is not important, so don¡¯t care about that. Just be yourself.¡± The empress didn¡¯t want to argue with him. She changed the topic and asked softly, ¡°Do you want to go back to the forest to take a look first? Aren¡¯t you coming there to look for someone?¡± ¡°What a coincidence. As soon as I arrived at the forest, that person appeared.¡± Lin Ran smiled with a complicated expression. Then, he roughly explained how he asked Zou Hao to investigate the matter relating to the bones in the villages around Mount Sword. After a pause, Lin Ran said thoughtfully, ¡°Previously, I thought that Liu Hongshan was the one who wiped out the villages, but now, I suddenly have a feeling that there¡¯s probably more to this matter.¡± The empress frowned slightly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know.¡± Lin Ran shook his head helplessly. ¡°After talking to Xuan Wushang, I suddenly had this feeling.¡± ¡°Who did you say?¡± The empress suddenly exclaimed. Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before replying in confusion, ¡°Xuan Wushang, the mysterious person Yuan Yangguo mentioned.¡± ¡°How could you possibly have met him?¡± The empress¡¯s widened eyes were filled with shock and confusion, as if she had heard something unbelievable. Even her voice was trembling slightly. ¡°Xuan Wushang¡­ is the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty!!!¡± Chapter 194 - 194 The Mysterious Emperor 194 The Mysterious Emperor Hearing that Xuan Wushang was actually the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty, Lin Ran stood up in shock. ¡°What did you say?!¡± The empress also looked surprised, but there was still suspicion in her eyes. ¡°Are you sure that person¡¯s name is Xuan Wushang? What does he look like?¡± ¡°He¡¯s tall and thin. He looks quite young, but his eyes are sinister and make people uncomfortable. One look and you can tell that he¡¯s not a good person¡­¡± Lin Ran recalled the scene when he met Xuan Wushang and suddenly clapped his hands. ¡°By the way, his robe is a little strange. It flutters without wind and looks like a cloud.¡± ¡°That robe is called ¡®Fluttering Cloud¡¯. It¡¯s a secret treasure passed down from generation to generation in the Great Yong Imperial Family.¡± The empress said with a solemn expression. Although her voice was very soft, one could still hear the nervousness in it. ¡°The fact he is wearing Fluttering Cloud means that he is indeed Xuan Wushang.¡± After receiving the empress¡¯s confirmation, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t remain calm. It had to be known that the forest was thousands of kilometers away from the capital of the Great Yong Dynasty. As the emperor of a country, why did Xuan Wushang come here instead of staying in the palace? However, looking at the empress in front of him, Lin Ran was no longer puzzled. ¡°You emperors are really interesting.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he pinched the space between his eyebrows. ¡°Why did you want to come to such a remote place instead of staying in the luxurious palace?¡± The empress ignored Lin Ran¡¯s sarcastic remark and said solemnly with a frown, ¡°Xuan Wushang is a very ambitious person. Ever since he ascended the throne 30 years ago, he has provoked war against our Heavenly Saint Dynasty several times¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Lin Ran suddenly raised his hand and said suspiciously, ¡°Did you just say that Xuan Wushang has been on the throne for 30 years?¡± The empress nodded slightly. Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Um¡­ can I ask how many years you¡¯ve been on the throne?¡± The empress¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°I am just curious!¡± Lin Ran quickly shook his head, thinking to himself that no matter what world it was, the topic of ¡°age¡± was always a taboo for women. After rolling her eyes at Lin Ran, the empress continued, ¡°The few wars that Xuan Wushang provoked previously ended in failure. However, now that the Great Yong Dynasty has just retreated in defeat, he appeared near the border. I¡¯m afraid he really has some ulterior motive.¡± ¡°I think it has something to do with the bones.¡± Lin Ran analyzed, ¡°He lured me here this time to warn me not to investigate this matter anymore. If this was just Liu Hongshan¡¯s own doing, would the emperor need to personally intervene?¡± ¡°That being said, there are always exceptions.¡± The empress sighed and looked at Lin Ran with a complicated expression. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Liu Hongshan is also a Half-Saint. Martial artists like you and him are extremely important to any country.¡± What the empress said made sense. Lin Ran nodded and did not say anything else. After a moment of silence, the empress suddenly asked, ¡°Do you have Spirit Rhinoceros with you?¡± Lin Ran nodded and took out Spirit Rhinoceros. ¡°This place is too far from the central region of the Great Yong Dynasty. If you want to find your mother, I suggest you wait a little longer. After we meet up with Yuan Yangguo and the others, I¡¯ll let them go back first before bringing you to the central region of the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± The empress suddenly revealed a playful smile. ¡°Does that mean you agree to let me stay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that if I don¡¯t agree, you¡¯ll cause me more trouble!¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and replied helplessly. As he spoke, he prepared to put away Spirit Rhinoceros. ¡°Give it to me.¡± The empress suddenly said, ¡°There is an agreement between me and my mother. Once I enter the territory of the Great Yong Dynasty, I¡¯ll contact her, and she will tell me where she is.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything and handed Spirit Rhinoceros over. The empress took the hairpin and pricked her finger with the tip of it. She squeezed out a drop of blood and applied it to the iris pattern on the hairpin. ¡°I need to focus for a while. Try not to make too much noise.¡± Lin Ran nodded to show that he understood. At the same time, he spread his divine sense a thousand steps away. The empress also put the hairpin in the middle of her black hair. Just as the empress put down her hand, the hairpin emitted a green halo. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be vigilant. Fortunately, this halo was inconspicuous during the day. If it was at night, this halo would definitely expose their location instantly! ¡­ In the palace in the capital of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Li Tianyi leaned against the pillar and stood at the door of the imperial study with a gloomy expression. He looked up at the sky with listless eyes and held the tai chi whisk in one hand while massaging his legs with the other. At this moment, a red-robed official entered the courtyard. This person was Song Rentong. Ever since Zhang Yueheng was executed by the empress for malfeasance, he was promoted to the position of the new Grand Secretary. When Li Tianyi saw who it was, he hurriedly stood up and staggered forward. ¡°Lord Song, you¡¯ve been promoted to Grand Secretary. You¡¯re really second only to one person and above tens of thousands of people. I have to serve His Majesty at all times, so I can¡¯t pay you a visit to congratulate you. I hope you won¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Eunuch Li, what are you talking about? If you didn¡¯t recommend me to His Majesty, how could I be so lucky?¡± Song Rentong chuckled. While shaking hands with Li Tianyi, he passed a pair of high-quality cat¡¯s eye gems to him without anyone noticing. Li Tianyi opened a gap between his fingers. After seeing what was on his palm, his haggard face turned glowy. ¡°Lord Song, you¡¯re being too generous!¡± Song Rentong chuckled and raised his eyebrows in the direction of the imperial study. ¡°It¡¯s been two days, but His Majesty hasn¡¯t shown up yet.¡± At the mention of this, Li Tianyi¡¯s bright eyes dimmed again. He sighed and said softly, ¡°You¡¯re right! His Majesty stayed in the imperial study for two days, and I stayed here for two days. My legs are about to break!¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ His Majesty must be worried about state affairs.¡± Song Rentong also sighed. Then, he said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ve been in office for two days. It seems like I won¡¯t be able to see His Majesty and show my gratitude today either!¡± ¡°Lord Song, there¡¯s no need¡­¡± Li Tian wanted to comfort him, but he suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Song Rentong waited but didn¡¯t hear Li Tianyi continue. When he looked up, he saw Li Tianyi frowning at the sky. He couldn¡¯t help but follow his gaze. A white cloud had floated over from the blue sky in the distance. There was naturally nothing strange about a white cloud. What was strange was that this white cloud was drifting lower and lower, almost falling to the ground! Chapter 195 - 195 Ransom 195 Ransom The white cloud fell to the ground. ¡°Lord Song¡­¡± Li Tianyi said softly with a strange expression, ¡°Am I hallucinating? Why did I see a cloud fall?¡± ¡°Eunuch Li, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t think you are hallucinating.¡± Song Rentong subconsciously replied, ¡°Because I saw it too.¡± As the two of them spoke, the white cloud had already landed dozens of feet above the ground. Then, it quietly floated towards the imperial study. Li Tianyi and Song Rentong just stared blankly, forgetting to call for the guards. A moment later, the white cloud landed on the arch of the courtyard of the imperial study. The surging cloud gradually calmed down, and a slightly thin figure gradually appeared. It was a young man in his early twenties standing at the arch. If not for his sinister expression, he would have looked like a weak scholar. At this moment, Li Tianyi finally realized the danger. However, just as he was about to call the guards, his neck seemed to be grabbed by an invisible hand and he could not make a sound! ¡°Shh¡ª¡± The scholar stretched out a slender finger and put it to his lips. At the same time, a faint and extremely cold pressure rippled from the scholar¡¯s body. Li Tianyi and Song Rentong instantly felt goosebumps all over their bodies, as if countless cold vipers were slowly squirming on their bodies! Plop! Li Tianyi¡¯s legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground. Then, Song Rentong, who was at the Martial Master Realm, sat down weakly. The two of them looked at the scholar in horror. The sunlight shone on his white robe, as if it was coated with a layer of holy light. However, to the two of them in the courtyard, this scholar was simply more terrifying than a demon that had crawled out of hell! ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am.¡± The scholar spoke softly. ¡°All you need to know is that your emperor is in the hands of the Great Yong Dynasty. If you want to keep him safe, get the Northern Garrison to retreat 300 miles and hand over 15 cities as ransom.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the scholar¡¯s sinister gaze landed on Song Rentong. ¡°You should be a high-ranking official. I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. How about that?¡± After all, Song Rentong was the Grand Secretary of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. When he first saw this scholar, he was overwhelmed by fear, but at this moment, he had basically calmed down. Hearing this, Song Rentong¡¯s expression darkened. He stared at the white-robed scholar and asked coldly, ¡°Who are you? How dare you talk nonsense here? Do you know what crime you are committing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m from the Great Yong Dynasty. The rules of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty don¡¯t apply to me.¡± The scholar replied patiently. ¡°How dare you!¡± Song Rentong roared fiercely. Under the pressure of the scholar, he forced himself up! ¡°Eh?¡± A hint of surprise flashed across the scholar¡¯s eyes, as if he had seen something unbelievable. However, this surprise quickly disappeared and was replaced by a faint disdain. Under Li Tianyi¡¯s shocked gaze, Song Rentong glared at the scholar and slowly stood up. However, this simple movement put a huge burden on him. He felt as if he was carrying a mountain on his shoulders. All his bones and muscles were groaning in pain. A few veins popped out on his forehead like vipers, but he gritted his teeth to endure it and stood up straight. ¡°The palace of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty is not a place where you can come and go at will!¡± Song Rentong let out a furious roar through gritted teeth, his eyes already bloodshot. ¡°Where are the imperial guards! Kill this criminal together with me!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the ground under Song Rentong¡¯s feet exploded, and he shot up like a cannonball! Almost instantly, Song Rentong jumped onto the arch, but there was still a faint smile on the scholar¡¯s face, as if he did not notice the danger approaching. Clang! A cold light shot out from Song Rentong¡¯s waist and swept across the scholar¡¯s chest. It was so fast and powerful that it even left a faint black mark in the air, as if this sword had cut open the air! In the courtyard, Li Tianyi¡¯s face was filled with shock. He did not expect the new Grand Secretary to be so powerful. The scholar¡¯s slightly thin figure was split into two. Through the gap in the middle, he could even see the blue sky in the distance! Before Li Tianyi could cheer, Song Rentong, who was on the arch, swayed a few times and fell to the ground, as if this strike had exhausted all his strength. ¡°Lord Song!¡± Li Tianyi exclaimed and was about to step forward when he suddenly heard a soft sigh. ¡°What an arrogant fellow. How can a mortal like you hurt the cloud?¡± The voice came from the arch. Although it was very soft, Li Tianyi could still hear it clearly. At the thought of something, Li Tian raised his head in shock and saw that the scholar was still standing on the arch. His split body was pieced together by the cloud, and he returned to normal! At the same time, the palace guards who heard the shout finally arrived, and thousands of sword energy swept out. Boom! A deafening bang echoed through the palace, and the arch instantly turned into ruins. Dust billowed up, but when the dust was blown away by the wind, the white-robed scholar was still standing in the air unscathed. Looking at the dumbfounded people below, the scholar shrugged innocently, as if to say, ¡°Look, I told you that you can¡¯t hurt me.¡± The air was instantly filled with dead silence. Under the solemn atmosphere, even the dust seemed to have stopped moving. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time.¡± The scholar said with a smile, not hiding the contempt in his tone. His sinister gaze glanced at the imperial study not far away. ¡°I¡¯m just here to deliver a message. If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you go in to confirm if your emperor is still around?¡± Li Tianyi¡¯s expression changed slightly when he heard this. Just now, Song Rentong dared to attack decisively because he did not believe that the scholar had the ability to abduct the emperor. Li Tianyi actually did not believe it either because he had been guarding outside the imperial study for the past two days. If someone sneaked in and kidnapped the emperor, even if he could not stop it, he would have noticed it, right? However, now that he saw the strength of this white-robed scholar, Li Tianyi could not help but have a bad feeling. He hurriedly turned around and ran into the imperial study. Without caring about the etiquette, he knocked open the door and rushed in! With just a glance, Li Tianyi dropped to the ground as if his bones had been removed. The guards did not follow, but when they saw his reaction, they understood. For a moment, their expressions were extremely dark! A heavy atmosphere filled the air. In the air, the corners of the white-robed scholar¡¯s mouth slowly curled into a sly smile. ¡°Hand over 15 cities and retreat 300 miles.¡± As soon as the white-robed scholar finished speaking, his figure disappeared like a cloud. Chapter 196 - 196 Broken Corpse 196 Broken Corpse In the Great Yong Dynasty, seven miles away from the border. A small space was opened up on the tree. Lin Ran sat in a corner with his eyes closed to rest. Suddenly, he heard a sigh. When he opened his eyes, he saw that the empress had already taken off the hairpin. Seeing the empress¡¯s sad expression, Lin Ran frowned slightly. ¡°It didn¡¯t work?¡± The empress nodded silently. Lin Ran sighed and tried his best to say in a relaxed tone, ¡°Maybe she¡¯s busy. Let¡¯s try again later.¡± The empress didn¡¯t say anything. She looked at Lin Ran and asked softly, ¡°What do we do next?¡± Lin Ran raised his hand and pushed aside a few branches. When he saw that the sky outside had already begun to darken, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer. After it¡¯s dark, we¡¯ll return to the forest and let Yuan Yangguo and the others go back first. Then, I¡¯ll take you to the central region of the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± The empress nodded and lay down on the bed made of thin branches with her back facing Lin Ran. It was as if she was very tired from using the hairpin just now. Her shoulders were trembling slightly. Lin Ran sighed and didn¡¯t say anything to comfort her. He knew that what the empress needed now was not comfort. At the same time, Lin Ran also didn¡¯t say that he wanted to bring the empress back to the palace before going to the forest. With his cultivation, if he sped up at full speed, they would be able to return in a few hours. However, seeing how down the empress was, Lin Ran gave up on this idea. ¡°She just hasn¡¯t shown up in the palace for two days. Nothing should happen, right?¡± Lin Ran thought to himself, but for some reason, as soon as this thought appeared, he had an ominous feeling. Soon, the sky turned completely dark. The cold moonlight shone through the gaps between the leaves, illuminating this small space with silver light. Lin Ran was about to ask the empress to set off when the empress sat up on her own. ¡°Are we leaving?¡± The empress asked softly. The tears at the corners of her eyes had yet to dry, but her expression had already returned to normal. Lin Ran nodded and listened carefully for a moment. After confirming that there was no one around, he raised his hand and summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. He brought the empress back to the forest. Lin Ran quickly arrived at an empty space in the forest. Yuan Yangguo and the others had been waiting here for a long time. ¡°Your Majesty! Sword God!¡± Seeing Lin Ran and the empress, everyone hurriedly stood up to greet them. The empress waved her hand to indicate that there was no need for formalities. Lin Ran sized up the empty space with interest. This empty space was surrounded by three almost connected stone pillars. The only way in and out was through the gap above. If not for Lin Ran¡¯s divine sense detecting that there was someone here, even he wouldn¡¯t have discovered such a hidden place. The only drawback was that it was too small. With more than ten people squeezed in here, there was almost no space to move. Lin Ran waved his sword and slashed out a sword energy barrier, sealing the only entrance and exit. Then, Lin Ran looked at Yuan Yangguo. ¡°How is it? Do you feel better?¡± Yuan Yangguo knew that Lin Ran was talking about him fainting earlier today. He immediately looked a little embarrassed. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Sword God. I¡¯m already much better.¡± Lin Ran nodded and glanced at the others. Suddenly, he frowned. ¡°Why do I feel like there are a few people missing?¡± ¡°Five are missing.¡± Yuan Yangguo quickly replied, ¡°We found this place on our way back. The others don¡¯t know, but Xiang Tiancong has already gone to look for them. He¡¯ll probably be back soon.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran looked up as if he had sensed something. Seeing this, the others also looked up and saw that five figures were lying on the sword energy barrier, looking down at them. ¡°They¡¯re back.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he raised his hand and dispelled the sword energy barrier, but the people above did not come down. One of them even waved at them. ¡°Sword God, can you come up for a moment?¡± Xiang Tiancong¡¯s voice came from above. The volume was very low, but there was an obvious seriousness in his tone. Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and gestured for Yuan Yangguo to take good care of the empress before flying up to the top on his sword. ¡°What happened?¡± Lin Ran rode his sword to the top and asked. From here, he could already see clearly that the five figures were Xiang Tiancong and the four members of the Sin Camp that he didn¡¯t see just now. ¡°When I went to look for them just now, I found something.¡± Xiang Tiancong whispered with a strange expression. The other four did not say anything, but their expressions were not good, as if they were frightened by something. Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but find it strange. These five people were all at the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm and had just participated in a real war. What could scare them? ¡°Take me there!¡± Lin Ran instructed Xiang Tiancong to take the lead and asked the other four to wait at the bottom. The two of them passed through the dense forest one after another. In just a moment, they arrived beside a stone pillar at the edge of the forest. ¡°It¡¯s up there.¡± Xiang Tiancong pointed at the top of the stone pillar. ¡°I found it when I went up to look for them just now.¡± Lin Ran looked up at the top of the stone pillar. ¡°What is it? A corpse?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Xiang Tiancong shook his head and added, ¡°I don¡¯t know if that counts as a corpse.¡± Lin Ran was puzzled. He jumped up and tapped the stone pillar with his foot a few more times before easily arriving at the top. This stone pillar was about ten feet in diameter. Even at the top, it did not shrink much. As soon as Lin Ran came up, he saw something that was not stone scattered here. At first, Lin Ran didn¡¯t feel anything special, but when he looked closer, his expression instantly turned ugly. It was a chopped corpse. The torso of the corpse was placed in the middle of the platform. His arms and legs were cut into a few pieces and scattered everywhere. Many parts had small wounds that looked like they had been pecked by birds. ¡°Sword God.¡± Xiang Tiancong also followed up. Even though he had been here once, when he saw this scene, his face still turned pale. His throat moved as if he was trying his best to suppress something. After taking a deep breath, Xiang Tiancong pointed at the edge of the platform. ¡°You should go over there and take a look.¡± Lin Ran nodded and walked forward while dodging the limbs on the ground. When he got close, he realized that someone had built a small stone platform with stones. On the stone platform was a human head¡ªthe head of the Dao Seeking Sect¡¯s sect master, Zou Hao. Zou Hao¡¯s eyes were wide open, as if he did not want to die. Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly darkened. At this moment, a strange thing happened. ¡°Lord Lin? Why are you here?¡± Zou Hao¡¯s head said. Chapter 197 - 197 Purgatory on Earth, Extreme Torture 197 Purgatory on Earth, Extreme Torture When he suddenly heard Zou Hao¡¯s voice, Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before shaking his head with a sad smile. He did not expect Zou Hao to hold such an important place in his heart. When he saw the corpse, he actually heard Zou Hao¡¯s voice. ¡°Xiang Tiancong! Didn¡¯t you say that you would bring Sword God over? Why is Lord Lin here?¡± Zou Hao¡¯s voice sounded again. It was louder than before and was filled with confusion. ¡°Not again.¡± Lin Ran closed his eyes and wanted to pinch the space between his eyebrows, but as soon as he raised his hand, he felt that something was wrong. How could Zou Hao know Xiang Tiancong? As soon as this question popped up, Lin Ran opened his eyes and saw Zou Hao roll his eyes and start to stare at him in confusion. Seeing Lin Ran looking at him, Zou Hao smiled sadly. ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable, right? I¡¯m already in this state, but I¡¯m still alive.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything. He just looked at Zou Hao in a daze. To be more precise, he was looking at Zou Hao¡¯s head. ¡°What¡­ is going on?¡± After a few minutes, Lin Ran came back to his senses and asked. His voice was hoarse, as if he had not drank water for half a month. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zou Hao shook his head with deep fear in his eyes. ¡°He was too fast. Before I could react, his robe wrapped around me. After I broke free, I was like this.¡± ¡°Robe?¡± Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°What robe?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Forget it. You won¡¯t know even if I tell you.¡± Zou Hao sighed and turned to look at Xiang Tiancong, who had just walked over. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would bring Sword God over? I¡¯m already in this state. Why are you still lying to me?¡± ¡°Sect Master Zou¡­¡± Just as Xiang Tiancong was about to explain, Lin Ran suddenly raised his hand and said, ¡°You can leave first. I have something to say to Sect Master Zou.¡± Zou Hao didn¡¯t know Lin Ran¡¯s identity at this moment, but Xiang Tiancong knew it very well. Hearing this, he immediately nodded and jumped down the stone pillar without hesitation. Seeing that Xiang Tiancong had left so decisively, Zou Hao found it strange, but there was nothing he could do. He turned to Lin Ran and asked impatiently, ¡°If you have something to say, say it quickly. Then invite Sword God over. I have something important to report to him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Ten Miles Sword God.¡± Lin Ran said softly with a complicated expression. Zou Hao widened his eyes at Lin Ran. ¡°What did you say?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Ten Miles Sword God.¡± Lin Ran repeated, ¡°Sword God is already dead. The Ten Miles Sword God you saw was me in disguise.¡± After a few more minutes of being in shock, Zou Hao suddenly laughed. His laughter was filled with the excitement of someone who had finally come to a realization. His head tilted backward so much that it almost fell over. Lin Ran reached out to stabilize the head. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± ¡°I¡¯m laughing at myself for being stupid!¡± Zou Hao said with a sigh, ¡°Actually, I should have realized it long ago. I saw your sword intent while participating in the rebellion with King Zhao, but when you came to find me on Eight Directional Mountain, I was too afraid at that time and didn¡¯t recognize it!¡± As if feeling that he did not have long to live, Zou Hao admitted his cowardice. Lin Ran smiled and changed the topic. ¡°I know you¡¯re in pain now. I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Pain? No, no, no. I¡¯m not in pain now.¡± Zou Hao suddenly interrupted Lin Ran and looked at his body that was scattered on the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe it, but you¡¯re so smart. You should understand at a glance.¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before he picked up a part that looked like a forearm. At first, he didn¡¯t notice anything unusual, but he quickly realized that something was wrong. There was a thin layer of sand on the ground at the top of the stone pillar. After this forearm was picked up, a clean outline was left on the ground, indicating that it had been here for a long time. However, this forearm did not show any signs of rotting or deteriorating. The color was still healthy, and the muscles were still quite elastic. If one observed it carefully, one could even see the blood flowing in the veins on the forearm, as if it was still part of someone¡¯s body, but the rest of the body could not be seen. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he quickly picked up a few more pieces and looked at them carefully. They were the same. Zou Hao¡¯s body was cut into 20 to 30 pieces, but he was still alive. The parts that were cut off were not even affected. Lin Ran looked astonished. This was too strange, and he had clue what was going on. ¡°I don¡¯t know how he did it, but I feel no different from usual.¡± Zou Hao said with an expression that made it hard to tell if he was crying or laughing. Then, his gaze drifted further away. ¡°Other than my left leg hurting a little.¡± Lin Ran turned around and looked in the direction he came from. When he first came up, he noticed that there were some small wounds on the pieces over there. The pain was probably from the wounds. Lin Ran covered his face and let out a long sigh. At the same time, he felt like his train of thoughts had turned into a labyrinth and he couldn¡¯t sort it out. Zou Hao suddenly spoke, drawing Lin Ran¡¯s attention back. ¡°What were you going to say just now? You will what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a quick death.¡± Lin Ran continued what he left unfinished and looked at the body parts scattered everywhere. ¡°If you need it.¡± ¡°I need it so much! Really!¡± Zou Hao immediately said, his tone filled with anxiety. ¡°You don¡¯t know how vicious he is! He said that if I like to investigate bones so much, he¡¯d let me watch my body being eaten away by the birds and turning into bones here!¡± Zou Hao¡¯s face filled with fear. ¡°He even built this stone platform for me. This way, I can see better how the birds eat up my body. He¡¯s simply vicious! I should have thought of how vicious he is when I saw his eyes!¡± ¡°Eyes?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Is the person you¡¯re talking about thin and tall? Is he wearing white robe like a scholar, but his eyes are very sinister?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Zou Hao answered repeatedly. Because he was so excited, his head almost fell off the stone platform. ¡°He said his name is Xuan Wushang!¡± Chapter 198 - 198 Entering the Central Region 198 Entering the Central Region ¡°It¡¯s really him!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth. Then, he picked up a few larger stones and built a small barrier around Zou Hao¡¯s head to keep it from falling off. After doing that, Lin Ran looked at Zou Hao. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a quick death, but before that, please tell me everything.¡± Zou Hao nodded and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Then, he slowly recounted¡ª After receiving the task given to him by Lin Ran to investigate the corpses that had turned into bones, Zou Hao went to Mount Sword alone. This was the first time Zou Hao had encountered such an incident where more than 3,000 people in the seven villages near Mount Sword were turned into bones. However, it happened 60 years ago, so he naturally didn¡¯t find anything. Since the investigation near Mount Sword was fruitless, Zou Hao went further away. However, he did not investigate blindly like searching for a needle in a haystack. Instead, he came up with a rather smart solution. Zou Hao first found more than ten larger villages. The one thing the villages had in common was that they were very ancient. Then, Zou Hao set up stalls in these villages and lied that he was the writer of a storybook. He wanted to find some stories from the local people, especially those that were especially strange. In the next few days, Zou Hao gathered hundreds of strange stories, many of which were very exciting legends. However, most of them were useless to him. However, Zou Hao¡¯s effort was not futile. Among the hundreds of stories, three were clearly related to what he was investigating. The content of these three stories was similar. The only difference was the time at which they happened. Two of them happened 40 years ago and 30 years ago, respectively. The other one happened six years ago, but in the territory of the Great Yong Dynasty. Hearing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°So you came to the Great Yong Dynasty?¡± Zou Hao nodded. ¡°At that time, the war hadn¡¯t begun. I followed a caravan and easily entered the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± ¡°After parting ways with the caravan, I found the town called Nanjiang¡ªthe town where the strange thing happened six years ago¡ªand the person who told me about it said that everyone in Nanjiang was missing, including the infants. ¡°But when I went to Nanjiang, it was very lively. I felt that something was eerie about it, so I didn¡¯t show up. Instead, I hid in the dark and observed for a while. In the end, I realized that it had already become a military city. Do you know what a military city is?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and was a little impatient, but looking at Zou Hao¡¯s head, he calmed down and replied patiently, ¡°A place used to station troops. It¡¯s usually near the border. It¡¯s equivalent to an army camp.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± Zou Hao¡¯s expression became strange. ¡°That town called Nanjiang is more than 700 miles away from the border.¡± ¡°Over 700 miles?!¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. This distance was beyond his expectations! The reason why a military city was built near the border was that when a war broke out, the troops stationed there could rush to the battlefield immediately. The northernmost part and southernmost part of the Great Yong Dynasty was only about 1,700 miles apart. 700 miles from the border could almost be considered the central region of the Great Yong Dynasty. Why would they build a military city in such a place? Lin Ran didn¡¯t know, but he knew that ordinary people¡ªor people without special motives¡ªwould never do this. Zou Hao didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking. He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°I observed outside for about six hours. Just as I was about to sneak in to investigate further, I suddenly heard a horn sound. Then, everyone in the town left.¡± ¡°The martial artists of the Great Yong Dynasty are good at using sabers, so they don¡¯t ride their swords. However, they are still very fast. I had to speed up with all my might to not be left behind. Later, I followed them to the border and realized that the war between the two countries had already begun.¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he frowned. ¡°You¡¯re already at the fourth level of the Grandmaster Realm, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zou Hao smiled. ¡°I know what you want to ask. Those people are definitely not at the Grandmaster Realm. They¡¯re just fast.¡± ¡°This is the edge the martial artists of the Great Yong Dynasty have. They are close to nature and can use wind to accelerate and rain to hide. Some martial artists with higher cultivation can even control lightning to attack the enemy.¡± Lin Ran suddenly thought of the ¡°Fluttering Cloud¡± on Xuan Wushang. He raised his hand to signal Zou Hao to continue. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Zou Hao looked at Lin Ran. ¡°After I returned to the border, I was quickly discovered by Xuan Wushang. I ran and he chased me all the way. When I came to this forest, I wanted to fight him to the death, but¡­¡± Zou Hao didn¡¯t need to finish because Lin Ran knew what happened next. Zou Hao was instantly cut into pieces by Xuan Wushang and thrown here, letting him watch as his body was eaten into bones by the birds and insects. After a short silence, Zou Hao suddenly looked at Lin Ran and said in a very serious tone, ¡°Lin Ran¡­ Oh, no, I¡¯ll call you Sword God. It¡¯s time.¡± Then, with a flash of white light, Lin Ran summoned Yin and Yang from the Divine Sword Technique Manual. Looking at the sudden appearance of the Yin Yang Sword, Zou Hao couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene of Lin Ran severely injuring Elder Xie of the Dao Seeking Sect on the battlefield a long time ago. However, at this moment, there was no fear in his eyes. Instead, there was a hint of anticipation. After calming himself down, Zou Hao continued, ¡°Sword God, Xuan Wushang¡¯s cultivation should be around the seventh level of the Grandmaster Realm, but his weapon is very strange. If you encounter him, don¡¯t get close.¡± Lin Ran nodded. ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± Zou Hao thought for a moment and looked at Lin Ran with sparkling eyes. ¡°Can my life atone for the crime the Dao Seeking Sect committed?¡± Lin Ran nodded. ¡°That way, I can rest in peace.¡± Zou Hao smiled with relief and slowly closed his eyes. ¡°Bring it on.¡± Chapter 199 - 199 Nanjiang Town, Same Destination 199 Nanjiang Town, Same Destination At the edge of the forest in the Great Yong Dynasty. Xiang Tiancong hid in the shadows. As he waited anxiously, he was also vigilant of the surroundings. Suddenly, with the sound of clothes fluttering, a figure gently landed from the top of the stone pillar. ¡°Sword God!¡± Xiang Tiancong recognized the person and quickly jumped out of the shadows. ¡°How was your conversation with Sect Master Zou? How is he now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± Lin Ran replied in a low voice with his head slightly lowered, making it impossible for anyone to see his expression. ¡°It¡¯s good that he¡¯s gone. He¡¯s seriously injured. It¡¯s not safe for him to stay here.¡± Xiang Tiancong sighed softly, clearly misunderstanding what Lin Ran meant. Lin Ran smiled and didn¡¯t explain. He looked at the top of the stone pillar and patted Xiang Tiancong¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go back. Don¡¯t make the others wait.¡± ¡­ The two of them returned to the empty space surrounded by three stone pillars. Compared to the first time Lin Ran came, there were five more people here, and the already cramped space became even more crowded. Even so, Yuan Yangguo and the others still tried their best to get as close as possible to give the empress a comfortable space. Seeing this, Lin Ran did not go down to squeeze with them. Instead, he floated in the air. The empress was sitting on a rock to rest. When she saw Lin Ran return, she immediately stood up and asked, ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a spy I sent out previously. He reported something to me and left.¡± After a pause, Lin Ran instructed, ¡°This investigation is over. Everyone, you can go back now. Just like when you came, set off in groups of five. I¡¯ll escort His Majesty back personally.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, everyone nodded. The empress looked up at Lin Ran, but she didn¡¯t say anything. After reminding them to be careful, Lin Ran reached out and pulled the empress onto his sword before flying to the top. ¡°Why did you lie to them?¡± As soon as the two of them flew out of the gap, the empress immediately turned around and looked Lin Ran in the eyes. ¡°We¡¯re clearly going to the central region of the Great Yong Dynasty. Why did you lie that we can go back?¡± ¡°If I tell them the truth, they¡¯ll definitely follow me.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes narrowed as if he had thought of something. ¡°With their cultivation, they¡¯ll die if they come.¡± ¡°Lord Lin, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overconfident in your charisma?¡± The empress revealed a teasing expression. ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re really willing to take the initiative to follow you?¡± Looking at the suspicious look on the empress¡¯s face, Lin Ran suddenly felt a little annoyed and thought about what Zou Hao said. ¡°Can my life atone for the crime the Dao Seeking Sect committed?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I know they¡¯ve all made mistakes, but you underestimate their determination to make amends!¡± Lin Ran suddenly shouted, looking like he wanted to devour the empress. The empress was shocked. She pursed her lips and said softly, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I was just joking¡­¡± ¡°This joke is not funny at all!¡± Lin Ran replied coldly. Then, he looked away from the empress. After a few seconds, he said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m in a bad mood.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The empress smiled and wrapped her arms around Lin Ran¡¯s waist. ¡°When I was waiting for you just now, I used the hairpin again.¡± ¡°Did it work?¡± Lin Ran asked casually. Unexpectedly, the empress nodded. ¡°I already know where my mother is.¡± The empress looked at the passing scenery under her feet and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°She¡¯s in a place called Nanjiang Town!¡± ¡°Where?!¡± Lin Ran exclaimed. As if affected by his state of mind, the Yin-Yang Sword under his feet trembled and almost threw the two of them off. Amidst the empress¡¯s screams, Lin Ran instantly came back to his senses. After stabilizing the Yin-Yang Sword, he asked, ¡°Where did you say just now? Nanjiang Town?¡± The empress was still in lingering fear. After a few seconds, she asked in confusion, ¡°It¡¯s Nanjiang Town? Why are you reacting so strongly? Do you know this place?¡± ¡°Kind of.¡± Lin Ran replied ambiguously. ¡°It¡¯s a military city.¡± Hearing that, the empress¡¯s expression immediately became solemn. ¡°Military city?¡± The empress frowned slightly, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion. ¡°But the Nanjiang Town I mentioned is in the central region of the Great Yong Dynasty. Why would they build a military city there? Could it be two places with the same name?¡± ¡°The Nanjiang Town I mentioned is also in the central region of the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Lin Ran replied softly. Before the empress could speak, he continued, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the exact situation. I only know that the cultivation of the people in that city is not low. It seems that we can only investigate it ourselves after we get there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only way.¡± The empress sighed with mixed emotions. Then, the two of them did not say anything else and focused on continuing their journey. ¡­ In the imperial study of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. The wreckage of the previously collapsed arch had been cleaned up. The new arch had yet to be built. There was no light in the huge courtyard at all. Li Tianyi and a commander of the imperial guards were sitting on the ground. Song Rentong was lying on the ground at the side, and his expression could not be seen in the darkness. ¡°Eunuch Li, I think what that person said is credible. He barged into the palace but didn¡¯t hurt anyone. He shouldn¡¯t be just here to inform us.¡± With that, the commander of the imperial guards subconsciously turned to look at Song Rentong. Song Rentong fell from the arch, but he was indeed not hurt. It was only because the sword had unleashed too much power that his body could not take it anymore and fainted. However, when he woke up and heard that his strike not only failed to kill the scholar, but it didn¡¯t even hurt him at all, he had been lying on the ground without moving. When he heard the guard commander¡¯s words, Song Rentong suddenly sat up from the ground. ¡°I remember who he is!¡± Chapter 200 - 200 Pushing the Blame 200 Pushing the Blame Song Rentong stood up so suddenly that Li Tianyi and the guard commander were taken aback. Li Tianyi patted his chest and complained, ¡°Lord Song, it¡¯s not that I want to pick on you, but you¡¯re already the Grand Secretary of our Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Can you be a little more composed?¡± Song Rentong did not reply. He just looked at Li Tianyi and repeated, ¡°I remember who he is!¡± Li Tianyi looked puzzled. ¡°Who is who? Lord Song, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°The scholar today!¡± Song Rentong suddenly became excited. ¡°Back then, when I accompanied the diplomatic corps to visit the Great Yong Dynasty, I saw him. His name is Xuan Wushang, and he¡¯s the current emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Li Tianyi and the guard commander exclaimed at the same time. Their first reaction was disbelief. Why would the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty suddenly come to their Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s palace? However, seeing that Song Rentong did not look like he was joking, the two of them had no choice but to believe him. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m afraid His Majesty was really abducted by the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± The guard commander spoke in a low voice. His expression could not be seen in the darkness, but his voice was clearly trembling. Li Tianyi didn¡¯t say anything. He still couldn¡¯t understand how it happened. Two days ago, he personally accompanied His Majesty into the imperial study. After that, Huo Qiyun came. The two of them said that they had something to discuss and asked him to go out. After that, he had been guarding the door of the imperial study. When was His Majesty abducted? ¡°But when was His Majesty abducted?¡± Song Rentong suddenly asked, as if he knew what Li Tianyi was thinking. Li Tianyi shook his head in confusion. Song Rentong panicked and grabbed Li Tianyi¡¯s collar. He widened his eyes and questioned angrily, ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting by the door for the past two days. You¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Song Rentong suddenly thought of something and his expression changed drastically. ¡°Li Tianyi! Did you collude with the enemy to abduct His Majesty?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the expression of the guard commander changed. He unsheathed his sword and placed it accurately on Li Tianyi¡¯s neck. ¡°Lord Song, what you said makes sense!¡± The guard commander said with a dark expression, ¡°Ever since that assassin was caught and killed by Commander Lin some days ago, I¡¯ve mobilized more guards to patrol the palace. If not for the fact that there are collaborators in the palace, how could they take His Majesty away without anyone knowing?¡± Song Rentong and the guard commander looked at each other and felt that this deduction made sense. The way they looked at Li Tianyi became even more unfriendly. At this moment, Li Tianyi was scared silly. He felt a cold feeling on his neck and cold sweat broke out on his forehead in streams. ¡°I, I, I¡­¡± Li Tianyi stammered for a long time, making him look even more suspicious. Seeing this, Song Rentong was almost immediately certain that Li Tianyi was the ¡°collaborator¡±. He said to the guard commander sternly, ¡°Keep an eye on this traitor here! I¡¯ll get someone to inform the Ministry of Justice and send him to the prison for interrogation by torture!¡± Hearing the words ¡°interrogation by torture¡±, Li Tianyi knelt on the ground with a plop, his face as pale as paper. Although he had never been sent to the prison, he had sent countless people to the prison. Ever since the Heavenly Saint Dynasty was established, no one who was sent to the prison had come out alive! The fear of death instantly overwhelmed him. Li Tianyi¡¯s vision darkened, and he could no longer see Song Rentong clearly. He could only hear the heavy footsteps of the other party echoing in his ears. If it were an ordinary person, they would definitely be so frightened that their minds would go blank. However, Li Tianyi was someone who had served three emperors in a row. Under the threat of death, Li Tianyi¡¯s mind raced. He did not know when the empress was abducted, but he could find clues in other ways. For example, when was the last time he heard the empress¡¯s voice? His mind raced. The past two days seemed to have turned into countless images that lay out in his mind. In the past, when she was dealing with some confidential matters, the empress would also send others away. However, Li Tianyi would always stand guard at the door. He could vaguely hear the rustling sound of the documents being flipped. As he filtered the fragments of his memory, Li Tianyi slowly frowned. After all, he was already dozens of years old. This kind of recalling was not easy for him, but fortunately, he made it. ¡°It¡¯s Lin Ran!¡± Li Tianyi shouted, ¡°Two days ago, His Majesty specially conferred Lin Ran the title of general. I don¡¯t know when he came, but after he and Huo Qiyun left, I didn¡¯t hear anything in the imperial study! With his cultivation, he can definitely take His Majesty away quietly!¡± After shouting this, Li Tianyi suddenly felt relieved. His darkened vision also returned to normal. The time Song Rentong took to take seven or eight steps felt like a year to Li Tianyi. At the mention of Lin Ran, Song Rentong¡¯s expression turned solemn. The guard commander at the side had a disdainful expression. ¡°You traitor! Even if you want to find someone to take the blame, you should find someone better. Lord Lin has saved His Majesty many times. Why would he conspire with the enemy to abduct His Majesty?¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s just his way of obtaining His Majesty¡¯s trust.¡± Song Rentong said coldly and walked back quickly. ¡°After I took office, when I read the documents left behind by Zhang Yueheng, I realized that Lin Ran was the biggest suspect in the theft case of the Sacred Abyss Sword some days ago!¡± Only the emperor and the Grand Secretary had the right to read the secret documents of the Five Elements Imperial Guards. It was naturally impossible for Li Tianyi and the guard commander to know the inside story. Now that they heard Song Rentong mention this, their expressions instantly changed! ¡­ In Nanjiang Town, the Great Yong Dynasty. Lin Ran sped up under the cover of the night. In just a few hours, he arrived at Nanjiang Town in the central region of the Great Yong Dynasty. This town was built on the north side of a large river. It was not big and had about 600 to 700 families. On the south side of the river was a low mountain with dense vegetation. Lin Ran and the empress were hiding here. Just as the two of them were looking around, a small boat suddenly appeared on the river. Lin Ran immediately gestured for the empress to keep quiet. However, just as he was about to keep his internal energy down, he suddenly felt an itchiness in his nose and sneezed loudly! ¡°Achoo!¡± The sneeze sounded like a thunderclap in the quiet night. Almost at the same time, Lin Ran realized that a divine sense was sweeping towards him! Chapter 201 - 201 Are You Also So Rough with my Consorts 201 Are You Also So Rough with my Consorts ¡°Don¡¯t move or make a sound!¡± In the urgent situation, Lin Ran only had time to remind her of this. Then, he suddenly pressed the empress under his body and suppressed his internal energy to an extremely low level. Almost at the same time, the divine sense swept past the two of them and slashed across Lin Ran¡¯s bulging back like a sharp knife! The empress was shocked by Lin Ran¡¯s sudden action. She was about to say ¡°how dare you¡± when she saw Lin Ran close his eyes tightly, as if he was enduring some pain. In the end, she closed her eyes obediently and didn¡¯t make a sound. At this moment, the two of them were extremely close. Feeling Lin Ran¡¯s hot breath on her face, the empress didn¡¯t know if she was nervous or something else, but she could clearly feel her heart beating faster. ¡°Take a deep breath. Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s voice through gritted teeth sounded in her ears. The empress hurriedly took a deep breath. Her nose was instantly filled with the smell of Lin Ran¡¯s body. Not only did her heart not slow down, but it even beat faster! Fortunately, the person¡¯s divine sense only scanned this area for more than ten seconds before it was quietly retracted. ¡°Phew¡ª¡± Lin Ran let out a long breath and lay on the ground. He said softly, ¡°We¡¯re safe, but try not to make a sound. That ship hasn¡¯t left yet.¡± When the empress opened her eyes, she realized that Lin Ran was lying down almost beside her. However, thinking of how close the two of them were just now, this distance didn¡¯t seem to be a big deal. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Seeing that Lin Ran¡¯s face was almost covered in cold sweat, the empress couldn¡¯t help but ask worriedly, ¡°Did you catch a cold on the way here?¡± ¡°Will a Half-Saint catch a cold?¡± Lin Ran smiled and pulled open his collar, revealing something that was as black as ink and as hard and a shield. ¡°After forming a shield, the insects of Mount Sword can disturb the divine senses. It¡¯s just that there aren¡¯t enough of them to cover the two of us, so I can only get as close to you as possible.¡± As Lin Ran explained, the shield seemed to melt and flow into his clothes, disappearing without a trace. The empress revealed a surprised expression. ¡°There¡¯s such a magical species on Mount Sword? Why didn¡¯t I know about it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still a lot you don¡¯t know about Mount Sword!¡± Lin Ran sneered. Then, he suddenly pointed at Nanjiang Town at the foot of the mountain and said, ¡°This town is not as simple as it seems. The strength of that divine sense just now was at least at the ninth level of the Grandmaster Realm!¡± When the empress heard this, her expression changed slightly. ¡°There¡¯s actually such a high level martial artist in Nanjiang Town? Then won¡¯t we be easily discovered if we hide here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy.¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows, and a smug look appeared on his sweat-covered face. ¡°My realm is much higher than his. He still has to cultivate for a few more years to discover me!¡± Seeing how confident Lin Ran was, the empress couldn¡¯t help but look relieved. However, in just a second, she realized that something was wrong. She frowned and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°What do you mean? Are you going alone?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything, but his evasive gaze betrayed his thoughts. The empress immediately looked angry. ¡°Lin Ran! You promised to bring me to find my mother! How can you go back on your word?¡± ¡°Lower your voice! Are you afraid they can¡¯t hear you?¡± Lin Ran lowered his voice and growled. Then, he looked helpless. ¡°Originally, I wanted to bring you there, but something unexpected happened. Even the people patrolling the periphery are at the peak of the ninth level of the Grandmaster Realm. Who knows if there will be people with a higher realm inside?¡± ¡°If I go in alone, I can protect myself even if I¡¯m discovered. But if I bring you along, what if they hurt you?¡± ¡°You just think I¡¯m weak!¡± The empress replied with a sobbing tone before turning around and ignoring Lin Ran. However, Lin Ran was also filled with grievances. It was a fact that the empress¡¯s cultivation level was not high. Not only was it easy for her to get hurt if she sneaked into Nanjiang Town, but it was also easy for their whereabouts to be exposed. It wasn¡¯t Lin Ran¡¯s fault that she was weak, right? However, after knowing her for so long, Lin Ran knew what kind of person the empress was. Although she was a little willful sometimes, she could still weigh the pros and cons. Thinking of this, Lin Ran comforted her patiently. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to look for your mother? Since she¡¯s in Nanjiang Town, I¡¯ll definitely think of a way to bring her back. It doesn¡¯t make a difference if you come along or not.¡± With her back facing him, the empress didn¡¯t say anything. Lin Ran was about to say something when his eyes suddenly widened. He reached out and pressed the empress into a lying position. Then, he got on the top of the empress without hesitation. Almost at the same time, another divine sense swept over from another direction! ¡°It seems that this is the usual process of their patrol. They weren¡¯t alarmed by my sneeze.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. When he came back to his senses, he saw the empress looking at him with tears in her eyes. The divine sense was lingering nearby, so Lin Ran couldn¡¯t open his mouth to explain. He could only purse his lips and make a helpless expression. Unexpectedly, the empress looked even more terrified. At the same time, the empress¡¯s fair face quickly turned red. Lin Ran could even feel her increasingly rapid heartbeat¡­ Wait! Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed. Suddenly, a thought-provoking question popped up in his mind. Why did he feel the empress¡¯s heartbeat? When he looked down and saw where he placed his hand, Lin Ran¡¯s face instantly turned red! ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡± Lin Ran hurriedly shouted under his breath, but he had no intention of letting go. The divine sense was still lingering nearby, and any movement might alert the other party. The empress also knew the situation the two of them were in. She silently closed her eyes and turned her face to the side. Only then did Lin Ran realize that not only her face, but even her neck had turned red. Lin Ran had lived for more than 20 years, but he had never wanted to dig a hole in the ground to hide himself more than now¡­ Fortunately, awkward moments were always short. Just as Lin Ran was about to have a physiological reaction, the divine sense was finally withdrawn. With the danger gone, Lin Ran rolled on the ground and was instantly a few steps away. He took a few deep breaths to calm his restless heart. ¡°Are you also so rough with my consorts?¡± The empress¡¯s voice came from not far away. It was obvious that she wanted to make a joke to ease the awkward atmosphere, but it made the already awkward atmosphere even more awkward. Lin Ran blushed and didn¡¯t reply to that. He pretended to be calm. ¡°Their defense is too tight. You have to leave immediately.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± The empress suddenly sat up and smiled helplessly at Lin Ran. ¡°I can feel that I¡¯ve been locked onto by a divine sense.¡± Lin Ran was stunned. Almost at the same time, he felt a divine sense lock onto him! Chapter 202 - 202 We Eloped 202 We Eloped The moment he was locked onto by a divine sense, Lin Ran realized that the empress¡¯s movement just now had alerted the other party. Divine Sense sounded mysterious, but the principle was easy to understand. Just like the evil aura released by Xiao Huai, divine sense was also an aura. However, this aura was formless and invisible. The size, shape, and even internal energy flow of any object covered by this aura would be sensed by the user. The higher one¡¯s cultivation level was, the more aura one could emit and the wider the range. The deeper one¡¯s level of cultivation was, the richer the details of the objects one could sense. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know if other martial artists had discovered this, but at least he discovered it with his own experience. Through this, he even figured out a way to avoid being detected by the divine sense¡ª While the divine senses of others were looking for him, he could remain motionless and use the Black insects to change the shape of his body. This way, the other party would mistake him for a rock. However, because of the empress¡¯s movement, all Lin Ran¡¯s efforts were in vain. After all, the ¡°stone¡± would not move on its own. However, Lin Ran didn¡¯t blame the empress. Firstly, he had offended the empress. Secondly, they had already been discovered. There was no point in dwelling on whose fault it was. Almost the moment Lin Ran sensed that he was being locked onto by a divine sense, a strong wind blew past, and two slender figures appeared on the swaying branches above. The two figures seemed to be weightless and were almost identical. They were both dressed in white and had their hair tied into a bun. When they stood together, it was as if one was merely the reflection of the other. There was no time to think. Lin Ran reached out and shielded the empress behind him. Just as he was about to summon the Yin-Yang Sword to silence them, one of the figures suddenly spoke. ¡°Who are you?¡± The two of them were masked. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know who was speaking, but he could hear the confusion in the voice. Then, he realized that these two people didn¡¯t recognize him and the empress. Actually, there was nothing strange about this. Although the empress was the emperor of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, she usually stayed in the palace. Not many people in the Great Yong Dynasty knew what she looked like. Although Lin Ran had become famous recently, he mostly appeared as the Ten Miles Sword God. There were only a handful of people who had really seen him and knew about him. After figuring this out, Lin Ran stopped circulating his internal energy. He rolled his eyes and wrapped his hand around the empress¡¯s shoulder, pretending to be terrified but calm. ¡°I-I¡¯m Lin Qiyun. Her name is Lu Di. We eloped.¡± The empress¡¯s eyes widened as she reached out and pinched Lin Ran¡¯s waist. Lin Ran endured the pain and didn¡¯t cry out. Instead, he advised seriously, ¡°Di, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve already run so far. No one will recognize us.¡± Just as the empress was about to speak, one of the figures suddenly spoke. ¡°You¡­¡± The figure on the left stared at Lin Ran for a while before looking at the empress in men¡¯s clothes. There was obvious suspicion in his eyes. ¡°Eloped?¡± The empress reacted quickly and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a woman!¡± With that, the empress raised her hand and pulled off the headband. Strands of beautiful black hair fell down like a waterfall. At the same time, she puffed out her chest slightly and showed the two figures her body curve. Only then did Lin Ran react. He smiled and explained, ¡°The world out there is not safe. It¡¯s easier to travel by pretending to be a man.¡± The figure on the left nodded. Then, his tone clearly became stern. ¡°This is not an ordinary place. No one is allowed to approach. Leave quickly!¡± Although Lin Ran felt that it was a little too easy to get away with it, he still relaxed. He nodded repeatedly and helped the empress up. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± The figure on the right suddenly called out to stop Lin Ran and the empress, and then he said to his companion beside him. ¡°If these two people fled here, how could they easily avoid our detection?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The eyes of the figure on the left lit up as if he had come to a realization. With a raise of his hand, several breezes shackled Lin Ran and the empress. ¡°Let me ask you, why did the two of you hide here without moving just now?¡± That person looked straight into Lin Ran¡¯s eyes and asked coldly. His tone was no longer as easy-going as before. ¡°We fell asleep just now!¡± Lin Ran replied anxiously without changing his expression, ¡°We were worried that our family would catch up with us and didn¡¯t rest much along the way. We were too tired after running here, so we fell asleep.¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran¡¯s hands were not idle. Internal energy surged through his body as he activated the Regal Technique, Sovereign Descent! In an instant, the empress¡¯s remaining internal energy was sucked away by Lin Ran. The sudden exhaustion made her weaken and she leaned into Lin Ran¡¯s arms. ¡°Is that so?¡± The figure on the left did not seem to believe Lin Ran. Without warning, he suddenly released a divine sense. Fortunately, Lin Ran was prepared. After using Sovereign Descent to suck away the empress¡¯s internal energy, he suppressed his own realm. After scanning the two of them with his divine sense, the figure on the left clearly looked relieved. He said to his companion beside him, ¡°The man is at the second level of the Martial Master Realm, and the woman is an ordinary person. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a problem.¡± The figure on the right did not say anything and also released his divine sense. Then, his eyes revealed hesitation. However, this person was very decisive. After hesitating for less than half a second, he said, ¡°No, it¡¯s too suspicious for the two of them to appear here late at night. To be safe, we should bring them back for interrogation.¡± The figure on the left rolled his eyes. He clearly felt that his companion was making a mountain out of a molehill, but he still pulled out two black cloth from his sleeve and landed on the ground. ¡°Since you¡¯re a married couple, do it yourself. Don¡¯t be nervous. We¡¯re just going to ask you a few questions.¡± As the man spoke, he handed Lin Ran a cloth and gestured for him to cover his eyes. At the same time, he tilted his head slightly to the branch behind him. ¡°That guy is a blockhead. Don¡¯t lower yourself to his level.¡± Lin Ran took the cloth and tied the empress¡¯s eyes first. Then, he tied his own eyes. There was no expression on his face, but he felt mixed feelings of happiness and sadness. He was happy that he had finally sneaked into Nanjiang Town. Although the method was different from what he had planned, he still made it. The sad thing was that the empress was also captured by them. God knew what would happen next! Chapter 203 - 203 Unexpected Turn of Event 203 Unexpected Turn of Event At the moment. After Lin Ran blindfolded himself, he immediately grabbed the empress¡¯s arm before a strong wind slowly lifted him and the empress up. A moment later, Lin Ran felt himself stepping on solid ground again. ¡°The two of you wait here for a moment. I¡¯ll report to the town guardian.¡± The figure on the left said from behind Lin Ran. At the same time, a breeze blew past his face and the black cloth on his eyes was removed. Lin Ran opened his eyes and realized that they had been sent to a room about thirty steps square. A few dim candles flickered in the wind, and most of the room was hidden in the darkness. ¡°My friend, I¡­¡± Lin Ran wanted to take the opportunity to get something out of the two figures, but when he turned around, he realized that they were already gone. He pursed his lips and helped the empress up. After channeling a trace of internal energy into her, Lin Ran said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°You don¡¯t know how to suppress your realm. They¡¯ll easily find out. Hold on for a while. I¡¯ll find a way to get out of here as soon as possible.¡± The empress nodded slightly. With this trace of internal energy to protect her, she no longer felt that weak. She took a deep breath and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°Where did you learn the Regal Technique?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s pupils were constricted. He did not expect the empress to recognize it. Just as he was thinking about how to explain, he suddenly heard light footsteps. Hearing the footsteps, the two of them subconsciously looked at each other and tacitly stopped talking. They only leaned against each other and pretended to be terrified. A moment later, the footsteps stopped at the door. Then, the door opened and a figure walked in. ¡°The town guardian is actually a woman?¡± When Lin Ran saw who it was, he couldn¡¯t help but look surprised. Nanjiang Town was not an ordinary town. As a military place, especially one where a large number of high realm martial artists were stationed, the one in charge had to be both capable and charismatic. Otherwise, he would be easily challenged by his subordinates. However, this guardian turned out to be a beautiful woman. The room was dim, so Lin Ran couldn¡¯t see her face clearly. However, the more hazy her face was, the more he could feel her charm. She was wearing a black robe and a jade belt, which accentuated her exquisite curves and added a hint of heroic spirit to her. Seeing the female guardian enter, Lin Ran immediately went forward and cupped his hands. ¡°Lord, my name is Lin Qiyun. Her name is Lu Di. We eloped here¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Lin Ran felt someone grab his arm. He turned around and saw the empress shaking her head with a complicated expression. ¡°Stop talking.¡± Lin Ran was stunned. Before he could understand what was going on, the female town guardian opposite him spoke again. ¡°Wan¡¯er, it¡¯s been many years since we last met. You¡¯ve really grown up¡­¡± The female guardian looked at the empress with a faint smile. ¡°Since when did you learn to elope with a man?¡± Lin Ran was even more confused. He looked at the two women for a moment before fixing his gaze on the empress¡¯s face. ¡°Do you know each other?¡± The empress ignored Lin Ran and took a few steps forward. She looked straight at the female town guardian. ¡°Why are you here?¡± The female guardian didn¡¯t answer. She looked past the empress to Lin Ran¡¯s face. ¡°How far have you two progressed?¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips. Although he didn¡¯t know why, it was obvious that these two women knew each other and had a special relationship. At the same time, Lin Ran had already vaguely guessed something, but he didn¡¯t dare to be outspoken about it. He explained with a serious expression, ¡°Eloping is just a lie to avoid trouble. I¡¯m actually her guard.¡± The female town guardian nodded as if she did not care. ¡°Why are you here?¡± The empress repeated her question, but compared to last time, this time, her tone was clearly filled with anger and disappointment. Lin Ran knew that he had guessed correctly. This ¡°female town guardian¡± in front of him was most likely the previous empress of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, the empress¡¯s mother! As if to confirm Lin Ran¡¯s guess, the female guardian took a few steps forward, and her pretty face was illuminated by the candlelight. It was similar to the mask the empress had made in Fort Liushi, but her facial features looked more natural in person. Her gentle beauty was as serene as the spring rain, but just looking at her quietly was enough to make one intoxicated. Lin Ran took a glance and took half a step back. He cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Empress Dowager. I¡¯m the deputy general of the Northern Garrison of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, Lin Ran.¡± Hearing the words ¡°Empress Dowager¡±, the female town guardian¡¯s eyes trembled, as if a string in her heart had been tugged at, but it returned to normal in an instant. ¡°I¡¯m no longer the empress dowager of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± The female town guardian smiled and said in an emotionless tone, ¡°I¡¯m called Liu Ruxi. You can call me Town Guardian Liu.¡± ¡°Toan Guardian Liu.¡± Lin Ran bowed again and silently retreated to the shadows in the corner. Although the atmosphere between mother and daughter didn¡¯t seem right, he still felt that it was better not to get involved. Seeing that Lin Ran was staying out of it, Town Guardian Liu sighed softly and turned to face the empress. She reached out, wanting to touch her head. The empress suddenly took a step back with tears in her eyes, but her eyes were even more determined than usual. ¡°Why are you here?!¡± The same question was repeated for the third time. It was unknown if it was because of anger or impatience, but the empress¡¯s tone was already very bad. Liu Ruxi did not care. She quickly took a step forward and gently stroked the empress¡¯s hair, her eyes filled with love. ¡°Wan¡¯er¡­ you¡¯ve really become a big girl.¡± Slap! The empress suddenly slapped Liu Ruxi¡¯s hand away and repeated the question for the fourth and last time. ¡°Why are you here?¡± A hint of sadness flashed across Liu Ruxi¡¯s eyes, but she still had no intention of answering. The empress turned her head away from Liu Ruxi and shouted at Lin Ran in the corner, ¡°Lin Ran, send me back!¡± Lin Ran thought that the two of them were going to talk for a while, but when he was suddenly called out, he was stunned. At this moment, Liu Ruxi suddenly said, ¡°You can¡¯t leave.¡± As if afraid that the two of them would not believe her, Liu Ruxi said seriously, ¡°The war has just ended and Nanjiang Town is under heavy security. Since you were captured and brought back, it¡¯s impossible for you to leave so easily.¡± ¡°Stay here for the next few days. I¡¯ll ask them not to make things difficult for you.¡± With that, Liu Ruxi turned around and left, knowing that the empress did not want to see her at this moment. The door closed, leaving only the two of them in the room. The empress stood in the candlelight with a lonely expression. At some point, tears had already started rolling down her face. ¡°Actually¡­ I don¡¯t think you have to be so sad.¡± Lin Ran blinked and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, ¡°I think there¡¯s something else going on.¡± Chapter 204 - 204 Grandmasters Are Not Worth Much 204 Grandmasters Are Not Worth Much Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s words, the empress couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and gestured for the empress to come closer. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Did you notice that when she introduced herself just now, she said that her identity here is Liu Ruxi.¡± The empress¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You mean¡­¡± Lin Ran nodded and interrupted the empress. ¡°I don¡¯t know which side she¡¯s on, but from what she said, she has other identities in other places, or rather, outside Nanjiang Town.¡± After a pause, Lin Ran continued, ¡°Moreover, I think deep down, she¡¯s still biased towards the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. She must have her reasons for doing everything she does now.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°She was once a general of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and your mother. I don¡¯t know how deep her feelings for the dynasty are, but they¡¯re definitely much deeper than mine.¡± Lin Ran said softly, his eyes subconsciously glancing at the door. ¡°If she really betrayed the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and your father, someone would have come in to catch us now.¡± The empress instantly realized that although the others in Nanjiang Town might not know who she was, Liu Ruxi definitely did. Capturing the current emperor of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty alive would mean a great deal. After figuring this out, the empress immediately felt less sad. She opened her mouth and was about to say something when she realized that Lin Ran¡¯s expression had suddenly changed. ¡°I think I was wrong.¡± The faint smile on Lin Ran¡¯s face instantly disappeared. He looked at the door solemnly. ¡°Someone is really here to catch us.¡± The empress¡¯s expression changed. Immediately after that, the door was pushed open and a white figure rushed in like the wind! This person was so fast that even Lin Ran couldn¡¯t keep up with him. However, Lin Ran did not show any vigilance. He only stood there quietly with the empress behind him because before the other party entered, he had already confirmed that his cultivation was at the first level of the Grandmaster Realm. He was not a threat. It was a young man who looked even younger than Huo Qiyun. He was holding a wooden tray with a few simple dishes on it. ¡°What does this mean?¡± Lin Ran asked in a calm voice. Although the person in front of him looked very young, most martial artists had the ability to retain their youth, so their actual age was much older than what they looked. ¡°I brought you some food. You haven¡¯t had a good rest after eloping for so many days. You must not have eaten well, right?¡± The young man raised the tray and smiled. As soon as he spoke, Lin Ran recognized him as the ¡°left figure¡± from before. Seeing that it was an acquaintance, Lin Ran relaxed a lot. He took the tray and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you so much¡­ You¡¯re still on duty so late at night. Do you want to eat together?¡± ¡°I just ate.¡± The young man waved his hand with a bright smile on his face. ¡°Right? Didn¡¯t I say that you¡¯ll be fine? That blockhead is still arguing with me¡­ Hurry up and eat. I still have to make fun of him after bringing the plate back.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± Lin Ran nodded, but he felt a little strange. Not only did this young man look young, but his temperament was also that of a child. However, would someone who had entered the Grandmaster Realm really be so naive? As he thought about this, Lin Ran had already placed the tray on the table. There was a small table in the corner of the room, but it was enough for the two of them to eat. Then, he called the empress over to eat. The empress did not know what was going on here, so she did not say anything. After sitting down, she ate in silence. Lin Ran¡¯s mind raced. After thinking for a moment, he pointed at an empty seat at the table and said to the young man who was still standing at the door, ¡°Don¡¯t stand there. If you don¡¯t want to eat, sit down and rest for a while.¡± The young man looked back as if he was afraid of being discovered. After closing the door, he came to the table and sat down. As soon as he sat on the chair, he let out a comfortable sound with his eyes closed. Seeing that he seemed like he hadn¡¯t sat down for ages, Lin Ran inexplicably felt that he was quite cute. At the same time, the confusion in his heart intensified. The two of them were complete strangers to this young man, but this young man was not guarded at all. This was definitely not the state of mind of a first level Grandmaster. ¡°How old are you?¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but ask directly. Afraid that the young man would be suspicious, he added, ¡°I feel that your cultivation level isn¡¯t low. You shouldn¡¯t be just a patrol, right?¡± ¡°Me?¡± The young man rolled his eyes, as if he didn¡¯t really want to talk about this topic. ¡°Seventeen. Eighteen next year.¡± Clang! Lin Ran¡¯s hand trembled and his chopsticks fell onto the plate. The empress opposite him was also shocked. It was unheard of for a Grandmaster to be only 17 years old. The young man suddenly sat up straight and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It seems that you¡¯re indeed travel-worn. You can¡¯t even hold your chopsticks steadily.¡± Lin Ran and the empress looked at each other and saw the same thing in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°He¡¯s a fool.¡± ¡°Yes, we haven¡¯t rested properly for a few days.¡± Lin Ran smiled awkwardly and picked up his chopsticks. ¡°You¡¯re already so powerful at the age of 17. You should be valued. Why are you patrolling here?¡± ¡°Am I very powerful?¡± The young man frowned, his eyes filled with stupidity. ¡°I just entered the Grandmaster Realm this year. It¡¯s already considered very late in Nanjiang Town. Second Brother Huang, that blockhead, entered the Grandmaster Realm at the age of 15¡­¡± At this point, the young man suddenly revealed a gloating expression. He leaned towards Lin Ran and whispered, ¡°But he¡¯s already 23 years old this year and is only at the third level of the Grandmaster Realm. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be patrolling with me!¡± ¡°It seems that he¡¯s indeed not as talented as you.¡± Lin Ran smiled, but his heart was in turmoil! Entering the Grandmaster Realm at the age of 15 would be considered a genius no matter where he was. Even if he entered the Grandmaster Realm at 17 years old, he would still be considered a talent. For example, after Huo Qiyun displayed his talent in martial arts back then, he was praised as a rare genius in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. However, after cultivating for decades, he was only at the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm. However, in Nanjiang Town, such a genius was actually reduced to a patrol. This could only mean one thing. Teenage grandmasters were not worth much in the Great Yong Dynasty, at least in Nanjiang Town. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know how this happened, but this discovery was enough to blow his mind. Just as Lin Ran was trying to calm himself down, the young man suddenly looked at the empress and said something that shocked the two of them at the same time¡ª ¡°This sister looks familiar¡­¡± Chapter 205 - 205 Wanted, Public Enemy of Heavenly Saint Dynasty 205 Wanted, Public Enemy of Heavenly Saint Dynasty The young man lay on the edge of the table with one hand supporting his chin. His childish face had a pair of clear eyes, but what he said sent a chill down Lin Ran¡¯s spine. ¡°This sister looks familiar¡­¡± Hearing the young man¡¯s puzzled voice, Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His first reaction was that the empress¡¯s identity was about to be exposed! However, before Lin Ran could think of a way to brush it off, the young man suddenly clapped his hands and said excitedly, ¡°I remember now! This sister looks like our town guardian! You¡¯re both equally beautiful!¡± ¡°Of course! They are a daughter and a mother.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself, but he put on a surprised look on his face. ¡°Yes, we noticed it when we saw the town guardian just now. What a coincidence!¡± ¡°Yes, what a coincidence!¡± The young man nodded noncommittally and winked at Lin Ran. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re really lucky. Such a beautiful sister is willing to elope with you.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m quite lucky.¡± Lin Ran smiled meaningfully and put down his chopsticks. Although this young man was an ignorant fool, he seemed to have some inexplicable intuition. From time to time, he would say something that caught Lin Ran off guard. The empress couldn¡¯t eat anymore. Seeing Lin Ran put down his chopsticks, she put down her bowl and chopsticks too. Seeing this, the young man looked puzzled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry for a few days? Why did you eat so little?¡± Lin Ran smiled. ¡°We¡¯re a little tired.¡± ¡°Alright, rest early. I¡¯ll come back tomorrow to deliver breakfast.¡± As the young man spoke, he had already packed up the leftovers. He was as agile as a waiter who had worked in the restaurant for many years. Then, he picked up the tray and turned into a white figure that rushed towards the door. Lin Ran was about to heave a sigh of relief when he realized that the young man had stopped at the door. ¡°That was close. I almost forgot!¡± The young man held the tray with one hand and slapped his forehead. Then, he took out two red ribbons from his pocket. ¡°The town guardian has instructed me to put this on your wrists. You can walk around the town as long as you don¡¯t go out.¡± Lin Ran thanked him and took the ribbons. The young man left without looking back. Back at the table, Lin Ran waved the red ribbons in his hand. ¡°Now I¡¯m completely sure that your mother does have her reasons for staying here.¡± The empress nodded and picked up a ribbon to tie it to Lin Ran¡¯s wrist. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect us to have some freedom. Do you want to go out and take a look?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about that tomorrow.¡± Lin Ran shook his head and tied another ribbon to the empress¡¯s wrist. ¡°We¡¯ve been running around for a few days now. Although someone might be watching us, we still have to rest well tonight.¡± When the empress heard this, her face turned red. It was unknown what was on her mind. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand!¡± Lin Ran hurriedly pointed at the back hall. ¡°What I mean is that you can sleep inside while I make do outside for the night.¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re a couple, how can we sleep in separate rooms?¡± The empress blushed and said in an almost inaudible voice. Then, she walked into the back hall first. When she entered, she turned to look at Lin Ran, but as soon as their eyes met, she immediately looked away. Seeing the empress¡¯s attitude, Lin Ran immediately followed her into the back hall. ¡­ In the bedroom in the back hall, Lin Ran lay on the ground. Suddenly, the empress, who was on the bed, said, ¡°Are you asleep?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Ran asked, ¡°You must be exhausted, right? Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± ¡°This blanket smells strange. I can¡¯t sleep.¡± The empress sounded a little aggrieved. Lin Ran looked at the coat over him and didn¡¯t speak. After a while, the empress asked again, ¡°Why do you think my mother is staying here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you have any ideas?¡± Lin Ran replied casually. He knew that the empress didn¡¯t really want to discuss this. She just wanted to say something to ease her tension. As expected, after receiving the question, the empress immediately started talking non-stop, saying all kinds of illogical and meaningless things. Lin Ran closed his eyes and nodded from time to time to indicate that he was listening. After an unknown period of time, the empress¡¯s voice finally weakened and was replaced by a faint snore. ¡°Finally alseep.¡± Lin Ran let out a long sigh and opened his eyes. At the same time, a white light flashed. Lin Ran held the Yin-Yang Sword and waved it gently. He shouted softly, ¡°Five Elements Sword Technique¡ªWater.¡± ¡­ Nanjiang Town, Great Yong Dynasty. It was already late at night, but there were still many people on the streets. Suddenly, the people seemed to have sensed something and stopped to look at the sky. The originally bright night sky was suddenly filled with heavy clouds. As the night wind blew, the air began to feel damp. Someone cursed under their breath. Then everyone quickened their pace. Soon the street was deserted. Immediately after, heavy rain poured down, and water quickly accumulated on the road. In the canal by the roadside that no one noticed, a pool of water was quietly flowing through. ¡­ Heavenly Saint Dynasty, at the Ministry of Justice. Song Rentong narrowed his eyes and looked at the wanted poster in his hand. The target on the wanted poster was Lin Ran. The crime was deliberately blurred, but the reward was very high, a total of 100,000 taels of gold. The painter from the Ministry of Justice was very skilled, but perhaps to please his superior, he made Lin Ran look fierce and ferocious on the wanted poster. However, Song Rentong did not mind. After looking at it for a moment to make sure that there was nothing wrong, he stamped his official seal on the wanted poster and handed it to his subordinate. ¡°Before dawn, I want it posted all over the capital!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The subordinate agreed and took the wanted poster with both hands before turning to leave. Li Tianyi took half a step forward and asked with a frown, ¡°Lord Song, I know you¡¯re doing this for the sake of His Majesty¡¯s safety, but isn¡¯t it a little too risky to beat the drum about it.¡± ¡°Are you teaching me how to do things?¡± Song Rentong looked up at Li Tianyi, his tone no longer as respectful as before. ¡°If you didn¡¯t slack off, His Majesty wouldn¡¯t have been taken hostage by that traitor.¡± Li Tianyi was originally a little angry, but at the mention of this, he instantly lost his temper. He pursed his lips tightly, and his face was haggard and emaciated, making him look like an old monkey. At this moment, a low-ranking official from the Ministry of Justice suddenly barged in. Without even bowing, he hurriedly shouted, ¡°Lord! Lord! There¡¯s news about His Majesty!¡± Chapter 206 - 206 Grandmasters Can Be Nurtured 206 Grandmasters Can Be Nurtured Seeing the low-ranking official barge in in a panic, Song Rentong¡¯s expression darkened. However, when he heard that there was news of His Majesty, his expression quickly changed and he stood up to ask, ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡°An urgent report from Fort Liushi in the north!¡± As the low-ranking official spoke, he put a jade slip on the table. ¡°Guo Fuzhen, the general of the Northern Garrison, said that His Majesty went to the north to reward the army.¡± ¡°The north?!¡± Li Tianyi screamed, ¡°The north is thousands of kilometers away from the capital. How could His Majesty appear in the north in two days?¡± No one replied. Song Rentong picked up the jade slip and injected a wisp of divine sense into it. After a moment, he frowned. ¡°His Majesty has really been to the Northern Border!¡± ¡°Is that so? What did General Guo say?¡± Li Tianyi asked anxiously. Although he had some cultivation, such urgent reports were encrypted in a special way. He did not know how to encrypt them. Therefore, he could only look at the jade slip in Song Rentong¡¯s hand anxiously. Song Rentong held the jade slip and pondered for a moment. ¡°According to General Guo, His Majesty went to the north yesterday to reward the army. Although I don¡¯t know how His Majesty got there so quickly, His Majesty was definitely forced to do that.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s weird. His Majesty disappeared from the palace the day before yesterday. How could he appear in the north thousands of miles away in just a day?¡± Li Tianyi was overjoyed when he heard this. Although he did not know the whereabouts of the empress yet, as long as he knew that the empress took the initiative to leave the palace, his crime of negligence would not exist! Thinking of this, Li Tianyi put on airs again. He waved the tai chi whisk and gently swept it across Song Rentong¡¯s hand. ¡°Lord Song, tell me, what exactly did General Guo say?¡± Song Rentong also realized that Li Tianyi didn¡¯t do anything wrong, and his attitude clearly softened. ¡°General Guo first reported the good news to His Majesty, then thanked His Majesty for rewarding the army.¡± Li Tianyi frowned slightly. ¡°In that case, Your Majesty went alone?¡± Song Rentong shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. General Guo didn¡¯t mention this.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not right!¡± Li Tianyi¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°The war just ended yesterday, but His Majesty left the palace the day before yesterday. Did His Majesty know that our army would certainly win?¡± Song Rentong¡¯s eyes lit up. He indeed had never thought of this! The empress set off two days ago, but the war ended a day ago. No matter what method the empress used to reach the north in a day, when she set off, the outcome of the war was still uncertain. In other words, the empress¡¯s goal in going to the north was not to reward the army, at least not when she set off! Then why did the empress leave the palace alone and how the empress managed to avoid the heavy guards in the palace became the key questions. Song Rentong fell into deep thought again. At the side, Li Tianyi also looked like he was in deep thought because he had just thought of something else¡ª On the day Lin Ran was conferred the title of general, he went to the imperial study to see His Majesty in disheveled clothes. However, after Li Tianyi notified Lin Ran of his promotion, Lin Ran barged into the imperial study and then disappeared on his sword. At that time, Li Tianyi did not know what was going on and closed the door without checking. Now that he thought about it, the empress should have disappeared at that time. However, this was not the main point. He remembered there was an anxious look on Lin Ran¡¯s face when he left, which meant that he knew where the empress was going. ¡°Lord Song¡­¡± Li Tianyi¡¯s face was pale as he spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°I seem to have forgotten something very important¡­¡± ¡­ Nanjiang Town, Great Yong Dynasty. The morning sun rose, and the clear sunlight cast a layer of misty golden light on Nanjiang Town. After the heavy rain last night, the entire Nanjiang Town became clean. Even the air seemed to have become much fresher. The empress was woken up by a gust of slightly damp cold wind. When she opened her eyes and looked around this unfamiliar room, the empress was stunned for a few seconds before she remembered why she was here. She turned around and realized that Lin Ran was not around. Thinking of Lin Ran curled up on the ground last night, the empress suddenly felt a little guilty. ¡°Lin¡­ Qiyun? Are you there?¡± As soon as the empress spoke, she thought that someone might be keeping an eye on them, so she called Lin Ran by his alias. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Lin Ran stuck his head in from outside. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Then come and eat!¡± Seeing that Lin Ran¡¯s expression was as usual and that he did not seem to be holding a grudge, the empress¡¯s guilt subsided a little. She nodded and stood up to go to the front hall. ¡°Good morning, Sister!¡± The young man from yesterday sat at the table and looked at the empress with sparkling eyes. ¡°The conditions here are not good. Did you rest well last night?¡± ¡°Fortunately, I had a good rest.¡± The empress smiled. She wanted to ask Lin Ran how he slept, but seeing that there was someone else around, she didn¡¯t ask. After breakfast, the young man put away the bowl and chopsticks and left. Only then did the empress look at Lin Ran and say, ¡°I saw water on the floor of the bedroom. Last night, you¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this first.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and his expression turned serious. ¡°I discovered something last night. This ¡®Nanjiang Town¡¯ might be a cover.¡± ¡°Last night?¡± The empress blinked. ¡°Weren¡¯t we together last night?¡± Lin Ran explained, ¡°I was afraid that you would pester me to bring you along to investigate, so last night, after you fell asleep, I walked around the town.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The empress subconsciously wanted to flare up, but in the end, she held back. She looked at Lin Ran with an unfriendly expression and asked, ¡°Then what did you find?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Lin Ran shook his head slowly with a speechless expression. ¡°I¡¯ve walked through the entire town. There are inns, restaurants, and even three casinos! But there¡¯s nothing unusual. Other than the people here, everything is what a town should have.¡± ¡°People? Is there anything unusual about the people here?¡± The empress asked subconsciously. As soon as she finished speaking, she answered herself. ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s indeed abnormal for someone to enter the Grandmaster Realm in their teens.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression became even more serious. ¡°There are no old people or children here. Other than your mother, everyone else is between the ages of 15 and 30. The weakest among them is at the first level of the Grandmaster Realm. Do you know what this means?¡± The empress shook her head to indicate that she didn¡¯t know. Lin Ran pointed at the ground, his eyes filled with fear. ¡°There are hundreds of grandmasters here. The Great Yong Dynasty has already mastered the way to nurture martial artists!¡± Chapter 207 - 207 How Long Are You Going to Hug 207 How Long Are You Going to Hug Lin Ran¡¯s voice was very soft, but in the empress¡¯s ears, it was like a thunderclap! In the past, people often said that one had to embark on the path of cultivation. However, in the empress¡¯s opinion, the path of cultivation was more like a constantly changing huge network. Every point of the network along the way was a choice. These ¡°network points¡± could be opportunities or tribulations. The only thing they had in common was that they could not be replicated. At the same time, these ¡°network points¡± would not appear in the same place twice. This led to the fact that even if the same person took the same path of cultivation again, they might not be able to achieve the same result. The achievements and cultivation of every martial artist could not be replicated. Without opportunities, even if an immortal descended to the world to personally guide someone, it would be of much help. That was why those high-realm martial artists were so respected. But now, the Great Yong Dynasty had actually mastered the method to nurture martial artists. This was against the rules of the cultivation. How could the empress not be surprised? ¡°Are you sure?¡± The empress asked in a hoarse voice, but she already knew the answer. The hundreds of Grandmasters in Nanjiang Town were the best proof. Lin Ran did not answer. He frowned and continued, ¡°But there is something puzzling. There are so many grandmasters in the Great Yong Dynasty. If they joined the war a few days ago, they would be able to advance to the capital of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty in a day. Why didn¡¯t they do that?¡± ¡°It might be¡­¡± The empress wanted to say that it was because of the agreement between the countries, but before she could say anything, she knew that it was unlikely. The Great Yong Dynasty had hundreds of grandmasters. Even if they broke the agreement and were condemned by all the other countries, they had nothing to worry about. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know what the empress was thinking, or perhaps he knew, but he didn¡¯t care. He paused for a moment before continuing to analyze, ¡°So I have a bold guess. These Grandmasters in Nanjiang Town might be different from what we understand about grandmasters.¡± ¡°There must be a restriction on them that we don¡¯t know about. This restriction causes them to be unable to use their full strength, or they can¡¯t leave Nanjiang Town for too long. In short, there must be some kind of restriction. Otherwise, this doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± The empress thought for a moment and knew that what Lin Ran said made sense. Just as she was about to say her opinion, she realized that Lin Ran was looking at her with an obscure expression. It was obvious that he had something to say. ¡°Just say it.¡± The empress frowned slightly and was a little angry. With the empress¡¯s approval, Lin Ran immediately put on a sly expression. ¡°I think this ¡®restriction¡¯ is why your mother is staying here. There¡¯s nothing strange about this town. She must have the answer, so can you¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Before Lin Ran could finish, the empress decisively rejected, ¡°If she wants to help me, why didn¡¯t she make it clear when we met last night? She¡¯s my biological mother. Is she afraid that I¡¯ll cause her trouble?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because you¡¯re always causing trouble!¡± Lin Ran complained in his heart, but he couldn¡¯t say that out loud. Liu Ruxi was the only way to find out the truth about Nanjiang Town, and the empress was the only one who could convince Liu Ruxi. Therefore, he could only patiently persuade the empress. In the next hour, Lin Ran tried to reason with her, but the empress was still unmoved. Looking at the empress cross her arms as if this matter had nothing to do with her, Lin Ran really wanted to coerce her into doing it, but in the end, he held back. ¡°Since you insist on refusing, forget it.¡± Lin Ran sighed. With a flash of white light in his hand, the black and white Yin-Yang Sword appeared out of thin air. Seeing the Yin-Yang Sword, the empress¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t find out the truth, we have to use a stupid method.¡± Lin Ran smiled sadly and looked at the Yin-Yang Sword with a lonely gaze, as if he was looking at an old comrade who had fought alongside him for many years. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back to Fort Liushi, then I¡¯ll destroy this place. It¡¯s just a few hundred grandmasters. I can handle them.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± The empress¡¯s expression changed drastically. She pulled Lin Ran back and said anxiously, ¡°Who knows if there are Senior Grandmasters or even Half-Saints like you?¡± ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s still Liu Hongshan missing. If he has already returned to the Great Yong Dynasty, once you attack, Liu Hongshan will definitely come to reinforce them. At that time, you¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I die or not.¡± Lin Ran smiled and looked at the empress with his dark eyes. ¡°Keeping Nanjiang Town will put a threat to the Heavenly Saint and you. Unfortunately, I promised Sword God that I would protect you for the rest of your life. I¡¯m afraid I have to go back on my word now.¡± With that, Lin Ran stood up, and the aura around him began to rise. Second level, sixth level, ninth level of Martial Master Realm¡­ Second level, sixth level, ninth level of Senior Martial Master Realm¡­ Just as Lin Ran was about to break through to the Grandmaster Realm, the empress suddenly hugged him from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive! I¡¯ll go talk to my mother!¡± Lin Ran smiled smugly. Fortunately, he had long guessed that the empress would not be easily convinced, so he came up with this bad backup idea. Otherwise, if he couldn¡¯t convince the empress, he would really have to kill everyone in Nanjiang Town. However, when he turned around and saw the empress¡¯s teary eyes, Lin Ran immediately felt guilty. Lin Ran pretended to be considerate. ¡°I know this is hard on you. If you don¡¯t want to do this, you don¡¯t have to force yourself.¡± Sensing that Lin Ran¡¯s aura had stopped rising, the empress loosened her grip a little. She raised her tear-stained face and shook her head. ¡°No, you¡¯ve already done a lot for me. I can¡¯t let you take such a big risk again.¡± If Lin Ran couldn¡¯t persuade the empress to go and talk to Liu Ruxi, Lin Ran really planned to massacre Nanjiang Town alone because these hundreds of grandmasters were too much of a threat to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. However, this matter would not end with his death. With Nanjiang Town destroyed, the Great Yong Dynasty would definitely start a new round of war. The Heavenly Saint Dynasty sent a Half-Saint into the enemy country to cause a catastrophic bloodshed. Just this matter alone was enough to make the Heavenly Saint Dynasty the common enemy of the world. At that time, they would be attacked on all sides. How long could the empress last? While LIn Ran was deep in thought, a cold voice suddenly came from outside the door. ¡°How long are you going to hug?¡± Chapter 208 - 208 Unexpected Gain 208 Unexpected Gain The voice was cold and carried a hint of anger. The two people in the room looked at each other and the empress quickly let go with a red face. Almost at the same time, the door was pushed open and Liu Ruxi walked in with a dark expression. ¡°Mother, I¡­¡± The empress hesitated and spoke. Before she could finish, Liu Ruxi interrupted her with a wave of her hand. Liu Ruxi looked at the empress coldly and went straight to Lin Ran. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re just a guard?¡± Feeling the powerful aura of mother-in-law from Liu Ruxi, even Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous. He pursed his lips and asked tentatively, ¡°If I say that this is a misunderstanding¡­ do you believe me?¡± Liu Ruxi didn¡¯t answer. She sized up Lin Ran with her almond-shaped eyes and asked coldly, ¡°How old are you?¡± Lin Ran answered politely, ¡°Empress Dowager, I¡¯m 23 years old this year.¡± Liu Ruxi nodded. ¡°What cultivation level?¡± ¡°Second Martial Master¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking about your true cultivation level!¡± Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before replying honestly, ¡°Sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm.¡± There was a hint of surprise in Liu Ruxi¡¯s eyes, but it disappeared in a moment. ¡°Who is your shifu?¡± ¡°Ten Miles Sword God of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± ¡°Where do you live?¡± ¡°I¡¯m temporarily staying in Mingzhao Hall.¡± ¡­ After asking more than ten questions in a row, Lin Ran felt more and more like he was being interrogated by his mother-in-law. Finally, while Liu Ruxi was thinking, Lin Ran interrupted decisively, ¡°Empress Dowager, what happened just now was really a misunderstanding. Let¡¯s get down to business first!¡± With that, Lin Ran slipped past Liu Ruxi and gave the empress a look of encouragement. Then, he left the room and closed the door. Only the mother and daughter were left in the room. The atmosphere immediately became a little tense. Actually, both of them knew what they wanted to talk about, but looking at her mother in front of her, the empress opened her mouth a few times, but in the end, she did not say anything. Liu Ruxi looked around as if she was avoiding the empress¡¯s gaze. Occasionally, when she met the empress¡¯s gaze, she would immediately look away. Outside the door. Lin Ran almost pressed his ear to the crack on the door, but he still couldn¡¯t hear anything. He knew that the two people inside were embarrassed and wanted to go in to ease the atmosphere, but when he thought of Liu Ruxi¡¯s stern interrogation just now, he decisively gave up on this idea. After waiting for a while without seeing any progress, Lin Ran slowly lost his patience. Thinking that the empress wouldn¡¯t be in danger with Liu Ruxi, he went to the street. There were more people on the streets during the day than at night. Seeing Lin Ran, almost everyone looked at him warily. In less than ten steps, at least 30 divine senses swept past him. Helpless, Lin Ran rolled up his sleeves and revealed the red ribbon. Finally, he wasn¡¯t locked onto by the divine senses. After walking around a street corner, Lin Ran walked into a noodle shop. He was in a hurry to talk to the empress this morning and hadn¡¯t eaten much. Now, he was a little hungry. The noodle shop was not big. There were only seven or eight tables inside. When Lin Ran entered, there was only one table of customers sitting around and chatting happily. However, when he entered, those people immediately shut their mouths and began to eat their noodles in silence. ¡°Sir, what do you want to eat?¡± The shopkeeper asked from behind the counter. He looked to be about the same age as Lin Ran and was at the third level of the Grandmaster Realm. He could be a formidable figure anywhere, but in Nanjiang Town, he was only qualified to be a shopkeeper of a small noodle shop. ¡°Give me a bowl of beef noodles!¡± Lin Ran looked at the menu hanging above the counter and replied, ¡°More beef and more noodles.¡± ¡°Two bowls of beef noodles!¡± The shopkeeper shouted into the kitchen and raised his hand at Lin Ran. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people in the shop. Find a place to sit.¡± Lin Ran nodded and went to the table by the door. Just as he was about to sit down, he heard someone shout, ¡°Hey! That table is taken!¡± Lin Ran turned around and saw that it was one of the customers he saw just now. He looked very young and was probably at the sixth level of the Grandmaster Realm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lin Ran smiled apologetically and turned to walk to another table. ¡°That one is taken too.¡± The man shouted again. His companion whispered something to him, but he ignored him and looked at Lin Ran with a slightly provocative expression. Lin Ran immediately realized that this person was deliberately looking for trouble. He looked at the shopkeeper and realized that he didn¡¯t care at all. Then, he narrowed his eyes and looked at the person. ¡°May I ask which table is not taken?¡± ¡°The tables are all taken.¡± As the person spoke, he swung his hand and the chopsticks in his hand flew out. With a thud, they were nailed more than two inches into the threshold. ¡°You can sit there.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly darkened. Even when he was just a low-level martial artist, he had never been humiliated like this! However, the person who was looking for trouble did not care. After throwing his chopsticks, he laughed out loud. ¡°Why did they send a low second level Martial Master. True Martial¡­¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± His companion¡¯s expression changed and he hurriedly covered his mouth. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°He was captured yesterday. He¡¯s not sent by True Martial Workshop. If you dare to spout nonsense again, the town guardian will punish you!¡± ¡°Is he the one who eloped?¡± The expression of the person who was looking for trouble immediately changed. He looked at Lin Ran warily and lowered his head to eat his noodles without saying anything. When the two of them spoke, they deliberately lowered their voices. Unfortunately, they underestimated Lin Ran¡¯s hearing. ¡°True Martial Workshop?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. When he investigated the town last night, he didn¡¯t see a shop with this name. However, from what the two of them said, True Martial Workshop would send people over regularly. Perhaps that was the key to the pervasiveness of grandmasters in Nanjiang Town! Lin Ran¡¯s expression was a little strange. He did not expect to obtain this important information just by visiting a noodle shop. If he had known it would be so easy, he wouldn¡¯t have put on a show with the empress! As he was thinking, two bowls of noodles were brought over. Lin Ran sat down and started eating. It had to be said that the noodles made by grandmasters were different. The noodles were elastic and fragrant. Soon, the bowl of beef noodles was finished. Just as Lin Ran was about to start the second bowl, the customers at the table were already done eating and preparing to leave. ¡°Shopkeeper! Do you have garlic?¡± Lin Ran suddenly stood up and shouted. He bumped into the people walking towards the door. At the same time, a wisp of sword intent was quietly released from his palm and attached to the guy who was looking for trouble just now. Chapter 209 - 209 Knocking on Hells Door 209 Knocking on Hell¡¯s Door After eating another bowl of noodles, Lin Ran patted his stomach in satisfaction. He turned to look at the shopkeeper and asked, ¡°Shopkeeper, how much?¡± The young shopkeeper looked up at Lin Ran strangely. Then, he thought of something and shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to pay for food, clothing, and transportation in Nanjiang Town. If you want to pay the bill¡­ go ask the town guardian.¡± Only then did Lin Ran remember that the customers at the table didn¡¯t pay either. He cupped his hands and thanked him before leaving. After wandering aimlessly for a moment, Lin Ran arrived at a remote alley. After looking around to make sure that no one was following him, he gently jumped onto the roof beside him. Under the cover of the eaves, Lin Ran squatted down and stretched out a hand, as if he was testing something in the wind. After a moment, a smile appeared on his face, and his figure flashed and disappeared. In a tea room on the east side of Nanjiang Town. A few young men in white sat together and chatted happily. Suddenly, one of them¡¯s expressions changed slightly. ¡°There¡¯s the aura of a new grandmaster!¡± ¡°A newcomer is here? It¡¯s not time yet!¡± ¡°Why do you care? Let¡¯s go out and take a look.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Wait! Why is there another one?¡± As they chatted, their expressions changed. Within a hundred feet of them, more than ten unfamiliar grandmaster auras appeared at the same time. If it were any other time, they would only think that True Martial Workshop had sent someone over again and go out to join in the fun. However, although these auras were unfamiliar today, they could clearly tell that they came from the same person! ¡°Did you notice?¡± One of them spoke hesitantly, as if he did not believe his own judgment. However, as soon as he finished speaking, another person added, ¡°I noticed it too. It¡¯s from the same person¡­ But how is that possible?¡± ¡°Cut the crap! Let¡¯s go out and take a look.¡± The young man who had teased Lin Ran waved his hand with disdain. ¡°He¡¯s already so arrogant on his first day here. If we don¡¯t teach him a lesson, he¡¯ll boss us around in no time.¡± When everyone heard this, they immediately became excited. ¡°Then we have to hurry up and not let the other groups beat us to it!¡± ¡°But his location is unpredictable. How are we going to find him?¡± ¡°Simple. His aura appeared on eight spots. Let¡¯s split up. If we find him, send a signal to the others!¡± ¡°Deal!¡± ¡­ The few of them quickly came up with a plan. Then, they turned into a white shadow and flew in different directions! The young man who teased Lin Ran chose to go to the East. This was the direction where they sensed the aura of the Grandmaster at the beginning and the direction where they were most likely to find the Grandmaster. A moment later, he arrived at the eastern edge of Nanjiang Town. The houses and buildings here were dilapidated. Although Nanjiang Town was only a town, it had a population of two to three thousand at its peak. To them, this town was still a little too big, so they usually gathered in the center of the town. After arriving at the edge, the young man landed on the ground. More than ten steps in front of him, there was a person standing with his back facing him. The young man revealed the look of a senior. ¡°Did True Martial Workshop just send you here? It¡¯s your first day here and you¡¯re already so arrogant. It seems that as a senior, I have to teach you well¡­¡± As the young man spoke, the person slowly turned around. Seeing that person¡¯s fair appearance and the red ribbon on his wrist, the young man immediately frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Lin Ran nodded with a smile. ¡°What did you say just now? You wanted to teach me well?¡± The young man ignored him and frowned as he sized up Lin Ran. ¡°Aren¡¯t you at the second level of the Martial Master Realm? Why do you have the aura of a grandmaster?¡± Lin Ran shrugged innocently. ¡°You said that I was a second level Martial Master. I¡¯ve never said that.¡± ¡°You hid your realm?¡± The young man¡¯s eyes flickered, and his expression immediately became vigilant. ¡°Who are you? Why did you hide your cultivation and enter Nanjiang Town?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll know soon.¡± The corners of Lin Ran¡¯s mouth slowly curled up. With a flash of white light, the black and white Yin-Yang Sword appeared in his hand! ¡°You use sword?¡± The young man¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°You¡¯re from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty!¡± ¡°Smart.¡± Lin Ran smiled and drew the Yin-Yang Sword in his hand. In an instant, millions of sword energy surged out! Before the young man could react, he was surrounded by a cage of sword energy that covered an area of more than a hundred steps. ¡°Forget about sending the signal to your people.¡± Lin Ran looked at the young man who had his hand in his pocket and put on a teasing smile. ¡°This sword energy cage can isolate all auras. Before you defeat me, you won¡¯t be able to send out anything.¡± The young man¡¯s expression froze as he slowly took out his hand. ¡°Are you taking revenge on me because of what happened at the noodle shop?¡± ¡°Do I look like such a vengeful person to you?¡± Lin Ran frowned and pretended to be angry. ¡°I just have a few questions for you. As long as you cooperate, I won¡¯t even touch you.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ You sure talk big!¡± The young man sneered and slowly stretched out his hands and pressed his fingers together. ¡°You can try!¡± Seeing the young man¡¯s posture, Lin Ran¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but change slightly. He suddenly remembered that in the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace, the armor seemed to be in this posture before attacking! Was it a coincidence? Lin Ran didn¡¯t know, but he vaguely felt that he was close to a secret that he had never thought of before. Seeing that Lin Ran was silent, the young man thought that he was afraid. He sneered and said faintly, ¡°You¡¯re too unlucky. So many of us split up to find, but you are found by me, the strongest among them!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lin Ran retracted his gaze and looked at the young man¡¯s smooth clothes. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s not me who found you?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a fool who wants to die.¡± As the young man spoke, he released his divine sense and swept it across Lin Ran. ¡°You are just a second-level grand¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, the young man suddenly couldn¡¯t make a sound as if his throat was being strangled. This was because he realized that while he was speaking, Lin Ran¡¯s aura was rising explosively! Chapter 210 - 210 People Are Unfathomable 210 People Are Unfathomable Second level, third level, fourth level of Grandmaster realm ¡­ Soon, Lin Ran¡¯s aura reached the sixth level of the Grandmaster Realm, which was the same as the young man¡¯s. However, this increase did not stop there. Instead, he continued to advance quickly to a higher level! Finally, when he reached the ninth level of the Grandmaster Realm, Lin Ran¡¯s aura began to stabilize. The young man silently watched as Lin Ran¡¯s cultivation level exceeded his. There was no fear on his face, but his forehead was already starting to sweat. ¡°Ninth level of Grandmaster Realm¡­¡± After Lin Ran¡¯s aura stabilized, the young man muttered thoughtfully, then his eyes revealed fighting spirit, ¡°Even so, you¡¯re not my match! Our Great Yong¡­¡± ¡°Are close to nature!¡± Lin Ran interrupted him with an indifferent expression. ¡°I know. Someone reminded me not to get close to you while fighting.¡± The young man was stunned for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal. ¡°Then you should know that even if your realm is a little higher than mine, you can¡¯t keep up with my speed!¡± With that, the young man¡¯s figure suddenly turned into a white shadow and began to flicker in every place of the sword energy cage! ¡°Sigh¡­ My realm is not just a little higher than yours.¡± Lin Ran sighed helplessly and pointed the Yin-Yang Sword in his hand at the sky. In an instant, the entire sword energy cage began to shrink! In the blink of an eye, the sword energy cage that covered an area of more than a hundred steps shrank to less than ten steps. In the impenetrable cage, all the air was compressed ten times and began to get sticky! With a thud, the young man, who was still flying like a shadow a second ago, fell to the ground. His cultivation technique was to use the power of the wind to increase his speed, but due to the sticky air, there was no longer any wind. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The young man lay on the ground and shouted through gritted teeth. There was nothing on his body, but he felt like there were invisible mountains pressing down on every inch of his skin! ¡°Because of scientific reasoning.¡± Lin Ran smiled. After hearing Zou Hao¡¯s reminder, he had been thinking of a way to limit the speed of the martial artists of the Great Yong Dynasty and came up with the method of using the sword energy cage to condense the air. As he spoke, Lin Ran walked to the young man¡¯s side. As he moved, the sticky air caused ripples that could be seen with the naked eye. ¡°I ask, you answer.¡± Lin Ran sat on the ground beside the young man and placed the Yin-Yang Sword casually on his neck. ¡°If you dare to lie to me or refuse to answer, you should know the consequences.¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± The young man shouted coldly and did not even look at the Yin-Yang Sword on his neck. ¡°You made such a big commotion and will quickly attract the others. So what if you can trap me? Can you trap hundreds of Grandmasters at the same time?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the commotion?¡± Lin Ran looked at the millions of surging sword energy around him in confusion. ¡°Are you talking about this? I only used less than a tenth of my strength. No one will notice.¡± The young man¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! How can a ninth level Grandmaster have such strength!¡± ¡°As I said, it¡¯s you who said that I¡¯m a ninth level Grandmaster, but I didn¡¯t.¡± Lin Ran shrugged and patted the young man twice. ¡°Can you answer my question now?¡± For the first time, a panicked expression appeared on the young man¡¯s face, but he still shook his head with a firm gaze. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything! Those commoners are all unafraid of death for the Great Yong Dynasty. As a sixth level Grandmaster, how can I be a coward?¡± ¡°Commoner?¡± Lin Ran frowned. ¡°What commoner?¡± Only then did the young man realize that he had said something he shouldn¡¯t. After a moment, he turned his head away and stopped looking at Lin Ran. Seeing how uncooperative the other party was, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I wanted to go easy on you, but you don¡¯t appreciate it. Then don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless!¡± ¡­ In a house in Nanjiang Town. The empress and Liu Ruxi sat facing each other. Although the atmosphere was still a little awkward, it was much more eased than before. ¡°Wan¡¯er, you must stop investigating!¡± Liu Ruxi persuaded earnestly with an anxious expression. ¡°Later, I¡¯ll send two first level Grandmasters to send you two out of the town to execute you in secret. Tell your guard to kill them while you are out of town and return to the Heavenly Saint as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± The empress replied expressionlessly and coldly, ¡°If you want me to go back, let me know what you¡¯re doing. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Liu Ruxi sighed with a conflicted expression. ¡°Wan¡¯er¡­ stop asking. I really can¡¯t tell you.¡± Tears suddenly welled up in the corners of the empress¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why? I¡¯m your daughter! Don¡¯t you even trust me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but¡­¡± Liu Ruxi seemed to want to explain, but for some reason, she did not continue. At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded outside the door. ¡°Because she feels that what she is doing is immoral and doesn¡¯t want you to be disappointed with her.¡± When Liu Ruxi heard this, her expression changed drastically. Then, the door opened and Lin Ran walked in with a dark expression. ¡°Lin Ran?¡± When the empress saw the person who came, she frowned slightly. ¡°What did you mean just now? What do you mean by immoral?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t answer. He went straight to Liu Ruxi and gritted his teeth to suppress his anger. ¡°How can you do this?¡± Liu Ruxi looked down at the table as if she did not hear him. After more than ten seconds, she asked softly, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Someone kind-hearted told me this.¡± Lin Ran replied casually, his eyes filled with disappointment. ¡°As the empress dowager of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, did you betray your country and family just to do this?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Liu Ruxi nodded and looked at Lin Ran with a pleading gaze. ¡°Can I talk to you alone?¡± Lin Ran looked at the empress. ¡°Get out first.¡± The empress was stunned. ¡°Lin Ran, what do you mean? I¡¯m the emperor of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty! This matter is related to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, so I have the right to know!¡± ¡°We are in the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Lin Ran replied coldly without looking at the angry empress. ¡°I¡¯m showing you respect by asking you to go out. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to knock you out.¡± If anyone else said this, the empress would definitely fly into a rage. However, Lin Ran was different. She knew that this guy would definitely do what he said. After hesitating for a moment, the empress stood up and walked towards the door. However, on the chair she had sat on previously, she left a jade slip emitting a faint fluorescent light¡­ Chapter 211 - 211 Empress Dowagers Plan 211 Empress Dowager¡¯s Plan After the empress left, Lin Ran sat opposite Liu Ruxi and looked into her eyes. ¡°Now, tell me why you are doing this.¡± ¡°For the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± Liu Ruxi replied softly. It seemed like after the empress left, she had become much more honest. Lin Ran sneered in disdain. ¡°Did you create hundreds of grandmasters for the Great Yong Dynasty to destroy the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± ¡°On the contrary, I¡¯m doing this for the prosperity of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± Liu Ruxi shook her head. It was unknown if she was guilty or afraid that others would hear her, but her voice was very low, but her eyes were abnormally firm. Seeing this, Lin Ran knew that there was no need to probe further. He asked hesitantly, ¡°What¡­ are they?¡± The ¡°they¡± Lin Ran mentioned were the hundreds of Grandmasters in Nanjiang Town, but he really didn¡¯t know if these Grandmasters were considered human. ¡°Cocoon.¡± Liu Ruxi spat out a word. She knew what Lin Ran was asking. ¡°You can call them ¡®cocoons¡¯.¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows. ¡°Is this how you lie to yourself?¡± Liu Ruxi didn¡¯t say anything, as if she didn¡¯t hear Lin Ran¡¯s mockery. She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°There are too many things involved in this matter. If I tell you everything, it will take a long time. Tell me what you know first. I¡¯ll correct and add.¡± Lin Ran nodded and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact time, but that was the last time you fought as a general of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. After that, you changed your identity and infiltrated Great Yong¡­¡± ¡°I was recruited.¡± Liu Ruxi corrected him. ¡°They know my identity.¡± Lin Ran nodded and continued, ¡°After that, you began the production of the cocoons in Great Yong. You established the True Martial Workshop and began selecting suitable children across the entire Great Yong Dynasty. You used a certain method to forcefully increase their cultivation level¡­¡± ¡°First of all, the selection happened in the past few years. Before that, I didn¡¯t have enough information. It was very difficult to select a specimen with a high success rate, so many people were killed in the early stages.¡± Liu Ruxi said softly, but there was no guilt in her tone. After a pause, Liu Ruxi continued, ¡°Secondly, the ¡®certain method¡¯ you mentioned is a cultivation technique that belongs to the Heavenly Saint Royal Family. Its name is Regal Descent. I modified it and turned it into the method I¡¯m using now¡­¡± At this point, Liu Ruxi suddenly looked at the door and continued in a low voice, ¡°Wan¡¯er should have also practiced this cultivation technique. I don¡¯t want her to follow in my footsteps, so I can¡¯t tell you the exact steps.¡± Lin Ran nodded to show that he understood. Although he had also mastered Regal Descent, he was really not interested in making the cocoons. Although the empress was very jealous that Great Yong had hundreds of grandmasters, if she knew the truth, Lin Ran believed that she wouldn¡¯t be interested either. After a short silence, Lin Ran continued, ¡°For some reason, these ¡®cocoons¡¯ are flawed, and you¡¯re looking for a way to fix it.¡± Liu Ruxi nodded, then shook her head. ¡°These ¡®cocoons¡¯ are indeed flawed. Their realms have increased too quickly, which will cause their foundation to be unstable. They need to take this pill regularly¡ª¡± As she spoke, Liu Ruxi took out a small wooden box from her pocket. After opening it, there was a crystal clear green pill inside. ¡°After a few modifications, this pill is now very poisonous. One pill alone is enough to kill more than 3,000 people.¡± This number made Lin Ran narrow his eyes, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Liu Ruxi rubbed the smooth surface of the pill with her fingertips, and there was a hint of smugness in her eyes. ¡°But to a martial artist, this is a sought after treasure because it can¡­¡± ¡°Increase the cultivation.¡± Lin Ran continued softly. When he first saw this pill, Lin Ran felt that it looked a little familiar. After thinking, he remembered that the first time he saw this pill was in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Huo Qiyun brought it back from Great Yong. At that time, Huo Qiyun was hunting down a martial artist from the Great Yong Dynasty who had insulted the Ten Miles Sword God. After a hard battle, he was about to kill him when the martial artist suddenly took a pill and his strength soared, almost killing Huo Qiyun. After that, Huo Qiyun investigated and realized that that kind of pill could be seen almost everywhere in Great Yong. However, the quality of that pill was very ordinary. It looked like donkey dung. On the other hand, the pill in the wooden box looked clearly much more refined. This was also within Lin Ran¡¯s expectations. The fact that such a heaven-defying pill had entered the hands of the commoners meant that Great Yong had already mastered a more mature technique of making the pill. Not long ago, Lin Ran and the empress thought that Great Yong would put the pill to use in war. The two of them were surprised that they didn¡¯t use it. Now that he thought about it, this pill should be specially used by Nanjiang Town, so it did not appear in the war. At the moment. Liu Ruxi was clearly surprised to find that Lin Ran knew the effects of this pill. ״̬However, she did not ask Lin Ran how he knew. She only rubbed the pill and continued, ¡°In addition to increasing the cultivation, this pill can also consolidate the state of the ¡®cocoon¡¯.¡± ¡°However, if it¡¯s not consumed after a period of time, the cocoon¡¯s strength will return to normal and it might even die as a result.¡± Lin Ran nodded. ¡°Then why did you shake your head just now?¡± ¡°You just said that I¡¯m looking for a way to fix the flaw.¡± Liu Ruxi mentioned what Lin Ran had just said, but she didn¡¯t continue. She just looked at Lin Ran with sparkling eyes. Lin Ran was stunned for a few seconds before he suddenly realized something. ¡°You¡¯ve already found the way to fix it?¡± Liu Ruxi nodded slightly. Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly turned extremely ugly! Now that Liu Ruxi had a way to solve the flaw of the cocoon, this meant that she could create cocoons with a grandmaster realm or even higher. The ¡°cocoons¡± would no longer need to live on the pill, and the Great Yong Dynasty would have a true invincible army that could sweep through the world! ¡°How can you do this?!¡± Lin Ran asked the same question he had asked when he entered, but the meaning was completely different. The first time, Lin Ran wanted to ask Liu Ruxi why she did such an immoral thing. This second time, he wanted to ask Liu Ruxi why she betrayed the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. ¡°I didn¡¯t betray the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± Liu Ruxi understood what Lin Ran meant. Her slender fingers picked up the pill. ¡°I¡¯ve already destroyed the formula. This is the last one in the entire Great Yong.¡± Chapter 212 - 212 A Peaceful World Once and For All 212 A Peaceful World Once and For All When he heard that this was the last pill, Lin Ran didn¡¯t quite understand. However, when he thought of what Liu Ruxi said just now, a bold guess came to his mind! ¡°If it¡¯s not consumed after a period of time, the cocoon¡¯s strength will return to normal and it might even die as a result.¡± ¡°Are you planning to¡ª¡± Lin Ran said with difficulty. His voice was hoarse. Liu Ruxi knew what he wanted to ask. ¡°I keep this pill as evidence. Now that I¡¯ve achieved my goal, I¡¯ll destroy it later.¡± ¡°In about three days, all the cocoons in Nanjiang Town and True Martial Workshop will weaken or die because of the lack of this pill.¡± ¡°At that time, the Great Yong Emperor will definitely investigate this matter strictly. As the person in charge, I can¡¯t absolve myself of the blame, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll think of a way to escape to the Heavenly Saint¡ª¡± At this point, Liu Ruxi suddenly smiled at Lin Ran. ¡°I¡¯ve already mastered the method. The success rate is more than 90%. With the cocoons, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty won¡¯t have to lose so many people.¡± Liu Ruxi crushed the pill into pieces with two fingers. ¡°Continuing the previous topic, destroying the cocoons by destroying the pill is not the safest way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made too many cocoons over the years. Nanjiang Town is just one of the bases. Even if 90% of them die, the remaining cocoons will still cause a catastrophe to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± Liu Ruxi said in a low voice. Her wise eyes were like those of an experienced strategist. ¡°But there¡¯s another flaw in these cocoons. Even the emperor of Great Yong didn¡¯t notice this flaw. That is, they¡¯re too young.¡± ¡°Experience.¡± Lin Ran instantly understood what Liu Ruxi meant. ¡°These ¡®cocoons¡¯ become powerful too quickly. Most of the time, they are studied as specimens, so they lack experience in real combat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Liu Ruxi nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I suggested to the emperor of Great Yong that I hope to create some opportunities for the cocoons to observe on the battlefield, so there was a war a few days ago. However, this is actually another plan of mine.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and shook his head frankly. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple. They need experience, so give them experience.¡± Liu Ruxi smiled. ¡°After the pill is destroyed, the remaining cocoons will be Great Yong¡¯s last hope. Therefore, they won¡¯t give up any opportunity to nurture them. I hope that after you return, you can persuade Wan¡¯er to start a war with Great Yong.¡± Without waiting for Lin Ran to respond, Liu Ruxi continued, ¡°What I mean is that I hope you can form an army composed of prisoners of war, criminals, or others. Great Yong won¡¯t let go of this opportunity to let concoons observe. We can¡¯t let them see the true strength of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty!¡± ¡°In three years, at most five years, I can build an army of Grandmasters or even Senior Grandmasters for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty!¡± ¡°But do you know how many people will die?¡± Lin Ran stared at Liu Ruxi. He didn¡¯t understand how the empress dowager of a country could say such a thing so casually. It had to be known that they were talking about a country war. It would cause the death of millions of lives! Seeing the anger in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, Liu Ruxi shook her head helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re still too young like those cocoons.¡± Just as Lin Ran was about to speak, Liu Ruxi suddenly waved at him and asked about something else. ¡°How many people did the Heavenly Saint Dynasty lose in the war a few days ago?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Lin Ran shook his head. ¡°But not more than five thousand.¡± Liu Ruxi nodded. ¡°The Great Yong army is made up of commoners and prisoners of war. This casualty is within expectation. How many people did Great Yong lose?¡± Lin Ran had already guessed what Liu Ruxi wanted to say, but he still replied in a low voice, ¡°About 300,000.¡± This time, Liu Ruxi didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she immediately threw out a third question. ¡°Then do you know how many people will be lost on both sides in a normal war?¡± Lin Ran shook his head. He really didn¡¯t know about this. ¡°The death and captured soldiers on both sides add up to about 500,000.¡± Liu Ruxi stretched out a palm. ¡°On average, there will be a large-scale war between the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and Great Yong Dynasty every ten years. During the ten years, there will be countless small frictions at the border. Say that the number of people who died in these small frictions is ten thousand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been thousands of years since the founding of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. There have been hundreds of wars with Great Yong alone. Have you counted how many people have died in these wars?¡± Liu Ruxi paused for a moment and looked at Lin Ran with a burning gaze. ¡°Now, I can completely end all wars. The price is only a few hundred thousand people. Isn¡¯t that worth it?¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and didn¡¯t say anything. He knew that Liu Ruxi was right Liu Ruxi was once a general of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. She knew the cruelty of war better than Lin Ran. At the same time, she was more decisive than Lin Ran. Using hundreds of thousands of lives in exchange for eternal peace was a rather far-sighted idea. To the people, It was better to have short,sharp pains than long,dull pains. To the emperor, it was a great achievement that would make him remembered for generations to come. Lin Ran could hardly find any reason to refuse. ¡°I refuse.¡± Lin Ran said softly, his face trembling slightly. It was not that he was afraid, but he just wanted to force a smile. This decision was too heavy. It was so heavy that he couldn¡¯t think straight. Liu Ruxi narrowed her eyes at Lin Ran, her gaze as sharp as a knife. ¡°Do you know how many people will die because of your kindness?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and replied. He held the edge of the table so tightly that his joints turned slightly pale, as if he had to use all his strength to say this. ¡°I only know that if I agree, this decision will kill hundreds of thousands of people.¡± Liu Ruxi didn¡¯t say anything and just looked at Lin Ran with a burning gaze. A moment later, Liu Ruxi sighed and looked in the direction of the door. She said softly, ¡°You have three days to think¡­ If possible, I hope you can discuss it with Wan¡¯er.¡± With that, Liu Ruxi stood up and left. Only when her figure disappeared out of the door did Lin Ran collapse into the chair as if he had lost all his strength. Only then did he realize that his clothes were completely drenched in cold sweat. ¡°Lin Ran.¡± The empress rushed into the room. When she saw Lin Ran, she couldn¡¯t help but look worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Lin Ran shook his head and looked at the empress with a complicated expression. ¡°If there¡¯s a chance to end the war once and for all¡­ Will you agree?¡± Chapter 213 - 213 Absolute Strength 213 Absolute Strength The empress was worried about Lin Ran. When she heard this, she replied casually, ¡°Of course I agree! If we can live in peace forever, I¡¯m willing to pay any price!¡± ¡°What if the price is dozens or even millions of lives?¡± Lin Ran asked again, his eyes filled with the eagerness for the answer. The empress was stunned when she heard this. She hesitated for a moment before replying, ¡°If it¡¯s the deaths on the enemy side¡­ I can accept it.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s people of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± Lin Ran continued to ask, ¡°Prisoners, prisoners of war, and even civilians and soldiers.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The empress hesitated again, but this time, she did not speak for a few minutes. Clearly, she did not know how to answer. Seeing this, Lin Ran knew what the empress meant. He immediately felt happier. Then, he bowed slightly and took out the jade slip that the empress had ¡°left behind¡±. He crushed it into pieces. ¡°Lin Ran! What are you doing?!¡± The empress subconsciously exclaimed. Then, she realized something and looked embarrassed. ¡°When¡­ when did you find out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not blind.¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes. How could he not see a palm-sized jade slip on the black chair? ¡°This jade slip can record sounds within a certain range, but the craftsmanship is extremely complicated¡­ It¡¯s very precious.¡± The empress muttered softly with a guilty expression. Although she was angry and indignant, she knew that she was in the wrong. Lin Ran didn¡¯t continue teasing her. He just raised his hand and gestured for the empress to sit down. After a pause, he said, ¡°Since you can¡¯t answer my question, there¡¯s no need to know what we talked about.¡± ¡°I know this might be a little cruel, but I have to tell you that your mother can¡¯t come back. She¡¯s Liu Ruxi now.¡± The empress¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Are you saying that my mother really betrayed the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± ¡°She betrayed everyone.¡± Lin Ran replied ambiguously. Before the empress could ask further, he continued, ¡°Now, I want to set up my plan. Don¡¯t ask me anything. Just do as I say.¡± The empress shut her mouth. Lin Ran raised his hand and summoned an exquisite divine sword. Then, he took out a jade slip and placed it on the table. He continued, ¡°This is a cultivation technique to fly on swords. It¡¯s very simple. You¡¯ll be able to learn it quickly. Later, I¡¯ll go and attract their attention. Take the opportunity to leave this place and return to the Heavenly Saint Realm as quickly as possible¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± The empress quickly interrupted Lin Ran. She bit her lower lip and said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with state affairs and didn¡¯t cultivate much. Even if I learned how to ride swords, it¡¯s such a long distance¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡± Lin Ran shook his head and suddenly grabbed the empress¡¯s hand. He instantly activated the Regal Technique, Sovereign Descent, and an incomparably pure internal energy was immediately transferred into her. With the support of Lin Ran¡¯s majestic internal energy, the empress clearly felt that her realm was increasing rapidly! Soon, the empress reached the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm. Although this realm could only last for a few hours, it was enough for her to ride the sword back to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. ¡°This is Sovereign Descent!¡± The empress exclaimed with a surprised expression. ¡°Why do you know this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important. You have to leave immediately.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand weakly. It was very energy consuming to impart internal energy. This was the first time the empress had seen Lin Ran so weak. She immediately looked worried. ¡°Let¡¯s go together, okay? In your current state, it¡¯ll be very dangerous if you get surrounded!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. No matter how weak I am, I¡¯m still at the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm. I won¡¯t die so easily.¡± Lin Ran smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I cultivated Sovereign Descent.¡± The empress instantly remembered that Sovereign Descent could absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to nourish one¡¯s body. It could allow Lin Ran to recover faster than ordinary martial artists. Thinking of this, the empress didn¡¯t say anything else. Although she didn¡¯t know why, she could tell that Lin Ran was already prepared to make a move. If she stayed here, Lin Ran would only be restrained. Seeing that the empress understood, Lin Ran smiled faintly and said, ¡°Go. I used a lot of internal energy just now. We must have been discovered. They¡¯ll be here soon.¡± ¡°Yes, be careful!¡± The empress nodded solemnly. Then, she suddenly hugged Lin Ran and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to come back.¡± With that, the empress left with the sword and jade slip. ¡°Will I ever go back¡­¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes were filled with bitterness, and the relaxed expression on his face disappeared. However, he did not hesitate at all. He raised his hand and summoned the Yin-Yang Sword before walking out of the door. Dozens of people were already standing on the street, and more people were coming over from a distance. These people were all masked, but Lin Ran still recognized the young man standing at the front. He was the one who delivered food to him and the empress in the last few days. As if realizing that Lin Ran had recognized him, the young man asked coldly, ¡°Who are you? Why did you lie to us?¡± ¡°My name is Lin Ran. I¡¯m the deputy general of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s Northern Garrison.¡± fLin Ran replied honestly. Then, he looked at the young man with a sad expression. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The young man looked at Lin Ran coldly. ¡°You¡¯re not qualified to know it.¡± Lin Ran smiled, not minding the young man¡¯s rudeness. ¡°You¡¯re about to die, but I don¡¯t know your name yet.¡± ¡°You sure talk big.¡± The young man snorted and instantly turned into a white shadow that rushed over. With the sound of a sharp blade being unsheathed, thousands of sword energy surged out, and the white shadow instantly dissipated. The ground was stained with a layer of blood. The light in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°I hate war!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the terrifying pressure of the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm descended! ¡°Everyone, be careful! He¡¯s not a second level Martial Master!¡± Someone in the crowd shouted anxiously, but it was too late. In an instant, dozens of people on the street were pressed to the ground by this pressure. Even if they struggled with all their might, it was useless. The difference in cultivation between the two sides was too great! Not only were the dozens of people nearby shocked, but even the people who were rushing over from afar turned pale from the pressure. Looking at these frightened people, Lin Ran suddenly felt like a villain. Lin Ran slowly soared into the sky on the Yin-Yang Sword. With the help of his internal energy, his calm voice resounded throughout Nanjiang Town. ¡°You¡¯re not my match. Stop struggling. If you don¡¯t want to die, lie on the ground and don¡¯t move. If you¡¯re still standing a minute later, you¡¯ll be dead.¡± Chapter 214 - 214 Red Ribbon 214 Red Ribbon At this moment, the empress had already arrived at the edge of Nanjiang Town. When she turned her head to the right, she could see the surging and roaring river. On the river, white figures flew towards Nanjiang Town. Perhaps because Lin Ran made too much of a commotion, no one noticed her. Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s voice behind her and seeing a large number of white figures gathering from all directions, the empress couldn¡¯t help but look worried. The empress looked back. At this moment, Lin Ran had already risen into the air. From her angle, he was only a small black figure, but the powerful aura he emitted made him look like a sun that was spitting flames. ¡°Can he really do it?¡± There was a conflict in the empress¡¯s eyes, but in the end, she didn¡¯t go back. After all, if Lin Ran couldn¡¯t deal with them, she wouldn¡¯t be of much help even if she went back. Instead, she would become Lin Ran¡¯s burden. ¡°You must come back alive!¡± The empress looked at the figure in the sky and said softly. Then, she took out the jade slip that Lin Ran had given her previously and focused her mind on it. A large amount of information instantly surged into her mind. It was the cultivation technique ¡°Sword Flight¡±. However, this cultivation technique had already been modified by Lin Ran and was easier to learn. In addition, the empress was very smart. She learned it after reading it once. She raised her hand and threw out the exquisite divine sword. At the same time, she activated her cultivation technique and gently landed on the sword. After balancing herself, she flew up unsteadily. It worked! The empress could not hide the joy on her face, but she knew that time was running out and did not waste too much time. She only circled the area a few times to adapt to this feeling before immediately flying out of the town! ¡°Lin Ran! You have to come back alive!¡± The empress muttered in a sobbing voice. Lin Ran turned around and saw the empress flying on her sword. ¡°You learn fast.¡± A hint of surprise flashed across Lin Ran¡¯s eyes. The moment his lips curled up, it froze on his face! Just as the empress was about to leave Nanjiang Town, a red light suddenly flashed in her direction. Then, the figure on the sword was sent flying as if it had been struck! At the same time, a heavy buzzing sound resounded through the space. A nearly transparent barrier appeared in the air like a huge bowl, covering the entire Nanjiang Town! ¡°There¡¯s actually an array formation here?¡± Lin Ran was shocked. He suddenly thought of something and looked at his wrist. There was a red ribbon fluttering in the wind. ¡°Put this on your wrists and you can walk around the town. Just don¡¯t go out.¡± At that time, Lin Ran thought that this was just a mark so that the people in the town wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for them. But now, it seemed that it wasn¡¯t that simple! Rustle¡ª With a light sound, Lin Ran arrived near the barrier in a flash. At this distance from the barrier, Lin Ran could clearly feel the ribbon on his wrist heating up slightly. However, the closer he got to the barrier, the more it heated up. ¡°The ribbon!¡± Lin Ran immediately shouted in the direction where the empress fell, ¡°Take off that ribbon! Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to get out!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran immediately began to untie the ribbon. However, when he found the knot, he was stunned for a moment. He clearly remembered that the empress had tied a slipknot for him, but at this moment, the knot had completely melted and solidified, looking like a decorative bead. ¡°Did it happen when it heated up just now?¡± Lin Ran thought to himself and immediately grabbed the ribbon to pull it off. However, the ribbon was surprisingly solid. No matter how hard Lin Ran pulled it, it wouldn¡¯t break. While he was surprised, Lin Ran summoned the Thunderball Sword. The sharp blade reached into the gap between the ribbon and his wrist and slashed hard, but the ribbon remained unchanged. This time, Lin Ran was completely stunned. Although the Thunderball Sword was not a top-notch divine sword, it could cut through iron as if it was mud. Could it be that this ribbon was harder than iron? After hesitating for a moment, Lin Ran put away the Thunderball Sword. After all, the current situation was far from necessary for him to break his wrist to get rid of the ribbon. The most important thing now was to not let the empress do anything stupid. After flashing a few times, Lin Ran arrived at the place where the empress landed. The few houses here had already been destroyed. Fortunately, the empress was fine. At this moment, she was using the exquisite divine sword to rip off with the ribbon. Sensing that someone was approaching, the empress immediately became vigilant. When she saw that it was Lin Ran, she heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she frowned and broke down. ¡°I can¡¯t untie this ribbon!¡± ¡°I know.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he landed beside the empress and said seriously, ¡°The plan has changed. We can¡¯t leave. Find a safe place to hide first. I¡¯ll study this array formation after I deal with them!¡± Just as the empress was about to speak, a cold voice suddenly said, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time. You can¡¯t get out.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes widened. He suddenly came back to his senses and looked in a direction. He saw Liu Ruxi in silver armor slowly walking out from behind a collapsed house. The armor was clearly the style preferred by the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, and the emblem of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty was engraved on the chest. However, there were a few sword marks on the emblem. If one was not familiar with it, they would not be able to recognize the emblem. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± Liu Ruxi looked at Lin Ran and said coldly, her eyes filled with disappointment, but most of it was anger. Her metal boots hit the ground, making a series of heavy sounds. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to be so wary of us escaping.¡± Lin Ran raised his wrist and took half a step forward to protect the empress. At the same time, he quickly waved his hand behind his back, indicating for the empress to run. ¡°It has nothing to do with me being wary or not. I just happened to have a few ribbons at hand.¡± Liu Ruxi smiled. ¡°This is for newbies to prevent them from escaping. After all, once a person gets great power, they no longer like the feeling of being restrained.¡± Liu Ruxi changed the topic and continued, ¡°My suggestion is still valid. As long as you agree, I can let you go now.¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly as if he was hesitating. After a moment, he suddenly smiled brightly at Liu Ruxi. ¡°I refuse.¡± Chapter 215 - 215 Stop Trying, You Cant Get Out 215 Stop Trying, You Can¡¯t Get Out After hearing Lin Ran¡¯s answer, Liu Ruxi¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°In that case, we can only fight.¡± As Liu Ruxi spoke, she slowly raised her hand. Only then did Lin Ran realize that her weapon was a soft sword that was usually hidden in the belt of the armor. But was this weapon suitable for fighting on the battlefield? Lin Ran had a question in his mind, but he didn¡¯t think too much about it. With a thought, he put the Yin-Yang Sword back into the Divine Sword Technique Manual. Then, he raised his hands and chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to fight. I think we can still negotiate.¡± Liu Ruxi tilted her head in confusion. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Tell me about your plan.¡± Lin Ran said sincerely, ¡°Let the Heavenly Saint Dynasty unify the world¡­ Is this really a good outcome?¡± Liu Ruxi narrowed her eyes and didn¡¯t say anything, as if she didn¡¯t understand what Lin Ran meant. ¡°Other than the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and Great Yong, how many other countries are there in the world?¡± Lin Ran asked without rhyme or reason. At the same time, he calmly calmed his internal energy. ¡°There are a total of seven large dynasties. In addition to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and the Great Yong Dynasty, there are also the Yunqiu Dynasty, Hetian Dynasty, Wunuo Dynasty, Hualuo Dynasty, and Dalou Dynasty.¡± Liu Ruxi replied without thinking, ¡°Including the small affiliated countries, there are about 30 of them. Why are you asking?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he continued to ask, ¡°If we take over all these countries, how many territories will the Heavenly Saint Dynasty have? How many people will there be? How many things do we have to deal with every day?¡± Liu Ruxi fell silent. She already knew what Lin Ran was trying to say. Lin Ran could tell what Liu Ruxi was thinking, but he didn¡¯t seem to care. He continued, ¡°Not long ago in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, a king rebelled.¡± ¡°If the territory expands by ten or even a hundred times, what more terrifying thing will happen?¡± ¡°We have cocoons.¡± Liu Ruxi replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°These cocoons will fight for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty!¡± ¡°What if these cocoons cause trouble?¡± Lin Ran sneered and replied, ¡°You¡¯ve already solved their flaws. Without that pill, they will no longer be controlled by anyone. Are you confident you can restrict hundreds of thousands of grandmasters?¡± ¡°I can lie to them and give them some other pills, telling them that if they don¡¯t take it, they¡¯ll die.¡± Liu Ruxi replied quickly, as if she had already thought of this solution. However, her face was a little pale because she knew that it wasn¡¯t the safest solution. Any lie would be exposed eventually. Even if Liu Ruxi could delay that day, she could not live forever. After she died, this lie would bring about a calamity to the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty! ¡°This plan is only temporary.¡± Lin Ran pointed out mercilessly. He knew that what he said would trigger all the anger that Liu Ruxi had been suppressing for decades, but this was the only way to settle this fight peacefully. He hoped that this angry fire could awaken the trace of goodness that Liu Ruxi had hidden away in her heart. Liu Ruxi¡¯s face darkened and she did not speak. Her head was slightly lowered, and her eyes were hidden under her willow-like eyebrows. No one could tell what she was thinking. However, it was not difficult to guess what she was thinking at this moment. What she had persisted for decades had been proven to be a mistake from the beginning. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t possibly be in a good mood. ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve neglected the complexity of the human heart.¡± The empress¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Lin Ran was stunned. He turned around and saw that the empress was still standing in the same position as before. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Didn¡¯t I tell you to run?¡± Lin Ran asked in a low voice. After he secretly gestured to the empress to run just now, he focused all his attention on Liu Ruxi. He thought that the empress had already hidden in a safe place. He did not expect her to be here all this time! The empress ignored Lin Ran and looked at Liu Ruxi as she continued, ¡°Mother, I know that you¡¯re doing all this for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, but have you thought about whether this is really a good thing for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± Liu Ruxi remained silent. The empress sighed and took half a step forward to stand beside Lin Ran. ¡°Mother, stop. Forget everything here. We can go back¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me Mother!¡± Liu Ruxi suddenly screamed, and the aura of the sixth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm erupted! Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed and he quickly reached out to pull the empress behind him. The aura of the sixth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm was nothing to him, but it might not be the case for the empress, whose cultivation was not high. ¡°Your mother is dead!¡± Liu Ruxi¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she shouted hysterically, ¡°She was already dead the day she was abandoned by your father!¡± The empress was stunned when she heard this. ¡°Mother, what are you talking about? When did Father abandon you?¡± Hearing this, the hysterical Liu Ruxi suddenly calmed down. Then, a bleak smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me why I stayed in Great Yong?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to use the people of Great Yong to complete your cocoon experiment that will cost many lives?¡± From the conversation between Lin Ran and Liu Ruxi just now, the empress could roughly guess what her mother was doing. ¡°Of course not.¡± Liu Ruxi smiled, and there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. ¡°Nearly ten thousand people in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty are executed every year. That number is enough for me to do experiment.¡± The empress was even more puzzled. ¡°Then why are you staying in Great Yong?¡± ¡°I told you, I was abandoned by your father.¡± Liu Ruxi replied indifferently, as if she was talking about something unimportant. ¡°Back then, when the Heavenly Saint and the Great Yong Dynasty engaged in war, I led the troops to join the battle. In the end, the 3,000 remaining troops were encircled by hundreds of thousands of people from the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± ¡°We sacrificed dozens of people before finally sending out the message to ask for help. However, your father was worried that it was a trap set up by Great Yong, so he didn¡¯t send reinforcements.¡± The empress¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Then you¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame him, really.¡± Liu Ruxi shook her head with a smile, looking like a young girl defending her lover. ¡°Then how did you¡­¡± The empress asked, but halfway through, she couldn¡¯t continue. However, Liu Ruxi understood. ¡°You want to ask me how I survived, right?¡± The empress nodded. Lin Ran said, ¡°It¡¯s because of Regal Descent. You made the first batch of cocoons in a desperate situation.¡± ¡°Clever.¡± Liu Ruxi looked at Lin Ran in admiration. ¡°Not only did we successfully break out of the encirclement, but we also forced back the Great Yong army. Although the cocoons all died from the backlash, I know this method is feasible.¡± At this point, Liu Ruxi turned to look at the empress. ¡°But after I told your father about this method, do you know what he said?¡± The empress¡¯s lips trembled slightly, and her clear eyes were covered in tears. She knew that the most difficult moment for her to accept was coming. Chapter 216 - 216 Love and Hate 216 Love and Hate ¡°The Heavenly Saint Dynasty will not do something that is immoral and goes against human nature. I don¡¯t want to hear about this ever again!¡± Liu Ruxi lowered her voice and imitated the tone of the late emperor. Her exaggerated expression made her look like an actress in a comedy, but her eyes were filled with disappointment. After a few minutes, the empress asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°What happened later?¡± ¡°Later?¡± A nostalgic expression appeared on Liu Ruxi¡¯s face. ¡°I promised your father that I wouldn¡¯t mention it again, but you know that I won¡¯t give up. Your father knew that too.¡± ¡°Half a month after I returned to the capital, your father suggested bringing me to go hunting. However, when we were galloping in the hunting ground, your father deliberately slowed down and aimed a poisonous arrow at me.¡± As she spoke, Liu Ruxi gently tore open the armor on her neck. There was a shallow but abnormally grotesque scar on the side of her neck. Even after decades, the scar was still obvious. It was like a strange pink creature with many tentacles lying on her fair neck. ¡°I¡¯ve fought for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty for 30 years and participated in hundreds of battles.¡± Liu Ruxi smiled sadly as she put her armor back on. Tears were already rolling down her face. ¡°But in the end, I almost died at the hands of your father¡­ Isn¡¯t that ironic?¡± The empress gritted her teeth and did not say anything. She never knew that there was actually such a thing between her father and mother. This information was too much for her to absorb at this moment. In a daze, the scene of her childhood appeared in front of the empress¡ª At that time, she was still a carefree little girl. Every time her father finished dealing with state affairs, he would lift her up on his lap and look at the hairpin in a daze. ¡°Father, what is this?¡± ¡°This is called Spirit Rhinoceros. It can let you hear the voice of your beloved.¡± ¡°Then who did you hear?¡± ¡°Your mother, of course.¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t Mother back yet?¡± ¡°¡­Your mother went to a very, very far place.¡± ¡°Then can I listen to her voice too? I really miss her¡­¡± ¡°Haha¡­ You¡¯re still young. You can¡¯t hear her voice.¡± ¡°When will I be able to hear it?¡± ¡°¡­When you grow up, you¡¯ll naturally be able to hear it.¡± ¡­ Memories that had been locked up in her heart for countless years began to surge out in front of the empress. The flashing scenes made the empress dizzy. She staggered and bumped into a firm chest. ¡°Lin Ran¡­¡± The empress looked up and saw Lin Ran¡¯s side profile. Tears rolled down her face like pearls. She held Lin Ran¡¯s hand tightly like a drowning person clutching at a driftwood. ¡°Tell me this isn¡¯t true¡­ This isn¡¯t true, right? I believe you. Tell me this isn¡¯t true!¡± Looking at the tearful empress, Lin Ran felt as if ten thousand knives were stabbing at his heart. However, he still said expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is true. She doesn¡¯t have to lie.¡± ¡°You are lying!¡± The empress screamed and suddenly raised her hand to slap Lin Ran¡¯s face. With a crisp slap, a red palm mark immediately appeared on Lin Ran¡¯s face. However, he did not seem to feel anything. He placed his hands on the empress¡¯s shoulders and forced her to look straight at him. He said emphatically, ¡°I know this is difficult to accept, but you¡¯re the emperor of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty! You have to be strong for your dynasty and your people!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to live like this!¡± The empress struggled with all her might, her exquisite face twisted from the mental breakdown. Suddenly, the empress was hugged by a man¡¯s strong arms. A calm voice whispered in her ear, ¡°I know this is not easy for you, but I will face it together with you.¡± Feeling Lin Ran¡¯s strong heartbeat, the empress gradually calmed down. She hugged Lin Ran and said softly, ¡°Help me.¡± Lin Ran nodded. ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t watch what is about to happen.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran let go of the empress and tore a piece of cloth from his clothes to cover her eyes. Then, he summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. With a light wave, thousands of sword energy surged out and instantly formed a sword energy cage that enveloped the empress. After doing all this, Lin Ran looked at Liu Ruxi. ¡°She can¡¯t hear or see now. Can I ask you a question?¡± Liu Ruxi nodded. Lin Ran frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Since you hate the late emperor so much, why do you want to bring the method of producing cocoons back to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty? Because if I were you, I would have made hundreds of thousands of cocoons and wiped out the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I don¡¯t hate him.¡± Liu Ruxi shook her head and added, ¡°To be precise, I don¡¯t have any feelings for that man now.¡± Lin Ran looked puzzled. ¡°He¡¯s the only lover I¡¯ve ever had in my life, but in the past few decades, every time I thought of that arrow he shot at me, my love for him would fade away a little. Now, we¡¯re even.¡± Liu Ruxi explained, ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t feel anything for that man.¡± Lin Ran nodded in realization. ¡°But have you ever thought that he might have deliberately missed that arrow back then?¡± Liu Ruxi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His lover was extremely skilled in martial arts, especially his archery. He could hit the wing of a fly from a thousand steps away. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to turn back.¡± Lin Ran glanced at the empress in the sword energy cage and looked at Liu Ruxi. ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult to let you return to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty as the empress dowager, but it¡¯s still very easy to let you live.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡± Liu Ruxi smiled. The soft sword in her hand trembled slightly, making a clanging sound. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. I should completely flatten the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± Liu Ruxi¡¯s voice was very calm, but Lin Ran frowned when he heard that. He asked calmly, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t hate the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± ¡°That was in the past.¡± Liu Ruxi¡¯s gaze drifted to the sword energy cage. ¡°He didn¡¯t believe me back then, and now she doesn¡¯t believe me either. My decades-long effort is not appreciated¡­ Why should I show mercy to such a dynasty and family?¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and didn¡¯t say anything. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to say it, but he didn¡¯t have the chance to. As soon as Liu Ruxi finished speaking, a large piece of gauze suddenly surged out of the gap in the thin armor. Her figure turned into a blurry shadow and appeared in front of Lin Ran almost instantly! Chapter 217 - 217 Lack in Close Combat Experience 217 Lack in Close Combat Experience A cold light swept towards Lin Ran at an extremely fast speed! Lin Ran subconsciously raised his sword to block it, but when he heard the crisp sound of the two swords colliding, he immediately realized that something was wrong. The moment Liu Ruxi¡¯s sword collided with the Yin-Yang Sword, it seemed to have suddenly come to life. The flexible sword body twisted and continued to sweep at Lin Ran¡¯s chest in a strange arc! Slash! The clothes on Lin Ran¡¯s chest were ripped apart, and blood spurted out. If he hadn¡¯t retreated immediately, this sword would have cut his heart into two! ¡°Damn that soft sword!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and quickly activated his internal energy to stop the bleeding. At this moment, a blurry white figure appeared in the corner of his eye. The cold light flashed again. In his hurry, Lin Ran instinctively raised his sword to block it, but it didn¡¯t help. As a result, another deep wound was cut on his arm. Before the pain could reach his brain, Liu Ruxi attacked from an even more tricky angle. In just two to three seconds, there were seven or eight more wounds on Lin Ran¡¯s body. Apart from the soft sword being flexible, Liu Ruxi¡¯s unpredictable movement technique also gave Lin Ran a headache. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know how Liu Ruxi, as a Heavenly Saint martial artist, could learn the cultivation technique of Great Yong. Fortunately, Lin Ran had also learned a movement technique. As he dodged the attack, he activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique to its limit! Buzz¡ª With a faint buzzing sound, a black and white Taiji pattern spread out from the Yin-Yang Sword and almost instantly enveloped an area of nearly a hundred steps! The qi of good and evil intertwined and surged. Liu Ruxi¡¯s speed was slowed down a little, but Lin Ran¡¯s speed had already reached its limit! Whoosh¡ª Wherever the Taiji pattern reached, Lin Ran¡¯s figure was appearing and disappearing at an extremely fast speed, as if there were hundreds of Lin Rans in this space at the same time! Liu Ruxi stopped and looked up at multiple Lin Ran above her, as if she was shocked by this strange scene. However, instead of panicking, Liu Ruxi focused her mind. Knowing that she couldn¡¯t catch up with Lin Ran¡¯s speed, she entered a vigilant state and turned to defending. This way, Lin Ran only had two choices: Firstly, he could gather all his strength to kill Liu Ruxi in one strike. However, Liu Ruxi seemed to be guarding against that. She was only 20 to 30 steps away from the empress. If Lin Ran used too much strength, the empress would definitely be affected. Secondly, he could fight her in close combat. However, facing the former general of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, Lin Ran was really not confident in winning. Once upon a time, Lin Ran thought that his absolute power was enough to make up for his weakness, such as close combat, but after meeting Liu Ruxi, he knew that he was still too naive. In the blink of an eye, more than half of the ¡°Lin Ran¡± in the air was gone. In the end, the remaining dozens of shadows gathered together to form a solid figure. Lin Ran stood in front of Liu Ruxi with a helpless expression. ¡°Are you really going to use your daughter as a hostage?¡± Lin Ran frowned and asked helplessly. Previously, he thought that Liu Ruxi was a very pitiful woman, but now, he was fed up with her. Liu Ruxi smiled but did not answer. She looked down at the Taiji pattern slowly spinning on the ground. ¡°How long can you last? A day? A month? Or a year?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem to last until you die of old age!¡± Lin Ran replied angrily. At the same time, he realized that Liu Ruxi had discovered his second flaw¡ªtime. Actually, with Lin Ran¡¯s majestic internal energy, if he just needed to maintain the Taiji pattern, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to last for eight to ten years. However, he had just transferred a large amount of internal energy to the empress and had used a portion to stop the bleeding. The remaining internal energy could only allow him to last for a few hours at most. Liu Ruxi clearly understood this, so when she heard Lin Ran¡¯s answer, she only smiled. Then, she suddenly asked in her usual tone, ¡°How long have you known Wan¡¯er?¡± ¡°More than six years.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know why Liu Ruxi suddenly used a casual tone, but he still replied honestly, ¡°I came out top in that year¡¯s martial arts examination. I first met her when I was summoned to the palace by her.¡± ¡°More than six years¡­ No wonder.¡± Liu Ruxi nodded and suddenly smiled at Lin Ran. ¡°I can tell that she depends on you a lot.¡± Lin Ran blushed for some reason and didn¡¯t know how to respond, so he simply stopped talking. ¡°If you die, Wan¡¯er will definitely be very sad.¡± Liu Ruxi¡¯s tone suddenly turned cold and bewitching. ¡°So come with me? You¡¯re very smart and capable. If we join forces, we¡¯ll definitely be able to solve the problem you mentioned.¡± ¡°The problem of the cocoons rebelling?¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes. ¡°That problem is unsolvable. No one can live forever.¡± ¡°But you can.¡± Liu Ruxi looked at Lin Ran firmly, her eyes filled with sick fanaticism. ¡°I have an idea. Although it has never succeeded, if it¡¯s you, you should be able to withstand it. It can help you maintain the critical point of ascension.¡± ¡°At that time, you will have unparalleled strength and endless years to live.¡± ¡°What¡¯s more, you can¡¯t continue to protect Wan¡¯er and the Heavenly Saint Dynasty for tens of thousands of years!¡± Liu Ruxi¡¯s voice seemed to have a bewitching charm. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel excited about it. If Liu Ruxi could really do that, the problem of the cocoons rebelling would no longer be a problem. Or rather, all the problems would no longer be a problem, but¡­ ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression darkened as he said coldly, ¡°I swore to protect the empress, but I didn¡¯t intend to protect your family for generations. You want me to be your family¡¯s servant for eternity? You are really bad!¡± Chapter 218 - 218 You and I Are Very Similar in Some Aspects 218 You and I Are Very Similar in Some Aspects Liu Ruxi paused for a moment, looking puzzled, and hurriedly said, ¡°You got me wrong! I don¡¯t want you to protect the Heavenly Saint Dynasty for eternity.¡± ¡°You can do whatever you want, but when the Heavenly Saint Dynasty is in danger, I hope you can help¡ªthat¡¯s all!¡± ¡°So I can get off work?¡± Lin Ran smiled evilly and suddenly raised his voice. ¡°Did you hear everything clearly?!¡± Liu Ruxi was stunned. Just as she was wondering who Lin Ran was talking to, a voice suddenly replied coldly, ¡°I heard everything clearly.¡± This voice seemed to be a signal. As soon as he finished speaking, a white figure swept over from afar and landed on the ground, turning into a young man in white who stared at Liu Ruxi with a dark expression. ¡°He Yue?¡± When Liu Ruxi recognized the person, her expression instantly turned ugly. After Lin Ran retracted his surging sword intent, she immediately sensed cocoons gathering over. ¡°You did it on purpose?¡± Liu Ruxi suddenly looked at Lin Ran with a dark expression! Lin Ran shrugged his shoulders. In just a moment, white-robed figures surrounded outside the Taiji pattern. All the cocoons in Nanjiang Town were here. The Taiji pattern that covered an area of more than a hundred steps retreated into the Yin-Yang Sword. Liu Ruxi was encircled. With so many Great Yong martial artists around, no matter how fast she was, she could not escape. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the scene to be so magnificent.¡± Lin Ran looked around and smiled. Then, he looked at Liu Ruxi and said, ¡°When you were talking to me just now, I used my internal energy to transmit your voice. Now, everyone knows that you have the intention of betraying the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Liu Ruxi said, ¡°Tell me what¡¯s your plan. You should know that they¡¯re not my match.¡± ¡°I know. I just want to use them to stall you.¡± Lin Ran replied honestly. Then, he looked at Liu Ruxi. ¡°Did you notice? You and I are still very similar in some aspects.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Like now. Even at a time like this, I still want to persuade you to stop. And at a time like this, you still want to continue with your plan.¡± ¡°In that case, we indeed have some similarities.¡± Liu Ruxi nodded in agreement, and her gloomy expression seemed to soften a little. ¡°That¡¯s why neither of us can persuade the other.¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Lin Ran smiled and looked at the people around him. ¡°I believe everyone knows that your town guardian is actually a spy from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± The hundreds of people around them were silent, but Liu Ruxi could clearly feel that after Lin Ran said that she was a spy, the atmosphere became drastically tense. Lin Ran continued as if he didn¡¯t notice, ¡°If I join forces with her¡ªalthough it¡¯s not necessary¡ªwe should be able to kill all of you in fifteen minutes, but the heavens are merciful¡ª¡± At this point, Lin Ran looked a little embarrassed. ¡°You should have heard it just now. We have a huge difference in opinion, so I hope you can do me a small favor and let me bring her back to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. After all, we have to settle our own matters in our own homes.¡± As usual, no one spoke, but the clothes of some people in the crowd were already fluttering. That was a sign that they were about to attack. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him spouting nonsense!¡± At this moment, Liu Ruxi suddenly shouted, ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, but His Majesty knows my background and still entrusted me with this task. This shows that His Majesty trusts me! But he¡ª¡± Liu Ruxi pointed at Lin Ran, her eyes suddenly turning fierce. ¡°As the deputy general of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s Northern Border Garrison, this person sneaked into our country with the Heavenly Saint Emperor in disguise. His motives are self-evident.¡± ¡°Besides, you still need my pill. If you let him take me away, be ready to die!¡± In an instant, more than half of the people in the crowd looked at Lin Ran aggressively. Although they were very disappointed in Liu Ruxi, at least for the time being, Liu Ruxi was still on Great Yong¡¯s side, while Lin Ran and the empress were undoubtedly the enemies. Of course, Liu Ruxi¡¯s threat was also an important reason why these people¡¯s attitudes changed. These people knew very well that if not for the fact that they happened to be chosen by Liu Ruxi, they would only be nameless commoners. Even if they would one day end up becoming a martial artist, they would never have reached where they were at this moment. The oldest of them was not even 30 years old. To martial artists, this was the starting age for cultivation. However, they had what people dreamt to have from the get go and a bright future was beckoning them. No one was willing to give everything away. Sensing the change in everyone¡¯s stance, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes. He looked at Liu Ruxi and coldly asked, ¡°Are you determined not to let me and your daughter leave alive?¡± ¡°I just want to end those meaningless wars.¡± Liu Ruxi smiled ambiguously and muttered to herself, ¡°As for who will unify the world in the end, I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart sank. The situation he was most worried about had happened. After failing to convince the empress, Liu Ruxi had decided to pledge allegiance to the Great Yong Dynasty! Liu Ruxi¡¯s plan to produce an enormous amount of cocoons was rejected both by the late emperor and the empress because they had a bottom line that they could not cross. As for the current emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty, Xuan Wushang¡­ Lin Ran thought of Zou Hao¡¯s miserable state and knew that Xuan Wushang definitely didn¡¯t care if the means were evil as long as he could reach his end goal. If such a person unified the world in the end, it would become a disaster for everyone. Thinking of this, Lin Ran subconsciously tightened his grip on the Yin-Yang Sword. The majestic internal energy in his body began to circulate slowly. Although he didn¡¯t know if the empress would forgive him, he knew very well that Liu Ruxi had to die. ¡°In that case¡­¡± Lin Ran said in a low voice, his sixth level Half-Saint aura erupting. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless!¡± Countless figures turned into clouds and soared into the sky. Lin Ran was about to attack when a clear voice suddenly shouted, ¡°Stop!¡± This shout resounded through the entire battlefield. All the white figures stopped in their tracks. They recognized the voice. It was the young man who had been slashed into a bloody fog by Lin Ran! Chapter 219 - 219 I Respect Your Choice 219 I Respect Your Choice After the clear young man¡¯s voice sounded, the expressions of all the white figures became strange, including Liu Ruxi. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice, except Lin Ran. Soon, a thin young man staggered out from the back of a house not far away. ¡°Xiao Shun?!¡± Someone exclaimed. Then, all the white figures in the sky surged like clouds in the wind. In an instant, they formed a vortex and gathered towards the young man! ¡°Xiao Shun! You are still alive? That¡¯s great!¡± The first person who landed on the ground patted Xiao Shun¡¯s head with a happy smile on his face. After the others landed, they were the same. Soon, Xiao Shun¡¯s hair became messy, but he was not angry at all. He just looked at everyone and smiled foolishly. Outside the crowd, Liu Ruxi narrowed her eyes and asked Lin Ran coldly, ¡°What¡¯s going on? I clearly saw you kill him!¡± Lin Ran smiled meaningfully. ¡°What I see might not be true.¡± ¡°But I clearly saw blood. That blood doesn¡¯t look fake.¡± Liu Ruxi asked with a frown. She looked at Lin Ran in confusion and vigilantly. This time, Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything. He just raised his left hand with a faint smile. At first, Liu Ruxi was a little confused, but after taking a closer look, she realized that there was a faint red line on Lin Ran¡¯s left palm. It was an extremely thin but deep wound. Seeing the wound, Liu Ruxi instantly understood that the ¡°blood fog¡± was not Xiao Shun at all. It was an illusion created by Lin Ran with his blood! As for how Lin Ran made Xiao Shun disappear in front of everyone, Liu Ruxi didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t want to know either. She only knew that Xiao Shun¡¯s ¡°resurrection¡± had already put her at a disadvantage. This group of young people was powerful and had been through a real war at the border a few days ago. However, they had lived with Liu Ruxi since they were young and spent their days either being experimented upon or trained. In fact, they had never experienced the bitterness of life. This led to them being strong but innocent. After Lin Ran and the empress entered Nanjiang Town, they had been very cooperative. Other than a few troublemakers, most people had a good impression of the two of them. Liu Ruxi didn¡¯t make a move on Lin Ran and the empress partially because she still had feelings for the Heavenly Saint and the empress, and partially because she was worried that once the two of them fought, this group of innocent children in the Grandmaster Realm would be easily deceived by Lin Ran and change sides. Now, with the appearance of Xiao Shun, the situation that Liu Ruxi was most worried about finally happened. Seeing Liu Ruxi¡¯s expression gradually darken, Lin Ran smiled meaningfully. Then, he looked at Xiao Shun in the crowd and frowned. ¡°Why did you come out? Didn¡¯t I tell you to hide?¡± Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s voice, Xiao Shun quickly squeezed out of the crowd. His childish face was filled with determination. ¡°Brother Lin Ran, you¡¯re a good person. I can¡¯t let everyone continue to misunderstand you!¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows and didn¡¯t say anything. On the other hand, the crowd around Xiao Shun began to look surprised. ¡°Xiao Shun! What nonsense are you talking about? He¡¯s the deputy general of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. They killed countless of our people. How can he be a good person?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Xiao Shun! You must have been deceived by him!¡± ¡°Xiao Shun, you can¡¯t be soft-hearted to the enemy just because he didn¡¯t kill you!¡± ¡­ The crowd started talking, all of them telling Xiao Shun not to be deceived. ¡°Listen to me! Brother Lin Ran is really a good person!¡± Xiao Shun shouted loudly, instantly stopping the discussions of the crowd. Everyone quietened down and looked at him. Xiao Shun was clearly a little nervous, but he still tried his best to say in a calm voice, ¡°I overheard Town Guardian Liu telling Brother Lin Ran that our bodies are flawed. If we don¡¯t take the pill, our strength will decrease and we might even die!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, someone in the crowd said, ¡°We all know that. That¡¯s why we have to help Town Guardian Liu. Otherwise, if she dies and we don¡¯t have the pill, we¡¯ll be doomed!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not all!¡± Xiao Shun shook his head slowly and stared at Liu Ruxi with hatred. ¡°Town Guardian Liu has a way to fix the flaw, but she didn¡¯t do that¡­ She wanted us dead from the beginning!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone¡¯s expressions changed. The person who spoke first looked at Liu Ruxi with a gloomy expression. ¡°Town Guardian Liu, is what Xiao Shun said true?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the others also looked at Liu Ruxi questioningly. Although no one activated their internal energy or released their aura, Lin Ran could clearly feel that the atmosphere had changed. The anger of hundreds of Grandmaster Realm martial artists was no joke. In the tense atmosphere, Liu Ruxi suddenly chuckled. ¡°So what if it¡¯s real? So what if it¡¯s fake? Do you have a choice now?¡± Hearing this, the eyes of most people flickered. Although Liu Ruxi did not say it explicitly, the meaning of her was obvious. Just as Liu Ruxi had said, did they have a choice? The hundreds of people fell silent. At this moment, they were no longer Grandmaster Realm cultivators or the secret weapon of the Great Yong Dynasty. They were just a group of young people in their twenties who were ignorant of the world and had to face a life-and-death situation. It would be a lie to say that they did not hate Liu Ruxi, but Liu Ruxi was the only person who could save them. This logic was very simple. After a short silence, a young man in white walked out of the crowd to Liu Ruxi¡¯s side. He looked at Lin Ran and assumed a fighting posture. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want to die.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a second person walked over, followed by a third, a fourth¡­ In just a short while, more than half of the hundreds of white-robed youths stood opposite Lin Ran. There were about 200 of them, but to Lin Ran¡¯s relief, nearly 300 of them remained neutral with Xiao Shun. Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but frown and sigh. ¡°Do you really think she¡¯ll save you?¡± No one spoke. Only Liu Ruxi sneered from behind the crowd. ¡°Lin Ran, stop asking such meaningless questions. Even if everyone here doesn¡¯t believe me, they have to protect me. I¡¯m their only hope!¡± ¡°¡­Alright then.¡± Lin Ran nodded helplessly. With a flash of white light, he held the Yin-Yang Sword in his hand and glanced at everyone coldly. ¡°I respect your choice.¡± Chapter 220 - 220 Stop Trying 220 Stop Trying As soon as Lin Ran finished speaking, a Taiji pattern spread out from the Yin-Yang Sword and instantly enveloped an area of a hundred steps! ¡°Xiao Shun! Stay away!¡± Lin Ran shouted at Xiao Shun and the others, who were maintaining neutral. Then, the Yin-Yang Sword was replaced by Thunderball Sword. With a flash, he disappeared on the spot! At the same time, the white-robed youths facing Lin Ran immediately took action. Someone shouted, ¡°Split up.¡± The team of nearly 200 people immediately split into a few groups. Among them, there was a group made up of 30 people The weakest among them was at the sixth level of the Grandmaster Realm. These 30 people surrounded Liu Ruxi in the middle. Then, they turned into a thick fog and, together with Liu Ruxi, flew towards the place where the Taiji pattern had yet to reach. Although the remaining people had lower cultivation, they had the advantage in numbers. As their clothes fluttered, white figures rose up and instantly blocked Lin Ran¡¯s way in and out. As long as they could stall for a few seconds, their companions could bring Liu Ruxi away. This was the best method they could think of when facing an opponent with a cultivation far higher than theirs. Outside the Taiji pattern, Xiao Shun and the others couldn¡¯t help but gasp when they saw Lin Ran being surrounded by more than a hundred people. Unfortunately, they had underestimated the gap in strength between Lin Ran and the others. Suddenly, a few small electric arcs suddenly flashed in the crowd. Just as everyone was wondering what the electric arcs were, the electric arcs suddenly increased in size and almost instantly turned into a lightning dragon that roared ferociously and knocked everyone to the ground! Boom! A scorching air wave surged out, followed by a deafening bang. At the side, Xiao Shun and the others were caught off guard and were pushed back dozens of feet by the air wave. After stabilizing themselves, their faces were filled with shock! ¡°He defeated more than a hundred grandmasters with a single strike¡­ Is this the strength of a sixth level Half-Saint?¡± Xiao Shun muttered with his mouth agape. He did not know that what would surprise him even more was yet to come. As for Lin Ran, After swinging his sword to knock everyone down, Lin Ran shot towards the surging fog like an arrow leaving the bow. Even Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but exclaim at how fast they could travel under the envelopment of the Taiji pattern. It had to be noted that these 30 people were only at the Grandmaster Realm. If they entered the Senior Grandmaster Realm in the future, or even the Half-Saint Realm like him, how terrifying would their speed be? ¡°The martial artists of the Great Yong Dynasty are indeed good at using the power of nature!¡± Lin Ran thought to himself as he plunged into the thick ¡°fog¡±. Almost instantly, Lin Ran¡¯s five senses were completely stripped away. All he could see was whiteness, and all he could hear was the sound of the 30 people moving at high speed. Even if he used his divine sense to investigate, he could only sense an overwhelming number of figures. Even Lin Ran found it difficult to pinpoint Liu Ruxi¡¯s exact location. ¡­ When Xiao Shun and the others in the distance saw Lin Ran plunge into the thick fog, their hearts were in their throats. ¡°He¡¯s too rash!¡± Someone from the neutral camp shouted anxiously, ¡°The most powerful thing about this Cloud Concealment Array is that it can forcibly deprive people of their senses. Even if a Half-Saint barges in, he will inevitably get lost and be prone to get sneak attacked!¡± Hearing this, Xiao Shun revealed a worried expression, but he still acted calmly and said, ¡°But the Cloud Concealment Array needs 36 people to form completely. There are only 30 of them. Perhaps there¡¯s still a chance¡­¡± When he finished speaking, no one responded. It was obvious that no one believed this. At this moment, the thick fog suddenly shook and surged even more violently. Before everyone could see what was going on, millions of sword energy shot out and instantly minced the fog into pieces! This was not it¡ª The sharp sword energy tore through the cloud and shot out. As if controlled by someone, it turned in the air and continued to fly towards the remaining clouds. After repeating it a few times, the fog dissipated, revealing Lin Ran. The 30 people were all knocked unconscious on the ground. Liu Ruxi stood ten steps away from Lin Ran. The soft sword at her waist was almost unsheathed. However, after seeing the situation in front of her, Liu Ruxi decisively sheathed her sword. Thin white gauze surged out of all the gaps in her armor, and her figure flew towards the distance! ¡°Brother Lin Ran! She¡¯s escaping!¡± Seeing this, Xiao Shun hurriedly reminded him loudly, but Lin Ran didn¡¯t seem to hear him. He stood rooted to the ground with Thunderball Sword in his hand, his eyes flickering. It was unknown what he was thinking. Seeing that Liu Ruxi, who had turned into a white shadow, was about to reach the edge of the Taiji pattern, Lin Ran suddenly smiled. ¡°Can she escape?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the sword energy that was flying in all directions immediately gathered together. Like a school of fish in the deep sea or a huge net that covered the sky, it enveloped Liu Ruxi! Clang¡ª A sword energy cage instantly took shape. The powerful earth attribute internal energy contained in it caused the entire sword energy cage to emit a heavy dark golden luster. However, even though she was trapped, Liu Ruxi did not surrender. The white figure only paused for a moment before a cold light shot out. The figure turned into a high-speed spinning drill and collided with a certain point on the sword energy cage! Boom! With a loud bang, everyone even felt the ground under their feet tremble, but the sword energy cage was still intact. The white figure in the cage paused for a moment before continuing to crash into another spot at an even faster speed and greater force! Boom! Boom! Boom! ¡­ There were more than ten loud bangs in a row, but not only was the sword energy cage not damaged at all, but it also became more and more solid. Everyone could even see the vicious expression on Liu Ruxi¡¯s face! ¡°Stop trying.¡± Lin Ran slowly raised his head, his pale face looking a little weak. ¡°This cage used up 60% of my internal energy. It¡¯s impossible for you to break it.¡± In the cage, Liu Ruxi began to shout crazily, but her voice was almost completely blocked by the condensed sword energy. However, Lin Ran was able to read her lips and knew she was saying, ¡°All of you will die!¡± Chapter 221 - 221 The Mother 221 The Mother-Daughter Relationship Everyone on Liu Ruxi¡¯s side was knocked to the ground by Lin Ran. Although he didn¡¯t kill them, these people couldn¡¯t continue fighting for the time being. Liu Ruxi was also trapped in the sword energy cage by Lin Ran. This sword energy cage that consumed 60% of his internal energy would take even Lin Ran some effort to break a crack, let alone Liu Ruxi, who was only in the Senior Grandmaster Realm. However, even under such circumstances, Liu Ruxi still shouted, ¡°All of you will die.¡± Most importantly, Lin Ran could tell that she was not bluffing. Lin Ran had expected Liu Ruxi to have a backup plan, but what could it be? ¡°Xiao Shun!¡± Lin Ran suddenly turned to look at Xiao Shun. ¡°Is there an array formation in this town? Like the kind that explodes when you activate it?¡± Xiao Shun was still in aftershock from Lin Ran¡¯s comeback. Another young man replied, ¡°There¡¯s only one array formation here to prevent newcomers from escaping. There¡¯s nothing dangerous like what you said!¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s not array formation.¡± Lin Ran crossed out a possibility in his mind. Then, he looked at the white-robed youths on the ground. He was certain that most of them had been knocked unconscious. Even if there were a few who were awake, they were lying on the ground and could not get up. They were not a threat at all. ¡°Not those people either.¡± Lin Ran crossed out another possibility and realized that the list in his mind was already empty. In such a short period of time, it was already not bad for him to think of these two possibilities. After thinking for a few seconds without figuring it out, Lin Ran realized that he couldn¡¯t stay here for long because he had just noticed a detail. Liu Ruxi was looking at Lin Ran when she said that. In other words, the ¡°you¡± was everyone, including Lin Ran and the empress. No matter what her backup plan was, it must be something extremely powerful! ¡°Everyone! Leave this place immediately!¡± Lin Ran roared and waved his hand to disperse the sword energy cage protecting the empress. Then, his figure flashed and he appeared beside the empress. At the same time, Xiao Shun and the others from the neutral camp also took action. They went forward to bring the injured people with them. Even though they were on opposing sides, they were still companions who had lived together for so long. The empress had been isolated in the sword energy cage and had no idea what was happening outside. When she heard the commotion again, she hurriedly took off the cloth covering her eyes and asked, ¡°Is it over?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Lin Ran shook his head with a bitter smile and looked at the sword energy cage that imprisoned Liu Ruxi. ¡°But she wants to die with us. We have to leave this place immediately.¡± The empress looked in Lin Ran¡¯s direction and met Liu Ruxi¡¯s gaze. As soon as their eyes met, the empress¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. Liu Ruxi¡¯s eyes were already filled with coldness and madness. The empress suddenly found her unrecognizable. ¡°Can you still walk?¡± The sudden voice pulled the empress back from her thoughts. She turned around and saw Lin Ran looking at her with a serious expression. This was the first time the empress had seen Lin Ran so serious. She was stunned for a moment before nodding. ¡°I¡¯m slightly injured, but I can still walk.¡± Lin Ran nodded and handed over the Thunderball Sword. ¡°This sword travels faster. I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t be able to control it well, so I didn¡¯t give it to you, but I have no choice now.¡± The empress took the Thunderball Sword. Then, she suddenly thought of something and raised her wrist. ¡°But we have this ribbon. We can¡¯t get out!¡± ¡°I have an idea!¡± Lin Ran replied in a low voice. With that, he flashed and arrived in front of the golden sword energy cage. He opened a crack on the impregnable sword energy cage. Almost at the same time, a cold light pierced out from the crack and went straight for Lin Ran¡¯s throat! Lin Ran reached out two fingers and locked the soft sword firmly in place. Then, he looked at Liu Ruxi and said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re not my match. Why don¡¯t you understand?¡± ¡°As a soldier, even if I know that I can¡¯t win, I have to try!¡± Liu Ruxi pulled the soft sword back from the crack. Then, she sneered at Lin Ran. ¡°Are you going to ask me what my plan is? Give up! I¡¯ll never tell you!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t want to ask anyway.¡± Lin Ran shrugged and suddenly became serious. ¡°I want to discuss something with you one last time. I want you to untie her ribbon¡ª¡± At this point, Lin Ran glanced back at the empress, then at Liu Ruxi and continued, ¡°It¡¯s me who ruined your plan, so you must hate me the most. Let her go. I¡¯ll stay and play with you until the end.¡± ¡°Wan¡¯er¡­¡± Liu Ruxi looked at the empress. There seemed to be a hint of gentleness in her crazy eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. ¡°In your dream!¡± Liu Ruxi laughed crazily. ¡°All of you are going to die!¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have to cut off her hand.¡± Lin Ran sighed and appeared beside the empress in a flash. He raised his hand and summoned the Yin-Yang Sword, slashing down without hesitation! ¡°Stop!¡± Liu Ruxi screamed and the Yin-Yang Sword immediately stopped a few inches above the empress¡¯s hand. Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. Although it was not right to use the mother-daughter relationship to threaten Liu Luxi, this was the only way he could think of. If this couldn¡¯t scare Liu Ruxi, he could only bring the empress to smash through the formation. Lin Ran looked impatient. He looked at Liu Ruxi and said angrily, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t care? Why did you change your mind so quickly?¡± Liu Ruxi¡¯s face darkened and she did not reply. She looked at the empress and said in a low voice, ¡°Bring her over.¡± Lin Ran was overjoyed. He brought the empress to the side of the sword energy cage. With a thought, the crack on the cage widened just enough for the empress to reach in. The empress frowned slightly and looked at Lin Ran. Seeing Lin Ran nod, she slowly reached into the crack. Liu Ruxi took out the soft sword and held it in her hand. The empress¡¯s expression changed and she hurriedly retracted her hand. Although Lin Ran was not worried, he still warned, ¡°There are millions of sword energy here. If you dare to do anything you shouldn¡¯t, I guarantee that you¡¯ll be minced instantly.¡± Liu Ruxi glanced at Lin Ran and didn¡¯t say anything. Then, when she looked at the empress, her eyes softened. ¡°Wan¡¯er, don¡¯t be afraid. Put your hand in.¡± The empress no longer trusted Liu Ruxi. When she heard this, she first looked at Lin Ran. Seeing him nod, she slowly reached into the crack. However, just as the empress¡¯s hand was about to reach the crack, Liu Ruxi suddenly reached out from inside and grabbed the empress¡¯s wrist, pulling her towards the surging sword energy cage! Chapter 222 - 222 At the Crisis, The Real Trump Card 222 At the Crisis, The Real Trump Card Seeing the empress was about to slam into the wall of the sword energy cage, Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly changed! Although this cage looked like a translucent wall, it was actually condensed from millions of sword energy. Whatever came into contact with it would instantly be gone! Without thinking, Lin Ran instantly activated his internal energy to remove the sword energy cage. A few holes were cut in the empress¡¯s sleeve by the remaining sword energy. Fortunately, she was not injured. Unfortunately, after the sword energy cage dissipated, she fell into Liu Ruxi¡¯s hands. The sharp blade of the soft sward Liu Ruxi was holding was pressed against the empress¡¯s neck, instantly leaving a bloody mark on her fair neck. Liu Ruxi hid behind the empress, only revealing one eye as she looked at Lin Ran coldly. ¡°I thought you were a smart person, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be so gullible.¡± ¡°I thought that you were just not worthy of being the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s Empress dowager. I didn¡¯t expect you to not even be qualified to be a mother!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and replied coldly. Actually, he had expected that Liu Ruxi would do such a thing, but in the end, he still chose to believe that there was still some motherly love left in her. Looking at the bloody mark on the empress¡¯s neck, Lin Ran felt guilty! ¡°Lin Ran! Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± The empress struggled with all her might, but her cultivation was too low. She was only at the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm. How could she be a match for Liu Ruxi, who was at the sixth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm? Therefore, Liu Ruxi didn¡¯t even look at the empress. She only stared at Lin Ran coldly and said, ¡°I told you that the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s Empress Dowager is already dead. The person standing here now is Liu Ruxi, who was abandoned twice by my own country.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite a grown-up. Can you stop being so melodramatic?¡± Lin Ran frowned and said impatiently, ¡°What do you mean you are abandoned? You were in the wrong back then, but the late emperor still gave you two chances to correct yourself.¡± ¡°First, he told you not to mention it again, but in the end, you studied it behind his back. Then, he deliberately missed the arrow so that you could relive your life incognito. However, you actually came to the Great Yong. Do you even have a brain?¡± Liu Ruxi was a little stunned. Lin Ran didn¡¯t care about her reaction. He took a deep breath and continued, ¡°Anyway, stop pretending. If you have any requests, tell me. If I agree, perfect. If not, we¡¯ll have to fight!¡± Seeing how impatient Lin Ran was, Liu Ruxi was even more confused. Generally speaking, now that she had the hostage, shouldn¡¯t Lin Ran tell her not to be rash? However, Lin Ran¡¯s attitude was clearly meant to anger her even more! ¡°Could it be that he also has something up his sleeve?¡± Liu Ruxi immediately fell into deep thought. On the other hand, the empress knew why Lin Ran was so anxious. The time limit for ¡°Sovereign Descent¡± was almost up. Regal Technique: Sovereign Descent could use one¡¯s internal energy to increase the strength of others, but there was a time limit to this effect. The time limit differed depending on the user¡¯s cultivation level. However, if the time limit was exceeded and the user did not retrieve the internal energy, not only would this portion of internal energy dissipate into the world, but the user would also suffer a strong backlash. The empress didn¡¯t know where Lin Ran learned ¡°Sovereign Descent¡±, but he was anxious now, which meant that the time limit was almost up. Thinking of this, the empress could not help but feel worried. Lin Ran had not only given her a large amount of internal energy, but he had also fought a series of battles. He must be extremely exhausted. If he suffered the backlash of Sovereign Descent, he would probably be unable to confront Liu Ruxi! ¡°Mother¡­¡± The empress suddenly spoke. Her neck was held by Liu Ruxi so she could not turn around, but she still tried her best to look back. ¡°We can talk. You really don¡¯t have to do this.¡± As she spoke, the empress tried her best to maintain her posture. At the same time, she slowly raised her right hand and reached out in Lin Ran¡¯s direction. As long as she could touch Lin Ran¡¯s hand, he would be able to retrieve his internal energy in an instant. As for how she should protect herself, the empress did not consider it at all because she believed that Lin Ran would keep her safe. At the same time, when Lin Ran saw the empress reach out her hand, he instantly understood what she meant. Then, his heart was in his throat. Liu Ruxi was behind the empress. From her angle, she couldn¡¯t see the empress¡¯s movements, but Lin Ran, who was standing opposite them, could see it clearly. This meant that before Lin Ran touched the empress¡¯s hand, he had to act well. Otherwise, once Liu Ruxi discovered something wrong, the empress would definitely be in great danger! When Liu Ruxi, who had yet to notice anything unusual, heard that the empress wanted to talk to her, she couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about now. Actually, you¡¯re right. My plan was a mistake from the beginning.¡± ¡°Then why do you insist?¡± The empress asked quickly. At this moment, her arm was already halfway up. If she raised her arm any higher, her shoulder would move consequently, so she had to slow down. ¡°Even if we didn¡¯t tell you, you must have discovered the problem long ago, right?¡± Lin Ran also asked. He looked in Liu Ruxi¡¯s direction, but his eyes were fixed on the empress¡¯s hand. As expected, Liu Ruxi¡¯s attention was attracted by Lin Ran. She frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°I didn¡¯t think that far ahead, but I did sense the existence of a problem. But how did you know?¡± Lin Ran sighed with a complicated expression. ¡°I just figured it out because of your trump card.¡± Liu Ruxi didn¡¯t seem to understand, so Lin Ran continued, ¡°Previously, when you were trapped in the sword energy cage and was certain to lose, you were still confident about being able to kill us all.¡± ¡°At first, I thought that this town had some kind of explosive array formation, but later on, I realized that it did not. Otherwise, after the sword energy cage was gone, you should have thrown the empress out immediately and left while I was saving her. Although you¡¯re not as fast as me, I have this¡ª¡± Lin Ran waved the red ribbon on his wrist. ¡°As long as you are outside Nanjiang Town, you will be safe.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± Liu Ruxi frowned, ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me how you knew that I discovered the problem long ago.¡± ¡°Because of the person you regarded as your trump card. He¡¯s the one who is forcing you to do this.¡± Lin Ran said calmly, his voice deep. ¡°He¡¯s also the only person you can trust so far.¡± Liu Ruxi¡¯s gaze became complicated. ¡°So¡­ you already know who it is?¡± ¡°You¡¯re completely disappointed with the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, so he can not be from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± Lin Ran looked into Liu Ruxi¡¯s eyes and said firmly, ¡°I can only think of Xuan Wushang, the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Chapter 223 - 223 A Gentleman Does What He Should 223 A Gentleman Does What He Should Hearing the name ¡°Xuan Wushang¡±, Liu Ruxi¡¯s eyes widened, but they instantly returned to normal. ¡°It seems that my judgment is not bad. You¡¯re indeed a smart person.¡± Liu Ruxi stared at Lin Ran and said with a faint smile, ¡°Then do you want to take a guess why I¡¯m holding Wan¡¯er hostage?¡± ¡°This is really not easy to guess¡­¡± Lin Ran frowned and looked like he was thinking hard. From the corner of his eye, he kept staring at the empress¡¯s hand while calculating their distance. Soon, Lin Ran figured it out. According to the empress¡¯s current speed, she would be able to raise her hand completely in three seconds, and it would take him less than half a second to touch her. The only problem was that the distance between Liu Ruxi¡¯s sword and the empress¡¯s throat was much closer than the distance between him and the empress. ¡°Why don¡¯t you put down your sword first?¡± Lin Ran suddenly suggested, ¡°I can¡¯t think while you are holding the sword.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Liu Ruxi looked at him as if she was looking at an idiot. ¡°Are you an idiot, or do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± ¡°So be it if you don¡¯t want to put it down! Why are you scolding me¡­¡± Lin Ran muttered softly and scratched his head in frustration. Then, while putting his hands down, he suddenly took a leap towards the empress! At this critical juncture, time seemed to have slowed down. Lin Ran¡¯s hand slowly approached the empress. He could even see his hand slashing through the air, causing invisible ripples! One foot, half a foot¡­ One inch, half an inch¡­ Finally, Lin Ran¡¯s fingertips were about to touch the empress¡¯s fingertips. He could even feel the warmth coming from her jade-like fingers! But at the last moment, Lin Ran suddenly realized that he couldn¡¯t see. It was not that he lost his vision, but his vision was blocked by the whiteness. It was as if he had returned to the moment when he crashed into the Cloud Concealment Array. The difference was that this time, he felt a strong sense of danger! Overwhelmed by a strange sense of danger, Lin Ran subconsciously retracted his hand as if he had been electrocuted. At the same time, he activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique to the limit and appeared 100 feet away in a flash! ¡°Phew¡ª¡± After escaping danger, Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief and turned around. He saw that the place where he was standing was covered in fog. Unlike the fog left behind by the white-robed youths when they moved at high speed, this was a real fog. Lin Ran could even see the surging water vapor! ¡°I already warned you not to investigate. Why didn¡¯t you listen?¡± A soft sigh came from the fog, and Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn. Although that person¡¯s voice was very soft, he instantly recognized that the person speaking in the fog was the current emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty, Xuan Wushang! ¡°Speak of the devil!¡± Lin Ran cursed in his heart, but his expression was calm. He looked down at his left hand and saw a shallow scratch on the nail of his index finger. If he hadn¡¯t stopped in time, his fingertip would have been cut off. ¡°The emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty actually likes to launch sneak attacks on people.¡± Lin Ran rubbed the scratch on his nail and sneered. ¡°What an eye-opener!¡± ¡°Sneak attacks are what make you win the war.¡± Xuan Wushang chuckled. The white fog that was spreading out suddenly shrank, condensing into a light robe that covered his thin body. Liu Ruxi stood half a step behind Xuan Wushang. The empress had already been released, but she still stood rooted to the ground with her hand raised. Lin Ran took a closer look and realized that the empress was entangled in a wisp of fog, and the other end of the wisp of fog was in Xuan Wushang¡¯s hand. Lin Ran narrowed his eyes. What he was most worried about had happened. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of Emperor Sheng Yuan. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you on such an occasion.¡± Xuan Wushang looked at the empress and revealed an apologetic smile. ¡°However, if I¡¯ve done anything rude, I hope Emperor Sheng Yuan can forgive me.¡± Although the empress looked a little flustered, she still maintained her dignity as an emperor in front of Xuan Wushang. When she heard this, her expression darkened and she said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m dealing with my family matter. Emperor Xuan Yuan, please don¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°Family matter?¡± Xuan Wushang raised his eyebrows and looked at Lin Ran with interest. ¡°Is Deputy General Lin also a member of the royal family now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the deputy general of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Of course, he¡¯s my family!¡± Xuan Wushang smiled. Then, he took out a roll of white paper and unfolded it. It was actually a wanted poster from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. ¡°Today, we have a serious criminal, Lin Ran, who stole the Sacred Abyss Sword and wanted to harm the emperor. Anyone who sees this person must immediately report to the local magistrate.¡± Xuan Wushang finished reading the contents of the wanted poster and held it in front of the empress. ¡°If Emperor Sheng Yuan doesn¡¯t believe me, you can check it yourself.¡± The empress naturally did not believe him, but after reading it, her expression became strange. ¡°This is not a wanted poster issued by me! The Grand Secretary did it without my permission!¡± Xuan Wushang chuckled and did not say anything. With a raise of his hand, the wanted poster was blown into the air by the wind and shattered into pieces. 100 feet away, Lin Ran looked at the flying scraps with a strange expression. It was not because he had become a criminal, but because he felt that there was something wrong with the origin of this wanted poster. According to the laws of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, only the current emperor had the right to issue a wanted poster. Although the Grand Secretary also had the right to do so, he could only do so temporarily when the emperor died and the new emperor had yet to ascend the throne.¡± However, the empress was still alive and well, but a wanted poster was actually issued by the Grand Secretary. It could only mean one thing¡ªthe empress had been discovered missing in the palace. Lin Ran suddenly had a bold guess. Then, he looked at Xuan Wushang and asked tentatively, ¡°Did you go to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± ¡°How can I let go of such a good opportunity?¡± After saying that, Xuan Wushang looked at the empress with a gentle smile. ¡°What did you do in my country?!¡± The empress¡¯s expression darkened as she asked coldly. Now, she realized that the Heavenly Saint Dynasty was leaderless. If Xuan Wushang took this opportunity to attack, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty would most likely crumble! ¡°Emperor Sheng Yuan, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Xuan Wushang waved his hand. As if knowing what the empress was thinking, he smiled and said softly, ¡°I have no intention of taking advantage of the situation. I just want to take this opportunity to obtain a small benefit for my country and my people.¡± When the empress heard this, she frowned slightly. ¡°What small benefit?¡± ¡°15 cities.¡± Xuan Wushang replied calmly, ¡°If Emperor Sheng Yuan agrees, I can let the two of you leave now.¡± Chapter 224 - 224 Releasing the Empress? 224 Releasing the Empress? Hearing Xuan Wushang¡¯s request, Lin Ran was puzzled. It was indeed a big gain to get the enemy¡¯s country to retreat 300 miles from the border and hand 15 cities, but compared to the greatest benefit of holding the empress hostage, it was nothing. It was no exaggeration to say that if Lin Ran became the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty, as long as the empress was in his hands, he was confident that he could take down most of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty in a month! However, what puzzled Lin Ran the most was that Xuan Wushang actually suggested letting them go. Now that the war between the two countries had only stopped for the time being, the grudge that had existed for thousands of years was far from over. It was already benevolent of Xuan Wushang not to take the opportunity to kill them. How could he let them return to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty? Liu Ruxi was also puzzled. When Liu Ruxi realized that she was no match for Lin Ran, she had secretly sent a signal to Xuan Wushang to ask for help. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to stall for time, but Xuan Wushang actually wanted to let them go? After hesitating for a while, Liu Ruxi couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Your Majesty, please reconsider!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. Lord Liu, there¡¯s no need to say anything else.¡± Xuan Wushang smiled. Then, he said indifferently, ¡°Remove the restriction on the two of them.¡± ¡°But Your Majesty¡­¡± Just as Liu Ruxi was about to speak, Xuan Wushang shot her a fierce look, causing her to swallow back her words. Liu Ruxi lowered her head and replied softly, ¡°Yes.¡± The soft sword in Liu Ruxi¡¯s hand shook slightly, and the red ribbon on the empress¡¯s wrist that Lin Ran couldn¡¯t break no matter how hard he tried was easily cut in half. Then, Liu Ruxi walked up to Lin Ran and cut the red ribbon on Lin Ran¡¯s wrist into two before silently retreating behind Xuan Wushang, clearly afraid of Lin Ran. Lin Ran, on the other hand, stared at Xuan Wushang the entire time. He didn¡¯t even look at Liu Ruxi, who was inches away from him. Even when Liu Ruxi raised her soft sword, he didn¡¯t even blink. After all, compared to Liu Ruxi, Xuan Wushang was clearly more of a threat. Seeing the hostility in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, Xuan Wushang only smiled indifferently. He turned to look at the empress and said sincerely, ¡°Emperor Sheng Yuan, I¡¯ve already shown my sincerity. You can leave at any time. Do you agree to hand over the cities?¡± The empress did not answer Xuan Wushang. She only looked at the wisp of fog lingering around her and asked, ¡°Leave at any time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is just a precaution.¡± Xuan Wushang smiled apologetically and glanced at Lin Ran. ¡°After all, we are too close.¡± Lin Ran, who was 100 feet away, narrowed his eyes and relaxed his grip on the Yin-Yang Sword. He didn¡¯t know how Xuan Wushang could tell that he was preparing to launch a surprise attack. Perhaps it was because Xuan Wushang was sensitive to danger, or perhaps it was just a coincidence, but at this moment, the empress was still in his hands. Lin Ran didn¡¯t dare to take the risk. As if sensing that Lin Ran had relaxed his grip on the hilt of his sword, the smile on Xuan Wushang¡¯s face deepened. He pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I believe Emperor Sheng Yuan is a smart person. Fifteen cities and 300 miles of border in exchange for your lives¡­ This deal is very worth it.¡± The empress¡¯s face darkened but she did not say anything. Logically speaking, as the Heavenly Saint Emperor, she should not give up an inch of her own land, but compared to her and Lin Ran¡¯s safety, this little thing was indeed nothing. 300 miles was only a day¡¯s journey for a quick march. As for the 15 cities, there were hundreds of garrison cities near the border. Every time a large-scale war broke out, the number of cities destroyed was far more than 15. In any case, Xuan Wushang did not say which 15 cities he wanted. Even if the empress gave him 15 garrison cities, he would not think there was anything wrong. Therefore, no matter how one looked at it, this deal was worth it. However, it was also because it was too worth it that the empress could not help but suspect that Xuan Wushang had other plans. After thinking for a moment, the empress looked at Xuan Wushang and asked with a frown, ¡°Do you have any requirements for the cities you want?¡± ¡°No.¡± Xuan Wushang shook his head and said as if he had guessed what the empress was thinking, ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a garrison city at the border, it¡¯s fine. But it has to be 15 cities, not one less.¡± ¡°There¡¯s indeed something fishy going on!¡± The empress thought to herself, but she really had no clue at this moment. After thinking for a moment to no avail, she changed the topic and asked, ¡°But how can I hand it to you? If you need something like a document, I¡¯m afraid I can only issue it after I return to the palace.¡± ¡°I have my own plans.¡± Xuan Wushang smiled and looked at the empress with sparkling eyes. ¡°In that case¡­ Emperor Sheng Yuan, you agreed?¡± The empress did not say anything and only nodded in agreement. ¡°Deal!¡± Xuan Wushang laughed and was clearly a little excited. Then, he curled his finger and the wisp of fog that lingered around the empress dissipated. The empress, who had regained her freedom, was stunned for a moment before she immediately ran towards Lin Ran. Seeing this, Liu Ruxi¡¯s expression changed and she was about to chase after her when Xuan Wushang raised his hand to stop her. Wasting no time, Lin Ran quickly went forward to catch the empress. As soon as their hands touched, a large amount of pure internal energy flowed into Lin Ran¡¯s body. Although it was not enough to restore him to his peak state, it was enough for him to protect himself. Clang¡ª The Yin-Yang Sword pointed at Xuan Wushang. Lin Ran¡¯s expression darkened as he asked coldly, ¡°Tell me! What exactly do you want?¡± ¡°I just want 15 cities.¡± Even though the sharp sword intent swept across his body like needles, the elegant smile on his face did not change at all. With that, Xuan Wushang stepped to the side, making way for them to leave Nanjiang Town. ¡°Emperor Sheng Yuan, you can leave now. When you go back, don¡¯t forget to sign the document. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to be rude to you again.¡± Liu Ruxi stared at the two of them, but with Xuan Wushang around, she did not dare to make a move. After Xuan Wushang finished speaking, he looked elsewhere and stood with his hands behind his back, as if Lin Ran and the empress no longer existed. Lin Ran and the empress looked at each other and saw vigilance and confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. A moment later, the empress asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°What should we do? Are we leaving or not?¡± ¡°Of course we have to leave, but¡­¡± Lin Ran glanced up. ¡°We can¡¯t go the way he wants us to go!¡± With that, Lin Ran grabbed the Thunderball Sword. In the blink of an eye, a thick bolt of lightning rose from the ground and flew a thousand feet away! Liu Ruxi¡¯s expression changed slightly and she was about to chase after them when a fair and slender hand grabbed her shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s no need to chase.¡± Xuan Wushang said calmly. At some point, the smile on his face had already disappeared, and his malicious eyes were cold. ¡°Those who are in the way have left. It¡¯s time to settle the score between us.¡± Chapter 225 - 225 An Extremely Sad Truth 225 An Extremely Sad Truth As he spoke, all the subtle expressions on Xuan Wushang¡¯s face disappeared. There was no sadness, joy, anger, or resentment, as if his face was covered by an emotionless mask. However, because he had a sinister expression to begin with, even if his face was expressionless, he still looked terrifying. Liu Ruxi felt as if a cold hand was gripping her heart. Her face instantly turned pale, but she still pretended to be calm and asked, ¡°His Majesty, I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± ¡°Why did you lie to me?¡± Xuan Wushang went straight to the point and asked indifferently, ¡°Cultivate cocoons in my territory to fight for your Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡­ Lord Liu, what a good scheme.¡± Liu Ruxi held her breath. She didn¡¯t know how Xuan Wushang found out about this, but since he already knew it, he must have decided what to do with her! ¡°Your Majesty, please spare me!¡± Liu Ruxi immediately knelt on one knee and said as sincerely and anxiously as possible, ¡°Previously, I had some lingering feelings for my daughter, which was why I did something that jeopardized the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± ¡°But now all the feelings are gone. The Heavenly Saint will definitely not last long under her leadership. I¡¯m willing to do my best to help you unify the world!¡± Looking at Liu Ruxi kneeling in front of him, Xuan Wushang suddenly chuckled. ¡°Lord Liu, there¡¯s no need to be so terrified. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. Besides¡­ I¡¯m also hiding something from you.¡± Liu Ruxi frowned slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± ¡°Lord Liu, please rise.¡± Xuan Wushang reached out to help Liu Ruxi up with a faint smile on his face. ¡°Lord Liu, do you know the difference between the martial artists of the Great Yong Dynasty and the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± This question was without rhyme or reason, but Liu Ruxi still replied seriously, ¡°The Great Yong martial artists are naturally close to nature, so with a little training, they can use the power of nature to their advantage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You have been in Great Yong for many years and indeed know a lot.¡± Xuan Wushang smiled ambiguously. Without waiting for Liu Ruxi to speak, he continued, ¡°Lord Liu, do you know how long it will take to nurture the martial artists of Great Yong from the beginning to master the simplest technique of riding the wind?¡± Liu Ruxi thought for a moment. ¡°According to my training and nurturing of those newbies, this depends on everyone¡¯s aptitude. Those with extraordinary aptitude can ride the wind within a month, but those with poor aptitude need more than half a year.¡± Xuan Wushang nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Lord Liu, how long did it take you to learn to ride the wind?¡± Liu Ruxi looked embarrassed. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m not talented and was born in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. It took me more than two months to barely be able to ride the wind.¡± The corners of Xuan Wushang¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. ¡°Lord Liu, did you notice anything wrong?¡± ¡°Anything wrong?¡± Liu Ruxi frowned slightly. ¡°I¡¯m slow-witted. Please enlighten me, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Xuan Wushang smiled meaningfully. His sinister gaze landed on Liu Ruxi¡¯s face, but it was also as if he was looking at something else. His thin lips opened slightly. ¡°To the martial artists of the Great Yong, riding the wind is as simple as breathing. There¡¯s no need to train or nurture them at all.¡± Liu Ruxi was blown away. She almost instantly understood what Xuan Wushang wanted to say! The martial artists of the Great Yong Dynasty did not need to be nurtured to be able to ride the wind. However, the ¡°cocoons¡± she made would take at least a month or half a year at the longest to achieve. This was rather contradictory to her understanding¡ªunless the cocoons weren¡¯t originally from the Great Yong Dynasty at all! ¡°It seems that you understand.¡± Xuan Wushang smiled faintly. However, in Liu Ruxi¡¯s eyes, he was more terrifying than a demon that had crawled out of hell! ¡°The people you¡¯ve been using to experiment on over the years were originally refugees, beggars, and even prisoners exiled to the border from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. However, you need too many people, so I can only get people to kidnap villagers in remote places. Only then can I barely supply your research¡­¡± At this point, Xuan Wushang suddenly looked at Liu Ruxi with a kind smile. ¡°Lord Liu, are you very touched that I¡¯m so supportive of what you are doing?¡± ¡°Are you saying that the people who died because of my research all these years are actually the subjects of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± Liu Ruxi stared at Xuan Wushang and asked with a trembling voice. Actually, she already knew the answer. It was just that she was unwilling to admit it, so she hoped that Xuan Wushang could give her a different answer. Back then, she had spent a lot of effort to sneak into the Great Yong Dynasty to use the people of the Great Yong Dynasty to complete the research and bring the results back to benefit the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. However, now that she heard that those people were actually the subjects of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, even if Liu Ruxi had already decided to cut ties with the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, she could not help but be shocked when she heard this news! Xuan Wushang did not answer. He only looked at Liu Ruxi and smiled sinisterly. ¡°I¡¯ve sent 500 people to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. In just a day, I¡¯ll be able to spread your achievements to the world¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Liu Ruxi shouted anxiously. After saying that, she realized that she had lost her composure and hurriedly explained, ¡°Your Majesty, what I mean is that although I¡¯ve completely cut ties with the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, the cocoons are not ready to fight yet.¡± ¡°If the news gets out at this moment, all the countries will definitely declare war on us together. I¡¯m afraid it will affect your plan to unify the world!¡± Xuan Wushang smiled. It was unknown if he believed her or not, but he already had something to use to threaten Liu Ruxi. He was not afraid that Liu Ruxi would suddenly turn against him. Thinking of this, Xuan Wushang patted Liu Ruxi¡¯s shoulder gently, and his attitude clearly softened. ¡°Lord Liu, you¡¯re right. Then I¡¯ll continue to leave this research to you. Don¡¯t let me down!¡± With that, Xuan Wushang turned around and left. Liu Ruxi¡¯s expression instantly darkened, but she gritted her teeth and stared at Xuan Wushang¡¯s departing figure for a long time. In the end, she silently put away the soft sword and followed him. ¡­ Three miles away from the Great Yong Southern Border on a tree. After Lin Ran put the empress down, he released his divine sense to check the surroundings. After confirming that there were no pursuers, he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Lin Ran looked at the empress and asked softly, ¡°What do you think of this? What is Xuan Wushang planning?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it can¡¯t be anything good.¡± The empress shook her head and frowned. ¡°The most important thing now is to return to the palace as soon as possible and remove the wanted post on you. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be in trouble when you go back.¡± Lin Ran nodded and continued to think in silence. With the empress around, he did not care much about the wanted post. He wanted to know why Xuan Wushang only wanted 15 cities after going out of his way to capture the empress. Chapter 226 - 226 Liu Hongshan Showing Up Again 226 Liu Hongshan Showing Up Again Seeing that Lin Ran was silent, the empress couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°What are you thinking? Are you worried that they will send people to assassinate us on the way back?¡± Lin Ran shook his head. Then, he explained his doubts. He paused for a moment and said, ¡°At first, I thought that there was something strange about the 15 cities, such as a secret treasure or something, but later on, I realized that it wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Xuan Wushang didn¡¯t specify which 15 cities, right?¡± The empress pondered for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s entirely up to me which 15 cities to cede, so this matter has nothing to do with the cities themselves. He just wants 15 cities.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Lin Ran nodded in agreement. ¡°If he has designs on one city, and there happens to be the one he wants among the 15 cities you cede, the probability of that happening is too low.¡± The empress was about to nod when she suddenly thought of something and her expression changed slightly. ¡°In fact¡­ the probability of this happening might not be small.¡± Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The empress did not answer immediately. Instead, she asked, ¡°Think about it. Under normal circumstances, if I were to cede 15 cities, which 15 cities would I give out?¡± Lin Ran frowned and said in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already say that you wanted to cut fifteen cities from the border to Great Yong?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but after listening to you just now, I realized that there¡¯s something fishy going on.¡± The empress explained with a faint smile, ¡°Since I¡¯m ceding the cities to Great Yong, my first choice is naturally the ones in the Heavenly Saint Northern Border. However, there are only about 30 cities in the Northern Border.¡± Lin Ran instantly understood what the empress meant. ¡°Are you saying that Xuan Wushang actually has a 50% chance of obtaining the city he wants?¡± Seeing the empress nod, Lin Ran was puzzled. ¡°But even so, the probability is still a little low, right? Since Xuan Wushang spent so much effort to get this city, how can he tolerate a 50% chance of failure?¡± The empress nodded in agreement. ¡°I can¡¯t figure that out either.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°You¡¯ve already thought of a solution?¡± The empress pretended to be mysterious and smiled. ¡°Benevolence.¡± Lin Ran was confused, but the empress had her own plans and was unwilling to explain, so he did not ask further. He changed the topic and said, ¡°We encountered a lot of unexpected things this time¡­ You must be exhausted, right?¡± The empress¡¯s eyes darkened when she heard this. She knew that Lin Ran was talking about Liu Ruxi. After a moment of silence, she replied softly, ¡°Now that I know the truth, honestly, I don¡¯t know what to make of it.¡± ¡°I understand. After all, she is your mother.¡± Lin Ran forced a smile and said after some hesitation, ¡°If you really don¡¯t know what to do¡­ you can leave this to me.¡± The empress knew what Lin Ran meant. She paused for a moment and waved her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s put it off for now. Lord Lin, I¡¯m not a soft-hearted person. It¡¯s just that you consumed a lot of energy this time. I really can¡¯t bear to let you put yourself in danger again.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything. The empress thought that he didn¡¯t believe her. Then, she said seriously, ¡°Lord Lin, you can rest assured. Although I haven¡¯t thought of what to do with Liu Ruxi, since she has decided to become the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s enemy, I definitely won¡¯t be merciful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that her status in Great Yong is very special. We just caused a mess in Nanjiang Town. Xuan Wushang will definitely protect her. Now is not the time to make a move. I hope Lord Lin can be more patient.¡± The empress said this sincerely, but Lin Ran didn¡¯t respond. This time, the empress was a little unhappy. She looked up and wanted to question Lin Ran, but she realized that he was frowning with his eyes closed, as if he was trying his best to sense something. The empress immediately realized that something was wrong and quickly moved closer to Lin Ran. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something going on.¡± Lin Ran slowly opened his eyes with a strange expression. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a problem or not.¡± Just as the empress was wondering what he meant, she heard a deep voice outside. ¡°The former Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s General of the Northern Battlefront, Liu Hongshan, greets Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Liu Hongshan!¡± The empress¡¯s expression changed drastically. She immediately looked at Lin Ran beside her. ¡°How did he find us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story¡­¡± Lin Ran smiled strangely and roughly explained how he challenged Liu Hongshan to a death duel in the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace. After the empress heard this, she had a strange expression. ¡°In other words, you originally wanted to hunt him down with a death duel, but in the end, he used the death duel to find where we¡¯re hiding?¡± ¡°That seems to be the case¡­¡± Lin Ran nodded awkwardly. Without waiting for the empress to speak, he continued, ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry too much. I¡¯ve already used my divine sense to investigate. Within 15 kilometers, other than the Great Yong border army, there¡¯s only Liu Hongshan. He must have come without telling Xuan Wushang.¡± When the empress heard this, she looked suspicious. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Lin Ran laughed dryly and didn¡¯t say anything because he really wasn¡¯t sure. It was true that Liu Hongshan came alone, but his cultivation was slightly higher than Lin Ran¡¯s. In addition, after a series of hard battles, Lin Ran was at the limit of his mental and physical strength. If Liu Hongshan was sent to chase after the two of them, it would be enough even if he was alone. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty! The former Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s General of the Northern Battlefront, Liu Hongshan, requests an audience with you.¡± Because the two of them had not responded for too long, Liu Hongshan shouted outside again. However, this time, the voice sounded directly under the tree. It was obvious that he had already confirmed their location. Lin Ran and the empress looked at each other. Then, Lin Ran pushed aside the branch and jumped down awkwardly. The moment his feet touched the ground, Lin Ran summoned the Thunderball Sword and the Yin-Yang Sword at the same time. Then, he looked at Liu Hongshan warily. Unexpectedly, after not seeing him for a few days, Liu Hongshan seemed to have changed into a different person. The stubble on his face had been shaved off, and his hair was combed neatly. He was no longer as sloppy as before. He did not look like the wandering martial artist he used to be, but like a wise official in a high position. On the other hand, Lin Ran was in a sorry state. Not only were his clothes tattered, but many places were also stained with blood. Compared to Liu Hongshan, who smelt nice, he looked more like a bandit. Seeing Lin Ran like this, Liu Hongshan couldn¡¯t help but cross his arms and tease, ¡°It¡¯s been a few days since we last met. Lord Lin, your taste in clothes is getting more stylish.¡± ¡°Cut the crap! Get straight to the point.¡± Lin Ran frowned and replied coldly, but he was a little puzzled because he noticed that Liu Hongshan did not bring the Dragon Roar Short Sword. In other words, Liu Hongshan was not here to fight. Chapter 227 - 227 Advice from the Enemy 227 Advice from the Enemy As if sensing Lin Ran¡¯s thoughts, Liu Hongshan raised his hands and walked around slowly. Then, he cupped his hands and asked, ¡°Lord Lin, my outfit today is not suitable for fighting. I wonder if you can ask Your Majesty to come out.¡± Lin Ran hesitated when he heard this. Although he had just confirmed that Liu Hongshan was not armed, with their cultivation levels, it did not matter if they were armed or not if they wanted to kill a low-level martial artist like the empress. However, their hiding place had already been discovered. If they did not let the empress come out, he would seem like he was afraid of Liu Hongshan. Just as Lin Ran was hesitating, the treetop above his head suddenly shook. Then, the empress jumped down lightly. ¡°Why did you come out?¡± Lin Ran immediately shielded the empress behind him and handed her the Thunderball Sword. ¡°This person has impure motives. Leave first. I¡¯ll hold him back.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± The empress didn¡¯t take the sword. She patted Lin Ran¡¯s shoulder and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°I don¡¯t have much internal energy left. It won¡¯t be long before I¡¯m caught up. Let¡¯s take a gamble.¡± Lin Ran looked at the empress in surprise. He didn¡¯t expect the empress, who had always wanted to play it safe, to say something like ¡°take a gamble.¡± However, on second thought, it made sense. Now that the two of them were at the end of their rope, no matter if they fought or ran, they would not have a good ending. Just as Lin Ran was thinking, the empress walked out from behind him. She looked at Liu Hongshan from afar and asked coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Liu Hongshan glanced at Lin Ran, then turned his body slightly and made an inviting gesture. ¡°Your Majesty, can we talk in private?¡± ¡°No!¡± Lin Ran immediately said, ¡°If you have something to say, say it here. If not, get lost!¡± Liu Hongshan smiled mysteriously. ¡°Lord Lin, do you want to hear about Liu Ruxi too?¡± Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this. He was about to ask Liu Hongshan when the empress raised her hand and instructed softly, ¡°Wait here.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Lin Ran grabbed the empress. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what kind of person Liu Hongshan is? If you leave my sight, what if he harms you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± The empress smiled reassuringly. ¡°Besides, if he really wanted to harm me, would he need to waste time talking with us?¡± Lin Ran was embarrassed and speechless, but he had to admit that the empress was right. In just a short while, the empress had already walked towards Liu Hongshan. Lin Ran tensed up. Fortunately, in order to show his sincerity, Liu Hongshan did not go too far. After taking a dozen steps, he stopped. Then, the two of them chatted in a low voice. Liu Hongshan took out something and handed it to the empress. Because it was too far away, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t see what it was clearly. He could only see that it was a small green thing that looked like jade. Then, the two of them chatted for a while before turning around and walking back together. When the empress returned to his side, Lin Ran relaxed a little and asked in a low voice, ¡°What did he say to you?¡± The empress shook her head. It was unknown if she did not want to say it or if it was inconvenient, but it was obvious that she was distracted. Lin Ran sighed and didn¡¯t ask further. He turned to look at Liu Hongshan. ¡°Is there anything else? If not, leave!¡± ¡°We know each other after all. Why are you so hostile, Lord Lin?¡± Liu Hongshan smiled. Before Lin Ran could speak, he suddenly continued with a serious expression, ¡°Since you¡¯ve helped me a few times, let me give you another piece of advice¡ªdon¡¯t rest here for too long.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying that Xuan Wushang will send people to hunt us down?¡± ¡°Not really. Although he is ruthless, his words can be trusted.¡± Liu Hongshan chuckled. ¡°In short, the two of you should go back as soon as possible. Otherwise¡­ you might regret it.¡± With a mysterious smile, Liu Hongshan turned around and walked out of sight. His speed was abnormally fast. In the blink of an eye, he was already a thousand feet away. Seeing that Liu Hongshan was really leaving, Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. However, what Liu Hongshan said at the end still caught his attention. Since Xuan Wushang did not send anyone to chase after them, why did Liu Hongshan advise them to leave? After thinking for a moment without getting an answer, Lin Ran put this matter to the back of his mind. He turned to look at the empress and asked, ¡°Your Majesty, you look distracted since you came back just now¡­ What did he say to you?¡± At this moment, the empress was still in a daze. She only reacted after Lin Ran asked her again. She frowned and said in confusion, ¡°He said that Liu Ruxi¡¯s matter is not as simple as we think.¡± Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°What do you mean? Is there something we don¡¯t know about?¡± The empress shook her head and didn¡¯t say anything. She handed the thing Liu Hongshan had given her to Lin Ran. ¡°He even gave me this and asked me to take good care of it, saying that I¡¯ll find out the truth in the future.¡± Lin Ran had also seen Liu Hongshan give the empress something just now. Previously, when he saw that the thing was green, he thought that it was jade. Now, he realized that it was just a small bamboo tube. ¡°What is this.¡± Lin Ran asked casually as he held the bamboo tube in his hand and observed it carefully. The bamboo tube was about the thickness of two fingers, and both ends were sealed with beeswax. Through the thin beeswax, one could vaguely see a brand new cut. It must have been cut off not long ago. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The empress shook her head helplessly. ¡°I asked, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He only asked me to take good care of it. When the time is right, we will know the truth.¡± ¡°Stop pretending!¡± Lin Ran snorted in disdain and injected his divine sense into it. Only then did he realize that not only were the two ends sealed with beeswax, but inside was also filled with beeswax. In the middle of the beeswax was a cylindrical object the size of a broad bean. As for what it was, he could not sense it with his divine sense. ¡°Do you want to open it?¡± Lin Ran looked at the empress and asked, ¡°Liu Hongshan is not a good person. It¡¯s better to be careful with what he gives.¡± The empress hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t think he has any ill intentions this time. Since he wants me to keep it carefully, I¡¯ll do as he said.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the empress took the small bamboo tube back. Lin Ran didn¡¯t insist. Firstly, it was because the empress was determined. Secondly, he really didn¡¯t feel any danger from this small bamboo tube. After the empress put away the bamboo tube, Lin Ran rode his sword and flew up. He was very concerned about Liu Hongshan¡¯s last sentence and had an ominous feeling. Chapter 228 - 228 The Real and Fake Empress 228 The Real and Fake Empress They walked in silence. Even though Lin Ran was exhausted he was after all at the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm. After crossing the border, it only took him a few hours to arrive above the capital. Actually, Lin Ran could be faster, but he and the empress felt that Liu Hongshan¡¯s ¡°advice¡± had another meaning, so they traveled very carefully. Lin Ran rolled his eyes. ¡°In my opinion, he¡¯s just messing with us!¡± The empress chuckled and changed the topic. ¡°It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. But then again, I¡¯ve been gone for so many days. The palace must be in chaos. We really should come back.¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he rolled his eyes at the empress. ¡°Oh, now you realize that you are still the emperor. Back then, I didn¡¯t let you go, but you insisted on going. If anything happens in the palace, don¡¯t blame me.¡± ¡°I promise I won¡¯t. Lord Lin, please hurry up!¡± The empress inadvertently looked down and suddenly felt that something was wrong. ¡°Lin Ran.¡± The empress shouted. Then, she pointed down and asked, ¡°Did you see anything wrong?¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he looked down. At this moment, they were about to reach the sky above the palace. He could see the situation in the palace. Dozens of people in official robes were walking out of the throne room one after another. It looked like the morning court had just ended. ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that?¡± Lin Ran asked in confusion, ¡°Aren¡¯t they supposed to go back after the morning court ended? Isn¡¯t it like this every day?¡± The empress looked at Lin Ran strangely. ¡°But I¡¯m here. Who else is sitting on the throne in the throne room?¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before he realized that something was wrong. ¡°Could it be that they thought that you died, so they picked a new emperor?¡± ¡°Just based on what you said, I can behead you.¡± The empress rolled her eyes and said angrily. Then, she patted Lin Ran¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Go and take a look!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Lin Ran agreed and turned around to dive towards the ground. When they were still hundreds of feet away from the ground, the guards in the palace discovered the two people in the air. Someone shouted a few words, and then all the guards immediately drew their swords and became vigilant. ¡°Bastards! They don¡¯t even recognize me!¡± The empress frowned and scolded, but Lin Ran said with an indifferent expression, ¡°They are so far away and can barely see our faces. Don¡¯t take it seriously!¡± As he spoke, with a thought, endless sharp sword intent immediately spiraled down to the ground! In the past, when Lin Ran rode his sword into the palace and alarmed guards, he would do this to reveal his identity. Unfortunately, he ignored one thing this time¡ªhe was a wanted criminal. ¡°It¡¯s Lin Ran!¡± A guard shouted, his voice clearly filled with excitement. Just as Lin Ran was wondering why this guy was so excited, he saw more and more guards gathering towards the spot where he landed. Some of them even drew their swords and attacked! Clang¡ª Clang¡ª Clang¡ª In an instant, thousands of sword energy soared into the sky. Lin Ran was caught off guard and almost bumped into it. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and appeared 100 feet away in a flash. ¡°Are you crazy? Why did you attack me for no reason?!¡± However, what answered him was an even denser sword energy storm! ¡°You¡¯re a wanted criminal!¡± The empress finally remembered something important. She patted Lin Ran and shouted anxiously, ¡°Help me!¡± Lin Ran instantly understood and pressed his hand on the empress¡¯s waist, sending an extremely pure internal energy to her. Almost at the same time, a regal aura burst out, sweeping across the palace! Sensing the regal aura in the air, the guards in the palace stopped. Lin Ran took the opportunity to land on the ground. He waved his sword and released a sword energy barrier to block the two of them. Then, he looked at the guards and shouted coldly, ¡°His Majesty is here! Why are you kneeling?¡± After he finished speaking, the surrounding guards did not react. Just as Lin Ran was feeling puzzled, a voice suddenly shouted in the crowd, ¡°How dare you, Lin Ran! After stealing the Sacred Abyss Sword and assassinating the emperor, you found such someone else to disguise as the emperor¡­ I think you are courting death!¡± ¡°Zhou Hao?¡± Lin Ran recognized the voice and turned to look at the crowd. As expected, he saw Zhou Hao. Lin Ran frowned and scolded, ¡°Zhou Hao, when did you become so dumb? Open your eyes and look carefully. Who else can the person behind me be but His Majesty?¡± Hearing Lin Ran mention her, the empress immediately took half a step forward and slowly swept her gaze across everyone¡¯s faces with a faint dignity. Although she didn¡¯t say a word, the domineering aura she gave off was enough to make the guards want to worship her. ¡°Long live the emperor!¡± Someone knelt on the ground and shouted. Then, the other guards followed suit and hurriedly knelt on the ground. ¡°Long live His Majesty!¡± The empress said with a dark expression, ¡°Rise.¡± Then, she walked quickly towards the throne room. Lin Ran was about to follow when he suddenly thought of something and flashed to Zhou Hao¡¯s side. He reached out to pull him up and asked, ¡°You just said that I found someone to disguise as the emperor¡­ Why would you have such a thought?¡± ¡°Well¡­ His Majesty has never left the palace. You suddenly brought someone back and said that he¡¯s the current emperor. It¡¯s only right for me to be suspicious.¡± ¡°Did you say that His Majesty has never left the palace?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s first reaction was disbelief. After all, he had been running around in Great Yong with the empress for so many days. However, looking at the reactions of the surrounding guards, he felt that Zhou Hao did not seem to be lying. Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately became strange, and he had an ominous feeling. He turned around and was about to explain the situation to the empress when he realized that she had already walked into the throne room. Lin Ran didn¡¯t have time to ask further and quickly followed her in. In the throne room, everything was the same as usual. The only difference was that there was a curtain erected near the throne made of pure gold. Through the bright golden curtain, one could vaguely see a figure sitting on the throne. The empress stood at the door of the throne room with her hands behind her back and looked at the figure behind the curtain from afar. Lin Ran stopped beside the empress. Just as he was about to speak, a fair hand gently lifted the curtain. Then, a pretty face that was no different from the empress¡¯s appeared from behind the curtain. ¡°Who are you?¡± Before Lin Ran could react, the ¡°Empress¡± behind the curtain suddenly spoke. Even her voice was exactly the same as the empress¡¯s! Chapter 229 - 229 Identical Faces 229 Identical Faces Looking at the empress beside him and then at the empress on the dragon throne, Lin Ran was a little stunned because the two of them looked exactly the same! If there was a difference, it was that the ¡°Empress¡± on the dragon throne did not look well, as if she was sick. However, the empress and Lin Ran had suffered quite a lot in Great Yong, and they didn¡¯t look so well either. In addition to the ¡°Empress¡±, Li Tianyi was also standing near the throne with a dust whisk in his arm. At this moment, he was staring at Lin Ran and the empress at the door with a puzzled expression. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Lin Ran whispered to the empress and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? You have a twin brother¡­ Oh, no, a twin sister?¡± The empress glared at Lin Ran, then looked at the person on the dragon throne and asked coldly, ¡°Who are you? How dare you pretend to be me? Do you know what crime you are commiting?¡± The ¡°Empress¡± on the dragon throne sneered when she heard this. Li Tianyi immediately went forward and shouted, ¡°How dare you speak like that to the emperor?¡± The empress cursed angrily with a gloomy expression. ¡°Li Tianyi, how dare you speak to me like that!¡± This shout carried the regal pressure of an emperor. Li Tianyi felt his legs go weak and he almost knelt on the ground. However, when he reacted, he felt that something was wrong. If the emperor was on the throne, who was the person at the door? Before Li Tianyi could figure it out, the fake empress had already walked out of the curtain. She placed her hands behind her back and raised her head slightly. ¡°Who are you? Do you know what crime you are committing for barging into the throne room?¡± The fake empress spoke calmly with a hint of anger in her voice, and she actually sounded identical to the empress. ¡°Lord Lin!¡± The empress shouted and pointed at the imposter on the dragon throne. ¡°I order you to take this person down immediately!¡± Lin Ran nodded, but after a long time, he did not move. The empress was furious and couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. She turned around and realized that he was staring at the imposter with his arms crossed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The empress couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice, ¡°I asked you to take this person down. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°I heard you, but don¡¯t be anxious!¡± Lin Ran smiled indifferently, his eyes still fixed on that imposter. ¡°Although I haven¡¯t fully recovered yet, it¡¯s not a problem for me to obliterate the entire palace.¡± At this point, Lin Ran glanced at Li Tianyi. ¡°So calm down. You¡¯re so flustered. Those who don¡¯t know really might think that you are the fake one.¡± Hearing that, the empress immediately felt even more indignant. However, before she could speak, Lin Ran suddenly asked, ¡°Do you really not have twin sisters?¡± The empress frowned. ¡°Of course not!¡± Lin Ran nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Then this imposter must be wearing a human skin mask.¡± Seeing that Lin Ran was so sure, the empress suddenly had the intention to be playful. She narrowed her eyes and asked faintly, ¡°Are you so sure that I¡¯m the real one? Is it because I went with you to Nanjiang Town?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re real, but it¡¯s not because we went to Nanjiang Town together.¡± Lin Ran smiled ambiguously. Then, he sized up the empress¡¯s body. ¡°My eyes are especially acute when it comes to differentiating girls¡¯ figures.¡± The empress was stunned for a moment before she blushed. ¡°You old goat!¡± Lin Ran shrugged and didn¡¯t seem to mind being branded as that. On the other side. Seeing the two of them muttering under their breaths, Li Tianyi waved his dust whisk and scolded coldly, ¡°What are the two of you plotting over there? Let me tell you! This is the palace. There¡¯s¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, a glint flashed across Lin Ran¡¯s eyes. In the next second, he appeared near the throne! Before Li Tianyi could react, Lin Ran knocked him unconscious. The fake empress was shocked. She was about to call the guards when a large hand covered her mouth. ¡°Quiet. Let me see what you are first.¡± Lin Ran covered the empress¡¯s mouth and whispered. He turned her face to the side. Then, he narrowed his eyes and looked at the skin near her ear. The biggest flaw of the human skin mask was where the face and ears were connected. However, after Lin Ran observed it carefully for a moment, his expression gradually became strange. ¡°No mask.¡± Lin Ran looked at the empress at the door of the throne room and said. It was unknown if it was intentional or not, but his eyes were clearly vigilant. The empress¡¯s expression changed and she hurriedly said, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I don¡¯t have a mask either!¡± As if afraid that Lin Ran wouldn¡¯t believe her, the empress deliberately turned her head and rubbed the skin beside her ear. Other than being slightly red, there was indeed nothing unusual. Seeing this, Lin Ran¡¯s expression became even stranger. He looked at the empress whose mouth was covered by his hand and let go of her slightly. ¡°Who are you?¡± Lin Ran gestured for the empress to come over. After all, the empress was an expert in making human skin masks. She might be able to discover something he couldn¡¯t Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s reaction, the empress also realized that something was wrong. After thinking for a moment, the empress turned around and closed the door of the throne room. Then, she jogged to the throne. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Ran pressed the ¡°fake empress¡± in a dragon robe onto the throne and looked at the empress. He said softly with a strange expression, ¡°Come and take a look. She doesn¡¯t seem to have a mask.¡± ¡°No mask?¡± When the empress heard this, her expression became a little strange. Then, she leaned over to take a closer look. Seeing this scene, Lin Ran suddenly felt a little strange. The two empresses looked exactly the same. They seemed to be looking at each other through the mirror. In just a few seconds, the empress stood up. Although she did not say a word, her brows were filled with confusion. ¡°Did your ministers find someone to pretend to be you just so people don¡¯t know you are not in the palace?¡± However, before the empress could speak, Lin Ran shook his head and denied his guess. ¡°No, if it;s so, this imposter would have confessed it when she saw you.¡± The empress nodded slightly in agreement. Looking at the face that was exactly the same as her, she suddenly looked at Lin Ran. ¡°What if the people in the palace still think I¡¯m in the palace?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°You mean¡­ after you left, this person immediately replaced you?¡± The empress nodded slightly. Lin Ran immediately realized that this was possible. The people in the palace did not know that the empress was out, so they naturally would not suspect the identity of this ¡°fake empress¡±. This ¡°fake empress¡± had ulterior motives for sneaking into the palace. Even if she saw the real empress, she would not admit it! Chapter 230 - 230 Taking Advantage of the Situation 230 Taking Advantage of the Situation Thinking of this, Lin Ran looked coldly at the fake empress and was about to interrogate her when she suddenly laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that the two of you are smart. From the looks of it, you don¡¯t really live up to your name!¡± The fear and panic on the fake empress¡¯s face had already disappeared, replaced by a faint disdain. Lin Ran narrowed his eyes. ¡°So you admit that you¡¯re an imposter?¡± The fake empress glanced at the empress. ¡°The Heavenly Saint Emperor is here. What¡¯s the use of me not admitting it?¡± Hearing how the imposter addressed her, the empress¡¯s eyes suddenly flickered. ¡°You¡¯re not from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a sacrificial soldier nurtured by Emperor Xuan Yuan of the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± The fake empress bowed to the empress with a disdainful smile on her face. ¡°If the Heavenly Saint Emperor doesn¡¯t mind, you can call me Xiao Wan.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but laugh because he remembered that the empress¡¯s name also had the word ¡°Wan¡± in it. The empress¡¯s expression darkened. Of course, she knew what Lin Ran was laughing about. She glared at Lin Ran before looking at Xiao Wan. ¡°Why are you pretending to be me? What¡¯s Xuan Wushang¡¯s motive?¡± Before Xiao Wan could speak, heavy footsteps suddenly came from outside the throne room. Then, a male voice shouted from outside, ¡°How dare you people barge into the throne room! The palace guards have surrounded this place. You have fifteen minutes to disarm and surrender! Otherwise, you will be killed without mercy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Song Rentong.¡± The empress immediately recognized the voice. Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s puzzled expression, she explained, ¡°After Zhang Yueheng was beheaded, I promoted him to the position of Grand Secretary.¡± ¡°Zhang Yueheng was killed by you?!¡± When the empress dealt with Zhang Yueheng, Lin Ran was trapped in the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace with Liu Hongshan, so he didn¡¯t know about this. Seeing the empress nod, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°When did this happen? Why did you behead him? Is it because of what I said to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of it.¡± The empress replied, ¡°Another part of the reason is that Zhang Yueheng has been in a high position for a long time and doesn¡¯t know his place. Are you sure you want to talk about this now?¡± Only then did Lin Ran remember that they were surrounded. He apologized and summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. With a casual wave, the sound of wind immediately blew outside the hall, instantly drowning out Song Rentong¡¯s voice. ¡°Done!¡± Lin Ran put away the Yin-Yang Sword. ¡°I surrounded the throne room with sword energy. They won¡¯t be able to enter even no matter how hard they try.¡± The empress was relieved when she heard this. Then, she looked at Xiao Wan again. ¡°Tell me! What exactly is Xuan Wushang¡¯s plan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my place to know his plan.¡± As Xiao Wan spoke, she took off the crown and gently placed it on the dragon throne. Then, she raised her hand and took off her dragon robe. She sat on the dragon throne steadily with only a bright yellow robe on. ¡°The two of you don¡¯t have to worry. I entered the palace yesterday and haven¡¯t done anything yet. All the memorials are submitted to the new Grand Secretary for approval. Those that Lord Song can¡¯t make the decision on are currently piled up in the imperial study.¡± Xiao Wan pointed in the direction of the imperial study, then looked at the empress and said, ¡°My emperor has no intention of taking the opportunity to disturb the peace in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. It¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t know when the Heavenly Saint Emperor would return to the palace, so I was asked to come here to sit on the throne for a few days. I¡¯ve completed my mission. Lord Lin, you can do what you want now.¡± After saying that, Xiao Wan sat on the dragon throne with her chest puffed out and her head raised, looking like she was facing death calmly. Lin Ran was in no hurry to attack. He just sized up Xiao Wan¡¯s face and asked, ¡°What about the face? Is it a new technology?¡± ¡°This is what I look like originally.¡± Xiao Wan replied very honestly. After saying that, she added, ¡°Because I look identical to Emperor Sheng Yuan, a few years ago, His Majesty discovered me and brought me home.¡± ¡°After that, His Majesty got someone to make some minor adjustments to my appearance according to the appearance of the Heavenly Saint Emperor. He also found someone to train me to imitate the Heavenly Saint Emperor¡¯s gestures and expressions.¡± When Lin Ran heard this, his expression changed slightly. He subconsciously glanced at the empress before asking Xiao Wan softly, ¡°Did Xuan Wushang¡­ do anything bad to you?¡± ¡°Lin Ran.¡± The empress shouted in a low voice, her face still flushed red. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡± ¡°I was just asking!¡± Lin Ran shrugged, but he realized that there was a trace of sadness on Xiao Wan¡¯s face. His expression immediately changed. ¡°This Xuan Wushang is quite a pervert¡­¡± ¡°Lin Ran.¡± The empress pushed Lin Ran away in embarrassment. Then, she looked at Xiao Wan and coldly asked, ¡°Tell me! Why did Xuan Wushang ask you to come?¡± When Xiao Wan heard this, she came back to her senses. ¡°I¡¯ve already said that His Majesty doesn¡¯t know when you will return to the palace, so he asked me to replace you for a few days.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡± The empress¡¯s expression darkened. Xuan Wushang had spent so much effort nurturing someone who looked identical to her, but all he wanted was to use her to pretend to be the Emperor Sheng Yuan for a few days. Even a three-year-old child would not believe it! However, even in the face of the empress¡¯s interrogation, Xiao Wan still looked calm. She pointed at Li Tianyi, who had fainted. ¡°If the two of you don¡¯t believe me, you can wake this person up and ask him.¡± The empress pondered for a moment and turned to give Lin Ran a look. Lin Ran nodded to show that he understood. Then, he reached out and pinched Li Tianyi¡¯s thigh. ¡°Ouch!¡± Li Tianyi screamed and woke up. When he opened his eyes and saw Lin Ran and the two empresses, his face instantly froze. ¡°Eunuch Li.¡± Lin Ran greeted with a smile, ¡°Long time no see!¡± ¡°Long time no see¡­¡± Li Tianyi replied subconsciously. After saying that, his expression suddenly changed. ¡°Lin Ran! You actually have the guts to come back on your own!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why wouldn¡¯t I have the guts to come back?¡± Lin Ran shrugged indifferently and asked seriously, ¡°Cut the crap. Let me ask you a few questions. This person¡ª¡± Lin Ran pointed at Xiao Wan. ¡°When did she come?¡± ¡°Did you get hit by someone on the head? Why did you become so stupid?¡± Li Tianyi frowned and said disdainfully, ¡°His Majesty has been in the palace since he was young. What do you mean?¡± Lin Ran was speechless for a moment before he said, ¡°Let me put it another way. When did this person show up again?¡± ¡°Yesterday.¡± Although Li Tianyi¡¯s expression was unfriendly, out of fear for Lin Ran, he still replied without thinking, ¡°That day, the emperor of Great Yong barged into the palace and said that he had kidnapped His Majesty.¡± ¡°I entered the imperial study and realized that His Majesty was indeed gone. After that, the emperor of Great Yong said that if we wanted His Majesty to return to the palace safely, we had to retreat 300 miles from the border and cede 15 cities.¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran turned around and looked at the empress. It seemed that Xuan Wushang was indeed prepared to take advantage of the situation. However, since he had already made a request in the palace, why did he have to make the request again to the empress and send this imposter over? Chapter 231 - 231 Falling Out, Crisis of Trust 231 Falling Out, Crisis of Trust Lin Ran and the empress were deep in thought, but Li Tianyi started to go on a tangent. ¡°To be honest, this request is actually not high, but His Majesty is not in the palace, so no one dares to make the decision to cede the cities? Therefore, I discussed it with Lord Song¡­¡± Li Tianyi rambled on for a long time without getting to the point. Lin Ran didn¡¯t feel anything, but the empress was getting impatient. ¡°Get to the point!¡± Li Tianyi was shocked. After a few seconds, he said, ¡°Later on, Lord Song and I felt that finding His Majesty was the most important thing. At that time, the war at the border was tense, so the emperor of Great Yong definitely couldn¡¯t cross the border easily. If we acted quickly enough, we might be able to find His Majesty.¡± ¡°Therefore, Lord Song and I sent people out to look for His Majesty, but not long after, His Majesty returned.¡± Lin Ran asked, ¡°What happened Later?¡± ¡°Later?¡± Li Tianyi was confused when he heard this. ¡°What later? With His Majesty safe and sound, who cares what the emperor of Great Yong wants?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. He paused for a moment and asked, ¡°Then what did ¡®His Majesty¡¯ do after returning to the palace?¡± Li Tianyi looked puzzled. ¡°What else can His Majesty do in the palace? Of course, it¡¯s the usual things.¡± ¡°Has she ever issued an imperial edict?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Did she announce any decision?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Did she do anything to damage the image of the emperor?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡­ Lin Ran asked more than ten questions in a row, but the answer he received was ¡°No.¡± Then, he looked at the empress and shrugged. ¡°It seems that there¡¯s indeed nothing wrong with her.¡± The empress looked suspicious and did not say anything. Xiao Wan sat on the dragon throne with a calm expression. ¡°You¡¯ve asked everything you wanted. Can you do it now?¡± Lin Ran looked at the empress and asked for her opinion. After a moment of silence, the empress frowned and said coldly, ¡°There is no point in killing you, but I can¡¯t keep your face.¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but look troubled. If he was asked to kill Xiao Wan here, he would definitely not hesitate. However, he could not bring himself to disfigure a girl¡¯s face. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Lin Ran said softly, then pulled the empress a few steps to the side. ¡°Do you want to consider it again?¡± The empress frowned. ¡°Consider what?¡± ¡°Think about what to do with her.¡± Lin Ran pointed at Xiao Wan and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Killing someone is easy. You¡¯re also a girl. Disfiguring her face¡­ isn¡¯t a good thing.¡± Lin Ran thought that the empress would reconsider after hearing his suggestion, but he did not expect her to frown. ¡°What¡¯s there to consider? She should thank me for not killing her.¡± ¡°You might as well kill her!¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and said angrily, ¡°She¡¯s a girl. How can she live after her face is ruined?¡± ¡°Live?¡± The empress sneered and looked at Lin Ran strangely. ¡°Lord Lin, when did you become so naive?¡± Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you think Xuan Wushang will still let her live after she returns to Great Yong?¡± The empress glanced at Xiao Wan and continued with a dark expression, ¡°If people find out that Xuan Wushang spent so much effort to nurture someone who looks identical to me, what will people think of him?¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes. He could roughly guess what the empress was going to say. As expected, the empress only paused for half a second before continuing in a louder voice, ¡°I know she¡¯s innocent, but since she¡¯s involved in the battle between the two countries, how can she get away so easily?¡± ¡°I destroy her face so that Xuan Wushang won¡¯t be able to find her again. Otherwise, she will never be able to live like a normal person.¡± Lin Ran lowered his head and didn¡¯t say anything because he knew that the empress was right, but¡­ As if knowing that Lin Ran was in a dilemma, the empress sighed and extended her right hand. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself. Can I borrow your sword, Lord Lin.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the difference between you doing it and me doing it?¡± Lin Ran suddenly looked up at the empress. Apart from being troubled, there was obvious anger on his face because he knew that the so-called ¡°borrowing a sword¡± was actually a test! The empress knew that Lin Ran was against this idea and suggested borrowing the sword just to see if he was still loyal to her. Otherwise, since Xiao Wan had already admitted that she was an imposter, the empress only needed to reveal her identity and hand Xiao Li over to the Ministry of Justice or the guards in the palace to deal with. There was no need for her to do it herself! Seeing the anger in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, the empress¡¯s expression did not change at all, but her eyes had already turned cold. ¡°Lord Lin, do you want to refuse?¡± Lin Ran waved his hand. ¡°This has nothing to do with refusing or not! This is a matter of trust!¡± Hearing the word ¡°trust¡±, the empress¡¯s eyes darkened. Then, she forced a smile and said thoughtfully, ¡°Born in the royal family, I was always taught to not trust because trust can get you in danger.¡± Just as Lin Ran was about to say something, Xiao Wan suddenly spoke. ¡°You two, there¡¯s no need to argue anymore.¡± As Xiao Wan spoke, she stood up and bowed respectfully to the empress. ¡°Heavenly Saint Emperor, I appreciate your kindness, but I¡¯ve been lonely since I was young. If not for His Majesty saving me, I¡¯m afraid I would have died of hunger in that dilapidated run-down house.¡± ¡°Therefore, my life belongs to His Majesty. Even if you spare my life I will still go back.¡± At this point, Xiao Wan looked at Lin Ran and said seriously, ¡°Lord Lin, I do admire His Majesty. That¡¯s why I was in a daze when you asked me if His Majesty has done anything bad to me.¡± ¡°However, His Majesty has always been respectful to me and has never done anything improper. I hope Lord Lin won¡¯t talk nonsense. If you tarnish His Majesty¡¯s reputation, I¡¯ll fight you even if I have to turn into a malicious ghost!¡± Lin Ran rubbed his nose awkwardly. He was really just asking casually. He didn¡¯t expect Xiao Wan to take it so seriously. Just as Lin Ran was thinking about what to say to ease the awkward atmosphere, Xiao Wan nodded slightly at the empress. Then, without warning, she suddenly turned around and banged her head on the pure golden dragon throne! ¡°No!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed. However, he was a few steps away and couldn¡¯t stop her in time. Chapter 232 - 232 Its Better to Take a Drastic Measure 232 It¡¯s Better to Take a Drastic Measure With a bang, Xiao Wan¡¯s body fell to the ground weakly. The pure gold dragon throne was stained with blood, and Lin Ran had only raised his hand halfway. After three seconds of silence, Li Tianyi suddenly screamed and hurriedly went up to check. Then, he frowned and shook his head at Lin Ran. Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly turned ugly. He didn¡¯t have any feelings for Xiao Wan, but he couldn¡¯t accept the fact that a living person had killed herself in front of him without warning. The empress didn¡¯t look too good either. She stared at Xiao Wan¡¯s corpse in a daze for a moment before suddenly looking at the gloomy Lin Ran. ¡°Lord Lin, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°If you encounter such a situation one day¡­¡± The empress paused for a moment, as if she was thinking about how to put it in the right way. ¡°Will you die for me?¡± Lin Ran frowned at the empress. ¡°Are you testing me again? Am I that untrustworthy in your eyes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± The empress waved her hand and said, ¡°I just feel that in terms of benevolence and righteousness, I¡¯m a hundred times better than Xuan Wushang. But why is there someone so loyal to him?¡± Hearing the sadness in the empress¡¯s tone, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Compared to this, there¡¯s another thing more worth thinking about.¡± The empress looked puzzled. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Just as Lin Ran was about to speak, he suddenly thought of something and looked at Li Tianyi. ¡°Eunuch Li, get someone to clean up this place.¡± Li Tianyi looked at Lin Ran suspiciously and then at the empress. In the end, he turned around and left. After Li Tianyi left the throne room, Lin Ran looked at the empress and said softly with a serious expression, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, Xuan Wushang should already know your identity.¡± The empress frowned in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m the Heavenly Saint Emperor. The entire world knows about this. What¡¯s so strange about Xuan Wushang knowing it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about this identity.¡± Lin Ran shook his head and raised his hand to scratch his chest. ¡°I mean this identity.¡± The empress was stunned for a moment before she understood. Her originally sad face immediately turned red as she scolded in a low voice, ¡°Lord Lin! Please be respectful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that! I¡¯m being serious!¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and frowned at Xiao Wan¡¯s corpse. ¡°He probably didn¡¯t find a girl to pretend to be you just because you two look alike. He¡¯s using Xiao Wan to send you a message.¡± Lin Ran pointed at Xiao Wan. ¡°Even if she hasn¡¯t been in the palace for long, if she wants to harm the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, she has a lot of chances to do it, such as granting amnesty to the prisoners or giving strange orders to destroy the image of the emperor. But she didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°In other words, Xuan Wushang just wants her to appear in front of you. He wants you to know that he already knows that you¡¯re a woman!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± The empress immediately reported, ¡°There are only a handful of people in the palace who know about it. How can Xuan Wushang know?¡± Lin Ran shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how he knows, but I¡¯m confident that he does.¡± The empress fell silent. Although she didn¡¯t want to admit it, she knew that Lin Ran was right. Seeing that the empress was silent, Lin Ran sighed and continued, ¡°Previously, I asked Xiao Wan if Xuan Wushang had done anything bad to her because I thought he had ulterior motives towards you. But now it seems that I was overthinking.¡± ¡°You must be thinking too much!¡± The empress replied awkwardly in a low voice. After a pause, she asked, ¡°But even if you¡¯re right, what plan can Xuan Wushang have? Could it be that he wants to threaten me to step down from the throne?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Xuan Wushang is not that stupid.¡± The atmosphere in the room became a little awkward. Fortunately, Li Tianyi brought people over at this moment. Other than the palace eunuchs in charge of cleaning, there was also Song Rentong and a few hundred guards. ¡°Please forgive me for failing to come in time to save you, Your Majesty!¡± As soon as Song Rentong entered the throne room, he knelt on the ground with a thud, along with the hundreds of guards behind him. The empress waved her hand. ¡°Everyone, you were also deceived. Please rise.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± Song Rentong took the lead to thank the empress again before getting up from the ground. He cupped his hands with his head lowered, but from time to time, he would steal glances at the empress. The empress knew that he was afraid of being deceived again, so she did not mind. She turned her body slightly to avoid the blood-stained dragon throne and walked down. She said loudly, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, I have a few things to announce.¡± ¡°Firstly, immediately revoke the arrest warrant on Lord Lin.¡± ¡°Secondly, draft an imperial edict to ask the northern garrison to retreat 300 miles of the border. In addition, hand over the West Willow Fort, Mount Peak Fort, Ten Forts, and another 12 cities to Great Yong!¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but think that the empress was too scheming. She promised Xuan Wushang that she would get the northern garrison to retreat 300 miles and cede 15 cities. Previously, Lin Ran was worried that Xuan Wushang had another motive for wanting these 15 cities, but the empress said that she knew what to do. He did not expect this to be her plan. The 15 cities ceded were in the eastern, western, and southern borders of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, but none of them were located in the north. This way, no matter what Xuan Wushang was planning, his plan was destined to fail. However, the empress could not be blamed for being scheming. After all, Xuan Wushang didn¡¯t specify his request clearly back then. At the moment. When Song Rentong heard that the empress was actually going to give fifteen cities to the Great Yong Dynasty, his expression could not help but become strange. However, since this was an order from the empress, he could not question. He rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s something else urgent. I hope Your Majesty can make a decision as soon as possible.¡± The empress looked puzzled. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mount Sword.¡± Song Rentong glanced at the crowd behind him and said vaguely, ¡°Someone came to report this morning that a phenomenon appeared on Mount Sword¡¯s main peak. No one knows if it¡¯s a good sign or a bad sign¡­¡± Chapter 233 - 233 The Phenomenon of Mount Sword, Dark Clouds Covering the Sky 233 The Phenomenon of Mount Sword, Dark Clouds Covering the Sky Hearing that a phenomenon had appeared on Mount Sword, the empress subconsciously turned to look at Lin Ran. She saw his expression suddenly change before his figure flashed and disappeared. The empress did not know what was going on, but she already had an ominous feeling. She hurriedly looked at Song Rentong and asked, ¡°Tell me! What kind of phenomenon appeared on Mount Sword?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± When Song Rentong heard this, he looked troubled. He waved his hand and dismissed everyone. Then, he took a few steps forward and said in a low voice, ¡°Your Majesty, the Five Elements Imperial Guards have reported that at one this morning, dark clouds covered the main peak of Mount Sword.¡± ¡°The Golden Guards have sent a total of 36 people to investigate¡­ No one has returned.¡± ¡°What?!¡± When the empress heard this, her expression instantly changed because she remembered that Lin Ran had said that Huo Qiyun was taking care of the injured Xiao Huai, and they were at Mount Sword at this moment! ¡­ Outside the capital, Mount Sword. At some point, a large number of white-armored soldiers had gathered at the foot of the mountain. At a glance, there were thousands of them. Everyone was looking at the main peak of Mount Sword with cold expressions. At this moment, the main peak of Mount Sword was enveloped by a thick dark cloud. Outside the mountain-protecting array formation, a white carriage was parked by the roadside. It looked like some high-ranking official was out for a sightseeing trip, but when the soldiers passed by, they subconsciously slowed down, as if they were afraid of disturbing the people in the carriage. A soldier in white armor suddenly rushed over. His metal boots made a series of crisp sounds on the ground. Just from the sound, one could tell how anxious he was at this moment. After a while, the soldier arrived in front of the carriage. Just as he was about to bow, a deep voice suddenly came from the carriage. ¡°What¡¯s the situation like over there?¡± The white-armored soldier was stunned for a moment before replying in a low voice, ¡°Commander, the sixth team of the Golden Guards has been in Mount Sword for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. There¡¯s been no news from them until now.¡± ¡°Send another team.¡± He replied in a low voice in the carriage. There was no emotion in his calm tone, as if he was just asking someone to pour him a glass of water. However, the white-armored soldier¡¯s expression changed slightly. He frowned and hesitated for a moment before taking off the bandana on his face. Without the bandana, this person¡¯s face was completely revealed. Even though he was wearing thick armor, he still looked like a weak scholar. However, at this moment, he was solemn as he looked at the carriage with a burning gaze. If Lin Ran was here, he would recognize this person as the deputy general of the Five Elements Guards, Shen Rulin. ¡°Commaner!¡± Shen Rulin shouted with an extremely anxious expression, ¡°The Golden Guards have already lost more than 70 people. If this continues, all our brothers will die inside!¡± ¡°So what?¡± The person in the carriage asked indifferently, his tone still casual. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the duty of the Five Elements Imperial Guards. As long as we can ensure the safety of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, we will die ten thousand times.¡± ¡°But they shouldn¡¯t die like this!¡± Shen Rulin widened his eyes and roared, ¡°More than 70 brothers died inside, but we still don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening. Their deaths are meaningless! I want to lead a team inside myself. With my cultivation, I can at least send the news out!¡± After a moment of silence in the carriage, the low voice sounded again. ¡°No, send another team in.¡± When Shen Rulin heard this, his eyes turned bloodshot as he stared at the white curtain on the carriage. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but shout in a low voice, ¡°Father! You can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°You have to call me commander in the army!¡± At the same time, a faint grandmaster aura spread out. Under the pressure, Shen Rulin immediately knelt on the ground. The armor fell heavily to the ground with a thud, but Shen Rulin still maintained his posture. He stared at the carriage with a burning gaze and squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth. ¡°Father! We can¡¯t afford to let anyone die!¡± The curtain on the carriage fluttered, as if someone wanted to come out. At this moment, a sharp whistle suddenly sounded from all directions! Shen Rulin¡¯s expression changed drastically as he hurriedly looked up and saw a figure riding a sword over. He barged into the mountain-protecting array formation like a meteor and flew straight towards Mount Sword! It was not until the figure disappeared into the dark clouds that a white-armored soldier rushed over. ¡°Commander, an unknown person has barged into Mount Sword!¡± Shen Rulin hurriedly looked at the carriage. ¡°Commander! This person¡¯s cultivation is extraordinary. Ordinary Golden Guards are no match for him!¡± A deep voice came from the carriage. His tone finally showed some emotions. ¡°Be careful. When you are in danger, retreat.¡± As he spoke, the mountain-like pressure on Shen Rulin quietly dissipated. Shen Rulin was overjoyed. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Then, he drew his sword and shouted sternly, ¡°Brothers above the sixth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm, follow me into the mountain!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the ground under Shen Rulin¡¯s feet cracked, and he shot towards Mount Sword like an arrow leaving the bow. Ten more people unsheathed their swords and followed closely behind him without hesitation! ¡­ Mount Sword¡¯s main peak. As soon as Lin Ran rushed into the dark cloud, he immediately sensed that something was wrong. This dark cloud was thick and inky and was not natural at all. It was filled with a dense evil aura. ¡°As expected, something happened to Xiao Huai and Huo Qiyun! Lin Ran thought to himself. Then, he turned around and landed on the mountainside below the dark cloud. This dark cloud was abnormally dense. When people entered, they would not be able to see anything. The surging evil aura would also block the divine sense from spreading out. Speaking of which, it was somewhat similar to the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s Cloud Concealment Array. However, although that was the case, this dark cloud was actually much more dangerous than the Cloud Concealment Array. The danger of the Cloud Concealment Array was that it would strip people of their five senses and make them lose their way. However, the evil aura in the dark cloud could corrupt people¡¯s minds. Even with Lin Ran¡¯s current cultivation, he still did not dare to step into it rashly. Just as Lin Ran was looking at the dark cloud in the sky, a sharp sword intent suddenly approached. He turned around and saw a soldier in white armor flying towards him on his sword. ¡°Golden Guards?¡± Lin Ran recognized the other party and hurriedly raised his hand and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t attack! We¡¯re on the same side!¡± The white-armored soldier was about to attack when he heard this. He retracted his sword and landed on the ground. He tore off his bandana and asked in surprise, ¡°Lord Lin! Why are you here?¡± ¡°Shen Rulin?¡± At this moment, Lin Ran also recognized the person. He was about to say something when he suddenly saw a few more people flying over on swords. Lin Ran scanned with his divine sense and shouted anxiously, ¡°Send them back! Otherwise, it¡¯ll be troublesome!¡± Chapter 234 - 234 Temporary Teammates, Common Goal 234 Temporary Teammates, Common Goal It had been a long time since the two of them last met in Lotus Town. Instead of exchanging pleasantries, Lin Ran gave an order as soon as he spoke, which caught Shen Rulin off guard. In the blink of an eye, the ten white-armored soldiers arrived. Lin Ran was put on the spot. His eyes lit up, and in an instant, an extremely surging sword intent surged out! ¡°Lin Ran! What are you doing?!¡± Sensing Lin Ran¡¯s sword intent, Shen Rulin¡¯s expression changed drastically. He subconsciously placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and was about to attack when he realized that Lin Ran¡¯s target was not him, but the ten white-armored soldiers behind him! Clang¡ª Ten condensed sword energy tore through the sky like an arrow leaving the bow, instantly knocking the ten people down. Shen Rulin¡¯s expression darkened and he was about to question when he saw that Lin Ran had already put away his sword. He couldn¡¯t help but ask in confusion, ¡°Why did you attack my subordinates for no reason?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just knocked them out for the time being.¡± Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief and pointed at the dark cloud above. ¡°These dark clouds are condensed from countless killing intent and evil aura. Their cultivation is too low. If they barge in rashly, their minds will probably be corrupted. At that time, we will have to kill them.¡± Shen Rulin looked up at the dark clouds above. He was not as meticulous as Lin Ran, but he could tell that these dark clouds were thick and unnatural. In addition, Lin Ran did not unsheathe his sword, so Shen Rulin was not on guard. After a pause, he continued to ask, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already escaped back to the Great Yong Dynasty, why did you come back? Does the emperor of Great Yong have something planned?¡± ¡°Escaped back to The Great Yong Dynasty?¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before he understood what Shen Rulin meant. He forced a smile and said helplessly, ¡°Are you talking about me being under arrest?¡± Shen Rulin nodded. Lin Ran said, ¡°That was a misunderstanding. His Majesty has already returned to the palace and removed the arrest warrant on me. You¡¯ll probably receive the news soon.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Shen Rulin looked suspicious. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Lin Ran was speechless for a moment before he suddenly smiled. ¡°Does it matter if you believe me or not?¡± Shen Rulin was stunned for a moment before he smiled. Lin Ran was much stronger than him. Even if his father, the commander of the Golden Guards, was here, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to Lin Ran. The two of them smiled for a moment before Shen Rulin suddenly thought of something. He looked up at the thick dark clouds and asked, ¡°You just said that if someone with too low a cultivation barged in there, they would be corrupted by the killing intent and evil aura?¡± Lin Ran nodded. Shen Rulin asked again, ¡°What will happen if one is corrupted?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lin Ran shook his head honestly. ¡°However, since this dark cloud is condensed from killing intent and evil aura, I¡¯m certain that it will drive people insane.¡± Hearing this, Shen Rulin¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn. ¡°Seventy-two of my people went in.¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran¡¯s expression began to turn solemn. Although he didn¡¯t want to think that way, the 72 people were probably dead. The two of them looked at each other in silence for a moment. Lin Ran changed the topic and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back first?¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran glanced at the hill where the ten white-armored soldiers he had knocked out were lying. ¡°It¡¯s not safe for them to stay here. Someone needs to bring them back.¡± Shen Rulin also looked at the ten people, but after hesitating for a moment, he shook his head firmly. ¡°Someone will take care of them. I¡¯ll go in with you. I want to take my people back.¡± Lin Ran looked troubled. If the 72 people had already been infected by the evil aura, they would probably be dead by now. Seeing Shen Rulin¡¯s determined expression, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t bring himself to tell him the cruel truth. He only nodded and forced a smile. ¡°Then let¡¯s go together. It¡¯s easy to get lost. You have to follow me closely.¡± Shen Rulin didn¡¯t say anything. He just took out a small bamboo tube from his waist. It was about the size of an index finger. One end was sealed with yellow mud, and the other end was tied with a thin rope. He grabbed the rope and pulled hard. The mud seal on the other end exploded softly and began to emit a thick yellow smoke. Then, Shen Rulin threw the smoking bamboo tube beside the ten white-armored soldiers and looked at Lin Ran as he explained, ¡°When the people at the foot of the mountain see the signal, they¡¯ll come up and bring them back. This distance shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?¡± Lin Ran looked at the dark clouds above his head and then at the ten people. After thinking for a moment, he said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s still dangerous. Why don¡¯t we wait here?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Shen Rulin shook his head and took out another bamboo tube. However, when he pulled it open this time, red smoke came out. ¡°Red means danger. Yellow means reinforcement.¡± Shen Rulin threw out the bamboo tube and explained, ¡°In addition, there are three more colors: white, green, and black. White means that the situation is unknown and requires time to investigate. Green means that the coast is clear.¡± ¡°The Golden Guards really have a lot of gadgets!¡± Lin Ran asked, ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t there also black color? What does black mean?¡± ¡°Dangerous. Do not enter.¡± Shen Rulin replied in a low voice, his eyes subconsciously drifting to the thick black cloud above his head. Lin Ran followed his gaze and looked up. His expression changed slightly. The two of them were silent for a moment before Lin Ran persuaded, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to come.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Shen Rulin nodded and unsheathed the sword at his waist. ¡°So can we set off now?¡± Lin Ran forced a smile. Then, he turned around and walked into the dark clouds without hesitation. As soon as he entered the dark clouds, Lin Ran felt cold. Unlike the dampness of the clouds high in the sky or the coldness in the winter, the ¡°coldness¡± in the dark clouds was not strong, but even if Lin Ran activated his internal energy to ward off it, he could still feel his body temperature slowly decreasing. ¡°This place is indeed a little strange.¡± Shen Rulin¡¯s voice sounded from behind. Lin Ran subconsciously turned around and realized that Shen Rulin¡¯s face was gloomy and dark. ¡°Stay focused!¡± Lin Ran reminded him before walking up the hill to the top. ¡°No matter what you find, don¡¯t be rash. This place is strange. We have to advance and retreat together.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a child,¡± Shen Rulin replied softly. Lin Ran¡¯s expression suddenly changed because this voice came from in front of him! Chapter 235 - 235 Shadow in the Fog, Dont Trust Your Eyes 235 Shadow in the Fog, Don¡¯t Trust Your Eyes Just a few seconds ago, Lin Ran remembered that Shen Rulin was still walking behind him. More importantly, Lin Ran was very sure that no one had passed by him. How did Shen Rulin get ahead of him? Puzzled, Lin Ran frowned and looked ahead. He realized that in the thick clouds in front of him, he could vaguely see a blurry figure wearing white armor about twenty steps away. Lin Ran thought that Shen Rulin had taken a few leaps forward while he was absent-minded. ¡°You are really impatient.¡± Lin Ran muttered softly and quickly caught up with the figure. ¡°I know you¡¯re anxious, but this place is filled with danger. If you run around like this, you¡¯ll get yourself killed!¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran had already reached the figure and reached out to pat his shoulder, but he missed. Lin Ran could clearly see that his hand was on the other party¡¯s shoulder, but he felt nothing on his palm. Before he could react, the figure dissipated like the morning fog. At the same time, Shen Rulin¡¯s voice sounded from behind Lin Ran. ¡°You said I ran around, but why are you faster than me?¡± Hearing the voice, Lin Ran subconsciously turned around and saw Shen Rulin standing a few steps behind him, frowning at him in confusion. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. He asked in confusion, ¡°Were you behind me all this time?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shen Rulin said with a frown, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to follow you closely?¡± Lin Ran rubbed his nose and pointed at the spot where the white figure dissipated. ¡°Did you see someone over there just now?¡± Shen Rulin shook his head in confusion. ¡°I only heard you mutter something and run over. If I didn¡¯t catch up with you, we would have been separated.¡± ¡°You really didn¡¯t see it?¡± Lin Ran looked suspicious. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe Shen Rulin, but he should be able to see the figure since he was about the same distance away from the figure as Lin Ran. Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s suspicious expression, Shen Rulin knew that something must have happened. He asked in a low voice, ¡°What did you see just now?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t hesitate and explained the situation in detail. Then, he asked Shen Rulin, again ¡°Did you really not see that figure just now?¡± Shen Rulin shook his head. ¡°Could the figure be one of my people? I told you earlier that more than 70 Golden Guards have entered.¡± ¡°Unlikely.¡± Lin Ran shook his head without thinking. ¡°Putting aside how fast that figure dissipated, if that person really exists, it¡¯s impossible for you not to see him.¡± Lin Ran deliberately emphasized the word ¡°exist¡± because he was not sure if the figure was just a shadow. Shen Rulin immediately understood what Lin Ran meant. He frowned and didn¡¯t say anything. It was obvious that he couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on either. The two of them were silent for a while. Lin Ran clapped his hands and said seriously, ¡°Let¡¯s not think about this for now. Saving people is more important. Let¡¯s go to the top first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shen Rulin agreed and suddenly felt a little strange. ¡°By the way, you said that you wanted to go to the mountaintop. Can you tell me why?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s a long story.¡± Lin Ran looked troubled because there were too many secrets involved. Although the existence of the Five Elements Imperial Guards was also a secret, he didn¡¯t know how much Shen Rulin knew about this place, so he didn¡¯t want to reveal too much. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran explained as simply as possible, ¡°There¡¯s a secret stone room at the top of Mount Sword. It¡¯s very likely that this evil aura and killing intent came from there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I have to go there to take a look first. If I can get rid of these dark clouds, it will be much easier to save people.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shen Rulin nodded in realization, but the confusion in his eyes did not decrease at all. ¡°But Mount Sword is the holy land of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Why is there so much evil aura and killing intent?¡± Lin Ran was speechless for a moment. In the end, he said helplessly, ¡°Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask!¡± Shen Rulin was not angry at all. He only nodded to show that he understood. Lin Ran took a few more steps forward. Suddenly, he thought of something and turned around to ask, ¡°By the way, did you bring a rope?¡± Shen Rulin was stunned for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°Why do I need a rope? If you want to climb somewhere, I can hold you up.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s gaze landed on the cloak Shen Rulin was wearing. The armor of the Golden Guards was almost the same, so most commanders would add a cloak to show their rank. It was unknown what material Shen Rulin¡¯s cloak was made of, but it was soft and elastic and could be used as a rope. Seeing Lin Ran looking at his cloak, Shen Rulin understood. He sighed and took off the cloak and threw it into the air. Then, the sword in his hand slashed out a few cold lights, and the cloak was evenly cut into more than ten cloth strips. ¡°Thank you for being so generous, Deputy Commander Shen!¡± Lin Ran caught the cloth strips and quickly tied them together. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take your cloak for nothing. After saving the people, I¡¯ll go back and ask His Majesty to reward you. When the time comes, His Majesty will give you a cloak made of gold!¡± ¡°Thank you! But forget about the gold cloak!¡± Soon, the two of them had a rope more than a hundred feet long. Lin Ran handed one end to Shen Rulin and tied the other end to his belt. ¡°No matter what you see later, ignore it.¡± Shen Rulin agreed and tied the rope to his belt. After making sure that it was secure, the two of them continued walking towards the top of the mountain. As they walked, Shen Rulin suddenly asked. ¡°Lin Ran, did you hear anything strange?¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran subconsciously pricked up his ears and heard a rustling sound. However, he ignored it because Shen Rulin¡¯s voice came from his right, while the rope at his waist extended into the clouds behind him. The person who spoke was not Shen Rulin. Chapter 236 - 236 The Wounded Teammate 236 The Wounded Teammate Although he knew that the voice was an illusion, Lin Ran still tugged at the rope at his waist out of caution. ¡°Deputy Commander Shen? Are you still there?¡± ¡°We¡¯re tied together now. Where else can I go?¡± Shen Rulin¡¯s voice came from behind him. Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief, but he felt a little strange. At this moment, the distance between the two of them was only about 20 feet. Logically speaking, they could see each other, but when Lin Ran looked behind him, there was only a blurry black fog. Recalling what he had just experienced, Lin Ran looked in the direction of the voice on the right. There was indeed a blurry white figure slowly moving. Clang¡ª The Yin-Yang Sword slashed out a cold light. The sword energy stirred the black fog and split the white figure into two. Almost at the same time, Lin Ran saw Shen Rulin appear from the corner of his eye. As if hearing Lin Ran draw his sword, Shen Rulin asked softly, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. The illusion is back.¡± Lin Ran replied casually, ¡°It¡¯s quite interesting. I couldn¡¯t see you the moment the illusion appeared, but after I destroyed the illusion, I could immediately see you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shen Rulin asked in surprise, his tone clearly puzzled. ¡°I think something else is more interesting. You¡¯ve already encountered two illusions, but I haven¡¯t encountered one yet!¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat as something dawned on him. Most likely, the illusion was there to corrupt one¡¯s mind. However, Lin Ran¡¯s cultivation was much higher than Shen Rulin¡¯s. Logically speaking, Shen Rulin should be the one being targeted. Why were there endless illusions targeting him? Lin Ran voiced his doubts, but Shen Rulin had no clue. The two of them discussed for a long time but to no avail. As they spoke, the two of them were about to reach the top of the mountain. During this time, Lin Ran encountered two more illusions. As soon as the illusion opened its mouth, he slashed out and killed it. Soon, the slope under their feet became flatter. Lin Ran looked around and said, ¡°We¡¯re almost at the top of the mountain. Let¡¯s rest for a while. Then, I¡¯ll take you to the cave.¡± Shen Rulin nodded and paused for a moment before asking in confusion, ¡°We¡¯re in a black cloud. Once we reach the top of the mountain, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to tell north from south. Are you sure you can find that cave entrance?¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he smiled proudly. ¡°I¡¯ve guarded Mount Sword for six years and know every nook and cranny here. Even by looking at the stones on the ground, I can tell exactly where we are!¡± ¡°Lord Lin, you¡¯re indeed capable!¡± Shen Rulin¡¯s voice sounded Lin Ran instantly realized that something was wrong. He looked up and saw that the voice was coming from another direction. ¡°The illusion is here again!¡± Lin Ran casually slashed out a sword energy at the illusion, but this time, the illusion did not dissipate immediately. Instead, blood splattered! ¡°What the hell?!¡± Lin Ran exclaimed. His first thought was that he had accidentally hurt Shen Rulin, but when he looked down at the rope at his belt, he saw that Shen Rulin was clearly not in that direction! In just a short while, the strong smell of blood had already wafted over. Shen Rulin immediately became vigilant. He followed the rope to Lin Ran¡¯s side and asked in a low voice, ¡°What happened? Why do I smell blood?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I think I killed the wrong person¡­¡± Lin Ran explained the situation awkwardly and walked in that direction with Shen Rulin. The illusion was only twenty steps away from the two of them. Soon, the two of them arrived. The embarrassment on Lin Ran¡¯s face was even more obvious because the person lying on the ground was not an illusion at all, but a soldier from the Golden Guards in white armor! This soldier had clearly fought a tough battle. The armor on his body was already tattered and there were countless deep and shallow wounds on his body. However, the most serious one was the wound on his back that ran from his left waist to his right shoulder. His bones could even be seen in the deepest part of the wound! Fortunately, Lin Ran only intended to disperse the illusion, so he did not use his full strength. Although this soldier was seriously injured, his life was not in danger for the time being. ¡°It¡¯s Zhao Ziming.¡± After Shen Rulin took off the person¡¯s bandana, he immediately recognized him. ¡°He came in with the third team. Why is he here?¡± As he spoke, Shen Rulin took out a bottle of medicinal powder and sprinkled it evenly on Zhao Ziming¡¯s wound. The thin layer of medical powder stopped the bleeding almost instantly. Lin Ran felt sorry for hurting Zhao Ziming, so while Shen Rulin was bandaging Zhao Ziming, he placed his hand on Zhao Ziming¡¯s body and transferred some internal energy into him. With his pure internal energy, Zhao Ziming¡¯s pale face immediately improved a lot, but he probably wouldn¡¯t wake up for the time being. Lin Ran looked at the worried Shen Rulin. ¡°What did you mean when you said that he shouldn¡¯t be here? Do your people have different tasks?¡± Shen Rulin nodded. ¡°When the situation is unclear, we¡¯ll try all kinds of routes. The third team¡¯s mission is to enter from the north, circle around the mountain, and retreat from the south. Along the way, we¡¯ll try our best to gather as much information as possible. The mountaintop is the search area of the sixth team. He shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± Lin Ran nodded in realization. ¡°It seems that he was affected by the killing intent here.¡± Shen Rulin sighed heavily and did not say anything. His expression had already turned solemn. Zhao Ziming was covered in wounds, but there was no one on the top of Mount Sword. In other words, the ones attacking him could only be the Golden Guards from the same team or other teams. Just like Lin Ran had said before, these people were affected by the evil aura here and started killing indiscriminately. Seeing Shen Rulin¡¯s worried expression, Lin Ran knew what he was thinking. He wanted to comfort him, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. In the end, he could only sigh. ¡°Maybe the actual situation is not as bad as we think.¡± Lin Ran said in a low voice. Actually, even he didn¡¯t believe what he just said. Shen Rulin forced a smile. Just as he was about to say something, Zhao Ziming suddenly coughed a few times and stood up! ¡°Ziming, you¡­¡± Shen Rulin was about to step forward when Lin Ran stopped him. ¡°Step back. He looks a little strange.¡± Only then did Shen Rulin realize that although Zhao Ziming had stood up, his eyes were still closed. He stood there shakily, as if he was sleepwalking. Chapter 237 - 237 Sleepwalking? Strange Guide 237 Sleepwalking? Strange Guide Zhao Ziming stood rooted to the ground, swaying. Other than that, he did not do anything else. Shen Rulin observed for a moment and asked Lin Ran softly, ¡°Is he affected by the evil aura?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I don¡¯t think so.¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°Anyone affected by the evil aura will have a strong desire to kill and behave aggressively. At least from his current behavior, I don¡¯t sense any danger.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the swaying Zhao Ziming suddenly stabilized and turned to look at Lin Ran and Shen Rulin. The two of them immediately became vigilant. Shen Rulin drew his sword and asked Lin Ran softly, ¡°Is this considered aggressive?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything, but there was a hint of hesitation on his face. At this moment, Zhao Ziming¡¯s eyes were still closed and he did not emit any dangerous aura. Other than the fact that he was facing the two of them, he did not look dangerous. After hesitating for a moment, Lin Ran frowned and said softly, ¡°If the enemy doesn¡¯t move, we won¡¯t.¡± The moment Lin Ran finished speaking, Zhao Ziming suddenly jerked. Then, he raised his right foot stiffly and walked towards the two of them! Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed. ¡°This¡­ Oh!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Shen Rulin covered Lin Ran¡¯s mouth and whispered, ¡°Ever since we went up the mountain, your words haven¡¯t been accurate!¡± Lin Ran thought about it and realized that it was true. He immediately looked embarrassed. In the blink of an eye, Zhao Ziming was already in front of the two of them, but he continued walking stiffly as if he did not see Lin Ran and Shen Rulin. The two of them were standing on Zhao Ziming¡¯s path. When they saw this scene, they looked at each other and took half a step back. Zhao Ziming walked straight past the two of them and continued walking on the gravel stiffly. Lin Ran frowned and looked at Shen Rulin. ¡°Does he usually sleepwalk?¡± Shen Rulin shook his head without thinking. ¡°The Five Elements Imperial Guards don¡¯t even talk in their sleep. Otherwise, they¡¯ll easily leak the secret.¡± Lin Ran nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Then he¡ªor the person who controls him¡ªwants to take us somewhere¡­ Why don¡¯t we go and take a look?¡± Shen Rulin wanted to refuse, but firstly, he was worried about Zhao Ziming, and secondly, they really had no clue what to do now, so he nodded in the end. The two of them shortened the rope between them. Then, they quietly followed. However, to Lin Ran and Shen Rulin¡¯s surprise, they walked for more than an hour. This was mainly because Zhao Ziming¡¯s movements were too stiff, so he walked very slowly. Sometimes, he would fall and couldn¡¯t get back up, so the two of them had to help him up. Every time this happened, Zhao Ziming would linger on the spot for a few minutes before continuing forward, as if he had lost his way. During this period, Lin Ran saw a few more illusions. However, having learned his lesson, Lin Ran did not attack rashly. Instead, he went with Shen Rulin to check. They thought that they could find a few more Golden Guards, but in the end, he realized that it was just an illusion. After walking slowly for an hour, Shen Rulin was clearly a little impatient. He tugged at the rope and said softly, ¡°We can¡¯t continue like this. Aren¡¯t you very familiar with this place? Can you guess where he wants to go?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯ve already tried.¡± Lin Ran yawned and said helplessly, ¡°His direction has been changing. When we found him, he was on the north slope, so at first, I thought he was going to the south slope.¡± ¡°But just as he was about to reach the south slope, he suddenly changed direction and walked down the mountain. Just as I thought he was going down, he took a diagonal path to the top.¡± ¡°This can¡¯t go on.¡± Shen Rulin sighed and said seriously, ¡°He¡¯s seriously injured. If we continue, his injuries might worsen. Besides, we don¡¯t have time.¡± Lin Ran nodded and was about to speak when he suddenly realized that Zhao Ziming, who was walking in front, was standing still. This had happened a few times before when he fell or was blocked by a boulder. Lin Ran went over to help with Shen Rulin, but when the two of them approached, they realized that Zhao Ziming was standing on flat ground. There was nothing that could block him. The two of them looked at each other. Shen Rulin probed, ¡°Is this where he wants to come?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Lin Ran nodded, but he looked confused. Through the surrounding scenery, Lin Ran knew that they were on the west slope of Mount Sword¡¯s main peak. This place was about 200 feet away from the top of the mountain. A hundred steps ahead was a small cliff, and at the bottom of the cliff was the cave where the Ten Miles Sword God was in seclusion back then. However, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t think of anything special about this place. Lin Ran quickly untied a few knots, and the two of them expanded their range of movement from five steps to a hundred feet. Although they had no clue, they still carefully checked the surroundings. In the end, the two of them came back to their original place. As if they had practiced it beforehand, they shrugged at the same time. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Could it be a coincidence?¡± Shen Rulin looked at Zhao Ziming and said, ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just tired from walking and wants to rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be awkward if that was the case.¡± Lin Ran replied with a smile. At the same time, he knew that it was impossible because Zhao Ziming was clearly still in a deep coma. Although he didn¡¯t know why Zhao Ziming could walk around freely, Zhao Ziming definitely couldn¡¯t feel tired at this moment. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran came up with an idea. He carried Zhao Ziming and walked for more than ten steps before putting him down. He saw Zhao Ziming pacing back and forth on the spot for a moment before walking back to the spot where he was just now. After that, Lin Ran tried a few more times, but it was the same. The two of them frowned and looked at each other. Then, their gazes landed on the ground where Zhao Ziming was. Lin Ran was the first to speak. ¡°There¡¯s a problem!¡± Shen Rulin nodded with agreement. He drew his sword and shouted in a low voice, ¡°Dig it up!¡± Chapter 238 - 238 Under the Ground, Undercurrents Surging 238 Under the Ground, Undercurrents Surging Because Zhao Ziming was standing there ¡°obstinately¡±, Lin Ran had no choice but to tie him to the side for the time being. Then, he dug a hole on the ground with Shen Rulin. The two of them did not know what was down there, so they could only dig down slowly with their hands. Fortunately, the gravel here was not small. The two of them worked together and quickly dug a huge pit more than five feet deep. Soon, an entire pitch-black rock was revealed at the bottom of the pit. Shen Rulin clapped his hands and stood up with a puzzled expression. ¡°There¡¯s nothing down there. Are we really thinking too much?¡± Lin Ran looked at the bottom of the pit and didn¡¯t say anything. Logically speaking, since Zhao Ziming was so obsessed with this place, there must be something strange going on down there. However, they did not find anything. This was really abnormal. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± An idea suddenly struck Lin Ran. After getting Shen Rulin to move away, Lin Ran summoned the Yin-Yang Sword and stabbed at the bottom of the pit! Clang¡ª The sharp blade being unsheathed sounded out of thin air. In an instant, thousands of sword energy swept out! With a loud bang, gravel of all sizes flew everywhere like raindrops. The size of the pit instantly doubled! ¡°What are you doing!¡± Shen Rulin exclaimed, ¡°If there¡¯s something hidden below, it¡¯ll all be destroyed by your sword!¡± ¡°Without my sword, we might not have been able to find what¡¯s underneath!¡± Lin Ran sneered and held the Yin-Yang Sword, sweeping out another wave of sword energy. However, this wave of sword energy was much gentler than before. As it flew up and down, it blew away the dust that surged up. The huge pit was revealed in front of the two of them again, and at the bottom of the pit that seemed to be one with the mountain, a black cave entrance actually appeared! The cave entrance was about three feet wide. Other than the fact that the entrance was a little rough, the inside was obviously well-carved. Seeing this, Shen Rulin¡¯s expression changed slightly. He asked in confusion, ¡°Why is this cave carved out from inside the mountain? Did someone dig it from the inside out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that.¡± Lin Ran replied softly with a faint smile. If not for the sake of confidentiality, he really wanted to tell Shen Rulin that the main peak of Mount Sword itself was a huge machine-like thing. Thinking of this, Lin Ran suddenly felt his heart tighten. Since the other party had lured them here using Zhao Ziming, the person must want them to discover this cave entrance. Then, this person must know the inside story. However, only Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun knew that there was a mechanism in Mount Sword, but Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t have the ability to control others. ¡°Could it be that Xiao Huai is already awake?¡± Lin Ran had this guess because he remembered that Xiao Huai could indeed control other people¡¯s thoughts and movements. However, if it was really Xiao Huai, this dark cloud should be mixed with the evil aura of Xiao Huai. However, Lin Ran had been here for so long, but he didn¡¯t sense Xiao Huai¡¯s evil aura. Just as Lin Ran was thinking hard about it, Shen Rulin suddenly asked, ¡°What are you thinking about? You look like you¡¯re in pain.¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Lin Ran forced a smile and looked at the dark cave entrance at the bottom of the pit. ¡°If we go down from here, we¡¯ll reach a place called Sword Grave. It¡¯s not too dangerous, but it¡¯s not safe either. Wait for me up there, okay?¡± Shen Rulin listened expressionlessly until he heard Lin Ran ask him to stay up here. He frowned and said unhappily, ¡°What do you mean? Do you think I¡¯m afraid of death?¡± Lin Ran waved his hand. ¡°The situation down there is indeed a little complicated. Besides, he still needs someone to take care of him, right?¡± Shen Rulin turned around and looked at Zhao Ziming. Even though he was tied up, he was still struggling stiffly, as if he wanted to crawl into the cave entrance at the bottom of the pit. Lin Ran looked at Shen Rulin. Just as he was wondering if he should knock this guy out, he suddenly heard a rustling sound. The sound was like something crawling on a rock. Lin Ran thought that it was an illusion, so he didn¡¯t take it seriously, but he realized that Shen Rulin was listening carefully with his eyes closed. ¡°You heard it too?¡± Lin Ran asked in surprise. As he spoke, he pricked up his ears and listened carefully. ¡°The sound seems to be coming from here.¡± Shen Rulin pointed at the cave entrance at the bottom of the pit. ¡°It¡¯s getting closer and closer. Something seems to be coming out.¡± Lin Ran nodded and was about to speak when he suddenly felt that this sound was a little familiar. It was as if he had heard this rustling sound before. ¡°Could it be that it¡¯s not an illusion?¡± In just a short while, the rustling sound had already become much louder. In the beginning, Lin Ran had to hold his breath to hear it faintly, but now, he could hear it clearly. Lin Ran and Shen Rulin looked at each other and stood up at the same time to leave the pit. No matter if the thing inside was friend or foe, it wasn¡¯t wrong to keep a certain distance. ¡°If you want to leave, you¡¯d better leave as soon as possible.¡± Lin Ran held the Yin-Yang Sword and said softly, ¡°If a fight breaks out, I can¡¯t guarantee that I can keep you safe.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Shen Rulin replied in a low voice. As he spoke, he untied the rope around his waist to prevent the two of them from becoming each other¡¯s burden. Seeing that Shen Rulin was determined to stay, Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything else. He closed his eyes and sent a wisp of divine sense into the dark cave. At this moment, the rustling suddenly stopped, as if something inside had discovered Lin Ran¡¯s divine sense. Shen Rulin¡¯s expression changed slightly. Then, he saw Lin Ran suddenly open his eyes and jump into the cave without hesitation! ¡°Lin Ran.¡± Shen Rulin shouted and hurriedly followed. Just as he jumped into the cave, he felt the surrounding light suddenly dim. At the same time, a cold light slashed at his throat! Chapter 239 - 239 Go on Undeterred by the Dangers Ahead 239 Go on Undeterred by the Dangers Ahead Shen Rulin felt his hair stand on end! However, Shen Rulin was the deputy general of the Five Elements Imperial Guards after all. At the critical moment, even if his mind was blank, he still instinctively drew his sword to block. However, to Shen Rulin¡¯s surprise, his sword blocked nothing. He was very sure that the cold light was charging at him, but he felt no impact on the sword. The cold light passed through his sword like a phantom and swept across his neck. Strangely, he did not feel any pain, but a little cold. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Shen Rulin was puzzled. Almost at the same time, three more cold lights swept towards him! Seeing this, Shen Rulin hurriedly lifted his sword to block again, but there was still nothing. ¡°You are quite fast!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s voice sounded from behind. At the same time, a reddish orange light dissipated the surrounding darkness. Shen Rulin turned around and saw Lin Ran standing five steps behind him. There were several burning sword energies circling around him. Seeing the burning sword energy, Shen Rulin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is the Five Elements Sword Technique? Why do you know this?¡± ¡°I used to be a mountain guardian of Mount Sword. Every year, I have to use the Five Elements Sword Technique to reinforce the seal on the mountaintop.¡± Lin Ran chuckled and replied casually, ¡°Speaking of which, I didn¡¯t expect you to react so quickly. I really underestimated you in the past.¡± ¡°In the Five Elements Imperial Guards, we are all trained to react as fast as possible!¡± Now that he saw Lin Ran, Shen Rulin realized that Lin Ran was just testing him. As if sensing a hostility coming out of Shen Rulin, Lin Ran smiled and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. This is just a small test. If you can¡¯t even react quickly, I¡¯ll really leave you behind.¡± Shen Rulin frowned slightly. ¡°In that case¡­ Do you know what that cold light is?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s a kind of sword intent.¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and explained, ¡°When the sword intent is condensed to a certain extent, it will appear in a specific environment, just like a ghost. However, this sword intent is only superficial and is harmless to humans. Hearing this, Shen Rulin immediately recalled the feeling of being struck by the cold light on his neck just now. Other than feeling a little cold, he really felt nothing. However, even though he understood this, the vigilance in Shen Rulin¡¯s eyes did not disappear. He continued to stare at Lin Ran and asked, ¡°Since there¡¯s no danger, why did you test my reaction speed?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m afraid of the tragedy happening again.¡± Lin Ran pointed up with a finger. ¡°Previously, I was confused by those illusions, so I accidentally injured Zhao Ziming. I hope that if the same thing happens again, you can dodge it in time.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Shen Rulin nodded and put down his guard. Then, he smiled apologetically at Lin Ran. ¡°I can¡¯t work together with someone I don¡¯t trust, so I asked you a few more questions just now. Please forgive me for being rude.¡± Lin Ran smiled and was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed. A fire sword energy suddenly flew towards Shen Rulin! However, Shen Rulin was not on guard at all. He turned around with the fire sword energy and saw a cold light flash in the darkness behind him. Almost at the same time as he turned around, the cold light collided with the fire sword energy! As expected, the fire sword energy missed the target and circled back to Lin Ran. The cold light swept across Shen Rulin like a cold wind in late autumn. ¡°You are also quite brave.¡± Lin Ran praised again, but Shen Rulin didn¡¯t say anything. He frowned and looked at the darkness around him, his eyes filled with confusion. When the fire sword energy flew past just now, he also used the light of the fire to observe where he was. At first, Shen Rulin thought that this should be a cave or stone room. In short, the space was not especially spacious. However, at a glance, he realized that this place was much larger than he had imagined. Although this surprised him, it was not strange. What was really strange was the cave entrance above his head. When Shen Rulin jumped down just now, he felt that he had only fallen about ten feet. However, when he observed his surroundings, he realized that the three-foot-wide cave entrance had become the size of a palm. Was this place that deep? As he thought to himself, Shen Rulin recalled the process of falling again. Although he could not pinpoint the depth of this cave, he was certain that it was definitely not more than twenty feet. In other words¡­ ¡°Lin Ran.¡± Shen Rulin shouted in a low voice, his expression suddenly turning solemn. ¡°We have to leave this place immediately! This place is strange. The stone here seems to be able to move on its own!¡± Lin Ran was confused. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Shen Rulin pointed at the cave entrance above and said anxiously, ¡°This place is less than 20 feet from the ground. That entrance is definitely not so small. The only possibility is that it has moved!¡± Lin Ran looked up. At this moment, the entrance was no longer as big as a fist, but he was not anxious at all. Instead, he looked helpless. ¡°The stone is not moving, but we are.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he raised his finger, and a few fire sword energies spiraled up. The flames swept all the way to the entrance of the cave. Only then did Shen Rulin realize that they were already more than 100 feet away from the entrance! Seeing this, Shen Rulin was puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Could it be that this cave can move?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s pretty much it.¡± Lin Ran nodded with a strange expression. Before Shen Rulin could ask further, he said, ¡°It¡¯s very complicated, so don¡¯t ask. In short, if you want to save your people, come with me.¡± Shen Rulin hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Can I find the other brothers of the Golden Guards if I follow you?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lin Ran was speechless. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know where your brothers are or even if they¡¯re still alive, but if we can solve the problem at the root, at least we can prevent more people from missing.¡± If it were anyone else, Lin Ran would definitely not tell the truth. However, Shen Rulin was a martial artist, so Lin Ran believed that he could understand. As expected, when Shen Rulin heard this, he looked disappointed only for a moment. Then, he looked at Lin Ran and asked seriously, ¡°Tell me, what should I do?¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Lin Ran shrugged and replied helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen next.¡± ¡°But if I¡¯m not wrong, as long as we wait patiently for a while, we¡¯ll see the person hiding in the dark since he is the one who controls Zhao Ziming to guide us here.¡± Chapter 240 - 240 Huge Underground Space 240 Huge Underground Space Seeing how confident Lin Ran was, Shen Rulin calmed down and waited quietly. Of course, this was mainly because he really didn¡¯t have any other choice. After deciding to wait, the surrounding fell silent. Lin Ran sat cross-legged and meditated. A few fire sword energies circled around him like butterflies. Shen Rulin stood at the side with his hand on the hilt of his sword, scanning the surrounding darkness warily, even though he couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°Take a break.¡± After a long while, Lin Ran closed his eyes and said, ¡°At our current speed, we¡¯ll reach the foot of the mountain in about fifteen minutes. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°How do you know we¡¯ll definitely reach the foot of the mountain?¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything else. The surrounding fell silent again. As if feeling that the atmosphere was a little awkward, Shen Rulin thought for a moment and asked, ¡°I haven¡¯t asked you¡­ Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to save someone.¡± Lin Ran replied with his eyes closed, ¡°I have two friends recuperating in this mountain. When I heard that there was a phenomenon here, I rushed over immediately.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Shen Rulin nodded thoughtfully. Previously, he had always been curious why Lin Ran, who could easily flatten the mountain with a strike, wanted to run around with him. Now that he thought about it, Lin Ran was probably worried that he would accidentally hurt his companions in the mountains. Fortunately, Lin Ran wasn¡¯t rash. Otherwise, all the Golden Guards would really be dead. Even now, Shen Rulin still did not give up on saving his people. Or rather, he would never give up until he saw the corpses of those people. As he was thinking, he suddenly heard a soft sound in the darkness. It sounded like gravel rolling down the hill. Shen Rulin instantly became vigilant. Almost at the same time, two fire sword energies flashed in the direction of the sound! ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Only then did Shen Rulin realize that Lin Ran was already standing beside him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it would take another fifteen minutes?¡± Shen Rulin asked softly, his tone filled with confusion. ¡°It seems that there are more secrets in this mountain than I know.¡± As he spoke, the Yin-Yang Sword appeared in his hand. His sharp eyes were fixed on the two fire sword energies, and his voice was filled with vigilance. ¡°When we first came down, was this place so big?¡± At first, Shen Rulin was confused. Seeing the two fire sword energies fly further and further away in the darkness, his expression gradually turned ugly. Previously, he had used the light of the fire to size up this place. It looked like an underground secret room. Because they were descending, he did not pay attention to the exact height, but the width and length here were only about a hundred steps. However, as the two of them spoke, the two fire sword energies had already swept a thousand steps away, like two stars flickering in the darkness. When they first came down, this place was definitely not so spacious! ¡°There¡¯s a problem!¡± Shen Rulin subconsciously shouted in a low voice. His voice was still lingering in the air when he heard a soft sound coming from the darkness in the distance. Then, the two fire sword energies were instantly swallowed by the darkness! ¡°What happened?¡± Shen Rulin immediately looked at Lin Ran. ¡°Why did you put out the sword energy?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it!¡± His face pale as he said, ¡°The sword energy was dispersed. There¡¯s something there!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran suddenly raised the Yin-Yang Sword and slashed out. In an instant, hundreds of fire sword energy surged out. The thick darkness was dispersed, revealing a large amount of starlight in the distant darkness. Shen Rulin took a closer look and his expression changed drastically. The flickering starlight was all condensed sword energy that was roaring at them! ¡­ Outside Mount Sword. An elegant white carriage stopped in the middle of the road. Four white horses were leaning against each other as if they were resting. From time to time, they would shake their heads and snort. No matter how the wind howled in the mountain, the carriage was unmoved. Suddenly, the smooth curtain fluttered a few times, and a low voice sounded. ¡°Guard.¡± His voice was not loud, but it seemed to carry magic as it traveled far into the wilderness. In an instant, a white figure flashed forward and knelt on one knee. ¡°Commander, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡± The person in the carriage asked in a low voice. The white-armored guard hesitated for a moment before replying honestly, ¡°Commander, five-colored smoke was found on the mountain just now. We¡¯ve already brought back the ten people from Team Seven¡­ Deputy Commander Shen is missing.¡± The wind flew out from inside the carriage, but it instantly calmed down. ¡°Send another team in.¡± The white-armored guard hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°May I ask what the main mission of this team is?¡± ¡°Same as before. Gather information.¡± ¡°What about Deputy Commander Shen¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not for you to be concerned about. Do what you have to do.¡± The person in the carriage replied in a low voice. Then, as if having heard a command, the four white horses stood up and slowly walked towards the main peak of Mount Sword with steady footsteps. ¡­ In Mount Sword. The originally flat stone wall in the cave was covered in spiderweb-like patterns. Rocks of all sizes were scattered all over the ground, as if a huge battle had just happened here. Lin Ran and Shen Rulin sat back to back on the ground with a few wounds on their bodies. ¡°I owe you my life.¡± Shen Rulin panted heavily with a lingering fear on his face. If Lin Ran hadn¡¯t pulled him back just now, he would have died. Lin Ran waved his hand to show that it was alright. Then, he raised his hand and summoned the Thunderball Sword. ¡°This sword can increase your speed. Your speed is still slow.¡± Shen Rulin took it. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m also doing this to help myself.¡± Lin Ran glanced at Shen Rulin and said jokingly, ¡°It¡¯s unrealistic to let you go back now. If you become stronger, you can save me a lot of trouble.¡± These words were not pleasant to hear, but Shen Rulin only smiled instead of taking offense. Then, he looked up at the darkness in the distance and said warily, ¡°Did you see it clearly just now? What is that?¡± ¡°I saw it clearly. It¡¯s a person.¡± Lin Ran replied, his tone casual as if he was talking about an insignificant matter. Hearing that, Shen Rulin wasn¡¯t too worried, but if he saw Lin Ran¡¯s expression at this moment, he probably wouldn¡¯t think so. Chapter 241 - 241 Absolute Trust, Run into the Darkness 241 Absolute Trust, Run into the Darkness After a short rest, the two of them calmed down. Shen Rulin raised the Thunderball and looked at it for a moment. In an instant, countless small electric arcs jumped on the sword. ¡°Good sword!¡± Shen Rulin¡¯s eyes lit up as he praised sincerely. Lin Ran chuckled when he heard this. The original owner of the Thunderball was the only one who had been conferred the title of king after the founding of the dynasty. How could his sword be ordinary? However, Lin Ran didn¡¯t tell Shen Rulin this. Otherwise, it would make him seem like he was showing off. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran looked at Shen Rulin and asked, ¡°Do you still have that bamboo smoke?¡± ¡°Bamboo smoke?¡± Shen Rulin was stunned for a moment before he reacted. ¡°You mean five-colored smoke, right? I do have, but there¡¯s not much left. The Golden Guards are equipped with two smokes of each color.¡± As he spoke, Shen Rulin took out eight bamboo tubes from inside his armor. He had used one red and one yellow before, and the rest were here. Lin Ran grinned. ¡°It¡¯s quite useful. Why didn¡¯t you bring more?¡± ¡°I think this is quite enough.¡± Shen Rulin replied with a bitter expression, ¡°The Golden Guards are in charge of investigating and obtaining information. We¡¯re the easiest to encounter danger, so we¡¯re equipped with two bamboo tubes of every color. The other four imperial guards only have one of each color.¡± Lin Ran was speechless for a moment. He looked up at the cave entrance that was almost invisible. ¡°I heard that the Fire Guards and the Earth Guards are the strongest in terms of combat skills. Can we call them over with this?¡± Shen Rulin shook his head without thinking. ¡°Every color can only express a simple message. Your message is too complicated.¡± ¡°¡­Alright then.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and instructed, ¡°Set off two bamboo tubes of black color here. Make sure they can last long. You can do this, right?¡± ¡°I can, but¡­¡± Shen Rulin looked around with a strange expression. ¡°There¡¯s only the two of us here. Why do you want me to set off the bamboo tubes?¡± ¡°Someone will come.¡± Lin Ran pointed at the cave entrance above. ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen if we continue forward. Since we can¡¯t call the Fire Guards and the Earth Guards over, don¡¯t let anyone else come in to die.¡± When Shen Rulin heard this, his expression changed slightly. ¡°What do you mean? The Golden Guards are not weak either!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lin Ran chuckled and looked at the wound on Shen Rulin¡¯s shoulder. Shen Rulin was rendered speechless. When the two of them were attacked by the sword energy just now, if not for Lin Ran¡¯s fast reaction, he would have been dead already. Although Shen Rulin was only a deputy commander, his strength could be ranked in the top ten in the Golden Guards. If even he was in such a sorry state, it was obvious what would happen to the others when they entered. ¡°We¡¯ll do it your way.¡± Shen Rulin replied in a low voice. Then, he took out two bamboo tubes and set them up on the ground. He first built two platforms with some gravel. Under one of the platforms was a protruding stone, and a bamboo tube was placed on the platform above this stone. Then, Shen Rulin picked up another bamboo tube and tied a larger stone with the rope at the end. Then, he placed the stone on the first platform and placed the bamboo tube on the second platform beside it. ¡°Done!¡± Shen Rulin stood up and clapped his hands. ¡°After the first bamboo tube burns out, the bamboo tube¡¯s center of gravity will lean backward. It will fall and hit here¡ª¡± Shen Rulin pointed at the stone protruding from the bottom of the first platform. ¡°This way, the bamboo tube of the black color will last longer.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t quite understand, but seeing how confident Shen Rulin was, he didn¡¯t doubt it. He nodded and urged, ¡°Then let¡¯s begin!¡± Shen Rulin nodded and reached out to pull the trigger of the first bamboo tube. Soon, billowing black smoke came out from the other end. The thick black smoke was inconspicuous in this dark environment. It could still be seen clearly under the flames, but once it rose out of the range of the flames, it immediately fused with the surrounding darkness. Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but look worried. ¡°Who invented this thing? Didn¡¯t the inventor consider using it at night?¡± Shen Rulin was also a little embarrassed, but he still pretended to be calm and said, ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter if they can see the black smoke or not. If anyone comes down and sees these two bamboo tubes, they can also understand the message.¡± Lin Ran took a deep breath and turned to the direction where the sword energy came. ¡°Follow the fire. You have to trust me completely.¡± Before Shen Rulin could understand what he meant, Lin Ran¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared. At the same time, a few fire sword energies flew out and arrived 100 feet away in the blink of an eye! ¡°What speed!¡± Shen Rulin was shocked. He hurriedly activated the Thunderball and turned into a bolt of lightning to catch up with him. In the blink of an eye, he also appeared 100 feet away! At this moment, he was in absolute darkness. The only thing he could see was the flickering fire in the distance. With his current speed, if he took a sudden turn in the wrong direction, he would bang into the wall and kill himself! Only then did Shen Rulin understand what ¡°you have to trust me completely¡± meant. However, he barely knew Lin Ran. How could it be so easy to suddenly trust him completely? As soon as the doubt appeared, Shen Rulin couldn¡¯t help but slow down. However, in this moment of distraction, the fire was 100 feet further away from him and was almost invisible! Seeing this, Shen Rulin braced himself and muttered under his breath, ¡°So be it if I die.¡± Then, he focused his attention and circulated all his internal energy, instantly increasing his speed to the limit! At the same time, in the cave. A blurry white light suddenly illuminated the cave. Then, a unique white carriage slowly landed from the cave entrance. Click! The carriage landed with a soft sound, causing the first stone platform to collapse. The falling stones immediately lit up the second bamboo tube, and the black smoke that wafted out became stronger. The horses stopped on the spot as if they didn¡¯t know where to go. However, after only half a second, the four white horses raised their heads and let out a neigh in unison. They strode straight into the darkness! Chapter 242 - 242 A One in Three Chance 242 A One in Three Chance In the darkness. The sound of the wind was no longer very clear. Shen Rulin did not know how long or how far he had run, but he did not have the time to think about this. All his attention was on the flickering fire in front of him. Shen Rulin had never been so focused in his life. Under the guidance of his father, Shen Rulin had developed a cautious personality since he was young. Even when he was cultivating, he had to be aware of the surroundings. Lin Ran was too fast. As long as Shen Rulin was distracted for a moment, he would be left dozens of feet behind. He thought that he could catch up to Lin Ran with all his might, but the reality was that the distance between the two of them was getting wider and wider. ¡°The strength of a Half-Saint is indeed unfathomable!¡± Shen Rulin subconsciously thought to himself. Suddenly, he panicked, because he didn¡¯t know how far he was left behind in this moment of distraction. As he thought to himself, Shen Rulin hurriedly increased his speed, but he realized that the fire did not go further this time. Instead, he was getting closer and closer to it¡­ In the blink of an eye, the raging fire was already right in front of him. Shen Rulin came back to his senses and hurriedly slowed down. After stabilizing himself, Shen Rulin turned around and saw Lin Ran standing behind him, surrounded by a few fire sword energy. ¡°Why did you suddenly stop?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with this place.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes at Shen Rulin. ¡°Do you know how far we¡¯ve traveled?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Shen Rulin shook his head honestly. It took almost all his strength to keep up with Lin Ran. How could he have the extra energy to think about anything else? However, judging from how tired he was, they must have traveled a long way. ¡°Three hundred miles.¡± Lin Ran said calmly, ¡°We traveled for a full fifteen minutes. According to our speed, it should be about 300 miles.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve only been traveling for fifteen minutes?!¡± Shen Rulin, who had always been calm, couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. At this moment, he felt as if he had been running for three days and three nights without rest, but in actuality, only 15 minutes had passed! After a short moment of shock, Shen Rulin¡¯s expression turned solemn. He already understood what Lin Ran meant. ¡°We¡¯ve already left Mount Sword.¡± Shen Rulin said in a low voice with a solemn expression. Even the entire area of Mount Sword only covered dozens of kilometers. It was obvious that they were no longer on Mount Sword. ¡°But how is that possible?¡± Shen Rulin frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°We¡¯ve been traveling in a straight line all this time. Why is there such a big space inside the mountain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still possible. As far as I know, there¡¯s a secret passage under Mount Sword¡¯s main peak.¡± Lin Ran replied softly. His eyes flickered as he looked into the darkness in front of him, thinking about something. This was the first time Shen Rulin had heard of the existence of a secret passage in Mount Sword. He was stunned for a moment before asking in confusion, ¡°Do you mean that we¡¯ve already entered that secret passage?¡± Lin Ran shook his head and didn¡¯t say anything because he wasn¡¯t very sure. He had only stepped into the secret room under the Hidden Sword Pavilion for a short while and didn¡¯t know what the secret passage in Mount Sword looked like. However, from the length of this passage, it was most likely not the same secret passage. Otherwise, they would have already arrived at the secret room under the Hidden Sword Pavilion. However, if it was not the same secret passage, where did the passage they were in come from? The secret passage of the Hidden Sword Pavilion was built by the Ten Miles Sword God. Could it be that someone else had done the same thing before the Ten Miles Sword God? As he thought to himself, Lin Ran raised the Yin-Yang Sword and gently drew a circle. Dozens of fire sword energy formed a circle and rushed into the darkness in front of him like an arrow leaving the bow. However, even when the fire circle was completely swallowed by the darkness, it did not hit anything. The two of them looked at each other. Lin Ran¡¯s expression darkened. He pursed his lips and said softly, ¡°You¡¯re right. Ever since we went up the mountain, my words haven¡¯t been accurate.¡± ¡°I was just joking. Don¡¯t take it to heart. Besides, this has nothing to do with you. After all, this is our only choice¡­¡± But the more Shen Rulin spoke, the more he felt that something was wrong with Lin Ran¡¯s reaction. After a pause, Shen Rulin suddenly thought of something. He narrowed his eyes at Lin Ran and asked tentatively, ¡°This is our only choice¡­ right?¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything. Shen Rulin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Could it be that there¡¯s more than one path we can take?¡± Lin Ran stretched out three fingers weakly. Before Shen Rulin could speak, he hurriedly explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be so unlucky. That¡¯s a one in three chance! However, it¡¯s not too late to turn back now.¡± Shen Rulin looked at Lin Ran and gritted his teeth, but in the end, he only said with a soft sigh, ¡°Then let¡¯s go back first.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them returned around and walked back in silence. The atmosphere was oppressive .However, there was nothing they could do. Nothing happened on the path Lin Ran chose. Although they had yet to reach the end, the chances of finding anything here were slim. Instead of wasting time, it was better to admit that he was unlucky and return in time. The two of them returned to the place where they first set off in silence. The two small stone platforms had already collapsed, and the two black bamboo tubes had long been burned out. ¡°Can you find a way to do it again?¡± Lin Ran asked softly in embarrassment, ¡°If you don¡¯t have black smoke left, you can use red smoke. Just tell the people behind that this place is dangerous.¡± Shen Rulin sighed and did not say anything. He silently took out a few bamboo tubes and was about to set them up again when he suddenly sniffled and said, ¡°Wait a second, someone has been here.¡± Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± Shen Rulin pointed at the two black bamboo tubes on the ground and said firmly, ¡°According to our round trip time, the second black smoke should have just burned out, but there¡¯s no smell of powder burning here. The second bamboo tube was triggered at least 15 minutes ago!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly. He flipped the Yin-Yang Sword gently, and instantly, thousands of fire sword energy surged out, scattering like a frightened school of fish, illuminating the entire space! Shen Rulin looked around and saw that they were in an underground stone room with a radius of a hundred steps. There were neat black stone walls around them, and there were three black cave entrances in three directions. At the same time, Shen Rulin saw a rut that led straight into the northwest cave. Chapter 243 - 243 Three Traps 243 Three Traps Lin Ran also saw the rut on the ground and was surprised. Logically speaking, it was very difficult to leave ruts in such a place filled with gravel, but the carriage seemed to be abnormally heavy. Wherever the wheels passed, the gravel was crushed into powder. As the carriage moved forward, it left a rut on the gravel. ¡°Someone was really here.¡± Lin Ran muttered and squatted down to study the rut carefully. He realized that there were some small patterns printed on the inside of the rut. They must have been left behind by the patterns engraved on the wheels. Lin Ran thought about it carefully and realized that he had no impression of this pattern. He stood up and wanted to ask Shen Rulin if he knew, but he realized that Shen Rulin¡¯s expression had turned extremely ugly! ¡°What happened?¡± Lin Ran frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Do you know this pattern?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Shen Rulin nodded. ¡°This is the carriage of the commander-in-chief of the Golden Guards¡ª¡± Lin Ran nodded and suddenly remembered the five carriages that were parked outside Mount Sword when he first saw Shen Rulin. ¡°He¡¯s also my father.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Your father is the commander of the Golden Guards?¡± Shen Rulin did not say anything. He squatted on the ground and quickly built two stone platforms. Then, he took out a bamboo tube and added something to it. After setting it off, a gray smoke came out. Then, Shen Rulin stood up and held the Thunderball Sword. He activated his internal energy and was about to set off when Lin Ran grabbed him. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Shen Rulin suddenly turned around and glared at Lin Ran. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that this place is dangerous? I have to tell my father quickly!¡± ¡°I can understand how you feel, but don¡¯t get excited first.¡± Lin Ran advised in a calm voice, ¡°Take a closer look.¡± At this moment, Shen Rulin was so anxious that he was in no mood to ¡°take a closer look¡±. However, Lin Ran¡¯s hand seemed to have been welded to his body. No matter how he struggled, it did not budge. He could only lower his head and look at it. At first, Shen Rulin was irritated and did not notice anything. However, when he calmed down and looked carefully, he indeed found a few clues. Under the illumination of the flames, other than the entrance above, there were also cave entrance on the stone walls on the south, southwest, and north sides. The size of the three cave entrances was different. The one in the south was the largest. On the gravel near it, one could vaguely see some charred marks left behind by Shen Rulin when he activated the Thunderball Sword. The rut in the ground led to the cave entrance to the north, but to the southwest¡ªon the edge of the smallest cave entrance¡ªthere was a small white object that stood out against the dark rock. Just as Shen Rulin was observing, Lin Ran had already flashed over and brought the white thing back. Shen Rulin rubbed the white thing on his fingertips a few times and suddenly looked at Lin Ran as if he had realized something. ¡°This is the lacquer on my father¡¯s carriage!¡± Lin Ran nodded and gestured at the cave entrance to the northwest. ¡°This cave entrance is about the width of your father¡¯s carriage. When he went in, the carriage must have accidentally scratched the edge.¡± Shen Rulin narrowed his eyes slightly. He already understood what Lin Ran was trying to say, but he still looked puzzled. ¡°But if my father chose that path, what¡¯s with the rut on the ground?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s bait.¡± Lin Ran guessed, ¡°Don¡¯t you think this rut is a little too deliberate? It¡¯s as if they¡¯re afraid that others won¡¯t know which road your father chose.¡± Shen Rulin looked at the rut on the ground and then at the white thing on his fingertips. Although he didn¡¯t know what the mastermind¡¯s motive was, just as Lin Ran had said, the appearance of this rut was indeed a little too deliberate, but¡­ ¡°Still not right.¡± Shen Rulin shook his head and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°If someone really created the rut, then he must know that we¡¯ll be back, so he left this behind to confuse us.¡± ¡°But in fact, our return was a last-minute decision. If we didn¡¯t make the decision, we might still be on our way going forward.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Lin Ran nodded. ¡°Unless this rut isn¡¯t for us to see.¡± Shen Rulin was stunned for a moment, but he quickly understood what Lin Ran meant. ¡°Is this a trap?¡± Lin Ran nodded and then shook his head. ¡°To be precise, these three entrances are all traps.¡± Shen Rulin frowned, not understanding. Lin Ran thought for a moment and pointed at the cave entrance where the two of them had just entered. He explained, ¡°I chose that path because the sword energy that attacked us came from there. Without a doubt, at the end of that path is the trap the mastermind prepared for us.¡± Then, Lin Ran pointed at the smallest cave entrance in the northwest. ¡°Compared to the rut on the ground, I¡¯m more willing to believe that your father was so eager to save you that he accidentally scratched the carriage when he entered the cave.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what the basis of his choice was, but he must have found some kind of clue. That¡¯s why he chose that path.¡± Shen Rulin nodded. Lin Ran pointed at the cave entrance in the north. ¡°And this is a trap prepared for the reinforcements.¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Most of the fire sword energy circling in the air was instantly extinguished, and the three cave entrances disappeared into the darkness again. Only the rut on the ground was still visible, extending north. Shen Rulin¡¯s expression gradually darkened. He understood what Lin Ran meant now! A martial artist like Lin Ran who could use the fire sword energy that was very easy to lose control was rare in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Therefore, no matter who the reinforcements were, illuminating this space would be a huge problem when they first arrived in this stone room. If not for the rut, the reinforcements would have explored the surroundings under the limited light and discovered the two black bamboo tubes they had left behind. However, with this rut, it was very likely that the reinforcements would follow the rut into the cave in the north and not even notice the existence of the other two caves. These were indeed three traps, and they were carefully designed for different targets! After figuring it out, Shen Rulin couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill run down his spine. This arrangement was not complicated, but every step was just right. It was simply vicious! Shen Rulin looked at Lin Ran and asked in a low voice, ¡°What should we do? Our enemy is very scheming.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a trick. Once you see through it, there¡¯s nothing strange about it.¡± A faint smile appeared on Lin Ran¡¯s face, and his eyes flickered. ¡°Have you heard of Tian Ji¡¯s horse racing strategy?¡± Chapter 244 - 244 Tian Jis Horse Racing Strategy 244 Tian Ji¡¯s Horse Racing Strategy Seeing Shen Rulin¡¯s confused expression, Lin Ran knew that he had never heard of it. However, this was normal. After all, he was from another world. The people in this world probably didn¡¯t even have a horse race. After a pause, Lin Ran explained, ¡°To put it simply, there¡¯s a person called Tian Ji who bet with others on horse racing.¡± ¡°These two people have horses of the high, medium, and low grades, but because the two people have different status, their horses are also different. Tian Ji¡¯s high-grade horse is only slightly stronger than the other person¡¯s medium-grade horse.¡± ¡°Then how can they compete?¡± Shen Rulin frowned and said in confusion, ¡°This is an unfair competition to begin with!¡± ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m not done explaining yet.¡± Lin Ran paused for a moment and continued, ¡°In the end, Tian Ji still won this competition because he used a small strategy, which was to use his low-grade horse to deal with the other person¡¯s high-grade horse¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± Shen Rulin¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Then he was sure to lose, right?¡± ¡°Can you let me finish?¡± Shen Rulin cupped his hands and smiled apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please continue.¡± Lin Ran took a deep breath and continued, ¡°In short, he used a low-grade horse to deal with the other person¡¯s high-grade horse, and then used a high-grade horse to deal with the other person¡¯s medium-grade horse.¡± ¡°This way, even if Tian Ji loses the first match, he actually has the advantage in the next two matches.¡± ¡°What an ingenious idea!¡± Shen Rulin couldn¡¯t help but clap and praise. ¡°But what does this have to do with the situation we¡¯re facing?¡± Lin Ran pointed at the cave entrance to the south. ¡°This trap was designed for you and me¡ªto be precise, it was designed for me, so it must be the most dangerous of the three traps.¡± Shen Rulin nodded to show that he understood. Lin Ran pointed at the two caves in the southwest and north. ¡°In other words, theoretically speaking, the danger of these two traps aren¡¯t as dangerous.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shen Rulin nodded repeatedly, looking excited. Although he didn¡¯t quite understand, he could vaguely feel that Lin Ran had already thought of a way. ¡°If these two traps are the other party¡¯s medium and low horses¡­¡± Lin Ran patted his chest and pointed at Shen Rulin. ¡°We¡¯re top-grade horses. During the horse race, each horse can only be used once, but we¡¯re different. We can destroy these two traps!¡± ¡°The reason why we¡¯re in such a difficult position now is that we don¡¯t know who our enemy is. However, if the enemy finds out that his trap has been destroyed, do you think he can still sit still?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± Shen Rulin slapped his thigh excitedly. This time, he completely understood. However, before the smile on his face could spread, it froze. His eyes drifted to the cave entrance to the south. ¡°But if we do this, won¡¯t our low horse be in danger?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have low-grade horses!¡± Lin Ran shouted angrily. This blockhead was really driving him crazy. Under Shen Rulin¡¯s puzzled gaze, Lin Ran waved the Yin-Yang Sword and slashed forward. In an instant, thousands of sword energy swept out like a school of fish in the deep sea, flashing with a cold light as it surged towards the entrance of the cave to the south! Rumble¡ª A muffled explosion sounded in the darkness. A moment later, a few fire sword energies flew over. Shen Rulin saw that the entrance of the cave had been completely sealed by collapsed rubble. Lin Ran looked at Shen Rulin and shrugged. ¡°Do you understand now? The horse race between high-grade horses is called off!¡± Shen Rulin nodded as if he understood. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain further. He whispered, ¡°Follow me.¡± Then, he rode his sword into the cave in the southwest, which was stained with lacquer on the edge. The tunnel in the cave was still straight, but this time, the journey was not so long. After flying for a few thousand feet, Lin Ran could clearly feel that the cave was rising. Before he could determine where he was, a gray sky appeared not far ahead. With the exit in front of him, Lin Ran flashed out. This was a narrow canyon that spanned about 300 feet. Dense fog covered the bottom of the canyon like white clouds. It was impossible to see how deep the canyon was, but one could hear the rumbling of the surging river. The exit of the cave was on the rock wall of the cliff on one side. Looking up, one could only see a narrow sky. If an ordinary person rushed out of here, they would definitely fall and be washed away by the river at the bottom of the canyon. However, to a martial artist who could fly on a sword, this was not considered a trap. Lin Ran looked around in the air and recognized that this was the southwest side of Mount Sword. After crossing the valley and walking a few thousand feet southwest, it was the location of the mountain-protecting array formation. There were no other paths around. It seemed that this was the place where the other party set up the trap. Just as Lin Ran was observing his surroundings, he heard the sound of clothes fluttering behind him. Shen Rulin also followed him out of the cave. ¡°What is this place?¡± As soon as Shen Rulin stabilized himself, he asked impatiently, ¡°Where¡¯s my father?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lin Ran shook his head and replied honestly, ¡°But this place is still within Mount Sword, and this canyon is not long. Let¡¯s split up and search.¡± ¡°Ok!¡± Shen Rulin agreed and flew to the side. Looking at Shen Rulin¡¯s departing figure, Lin Ran suddenly revealed a strange expression. He said sorry under his breath before flying back into the cave. At this moment, Shen Rulin had already flown hundreds of feet away and was releasing his divine sense to search the fog at the bottom of the canyon when he suddenly heard a rumbling sound. He turned around and saw a large cloud of dust drifting out of the cave entrance when they came out! ¡°Lin Ran.¡± Shen Rulin¡¯s expression changed and he hurriedly turned back. When he got close, he realized that the entrance of the cave was completely sealed by gravel. This long and narrow canyon was empty. Where was Lin Ran? ¡°Lin Ran! Where are you?!¡± Shen Rulin shouted a few times, but other than his echo lingering in the canyon, there was no response. A moment later, Shen Rulin seemed to understand something. His expression changed as he hurriedly flew out of the canyon and rushed towards the main peak of Mount Sword! In Mount Sword. Lin Ran stood in the middle of the stone room. The fire sword energy circling around him had been completely extinguished and he was shrouded in pitch-black darkness. ¡°I¡¯m alone.¡± Lin Ran put his hands behind his back and said calmly, ¡°Come out and meet me.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, there was a cracking sound in the darkness. Then, Lin Ran felt the ground under his feet suddenly sink! Chapter 245 - 245 If I Dont Enter the Tigers Den, How Can I Get A Tiger? 245 If I Don¡¯t Enter the Tiger¡¯s Den, How Can I Get A Tiger? In the darkness, Lin Ran waited quietly with his hands behind his back. The ground under his feet trembled slightly. Although it was not fast, he could still feel the ground sinking. After about fifteen minutes, all the sounds disappeared. Lin Ran waved his sword and slashed out a few fire sword energies, instantly brightening up the surroundings. After narrowing his eyes to get used to the light, Lin Ran observed his surroundings. This was a stone room ten steps square. There were flat and hard stone walls everywhere. If it were anyone else, they would definitely wonder how they got in. However, Lin Ran knew the mechanism in Mount Sword. It was not complicated to form a sealed stone room. Looking around and seeing that there was nothing unusual, Lin Ran sneered and asked disdainfully, ¡°Are you planning to trap me here? Then you¡¯ll be disappointed. The last time I was trapped here, I dug a way out, not to mention¡ª¡± At this point, Lin Ran paused for a moment. A white light flashed in his hand, and the Ten Miles Dragon Roar appeared in his palm. ¡°You might not know this, but I can also control the mechanism here.¡± It was still quiet. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath. He held the hilt of the sword with both hands. Then, a glint flashed across his eyes, and the dragon pattern gem at the end of the sword hilt began to flicker at an extremely fast frequency! The originally silent stone room seemed to have suddenly come to life and began to change drastically! ¡°Stop!¡± A deep voice came from somewhere. Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before his expression turned strange. He asked in disbelief, ¡°Huo Qiyun?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice sounded again. It was as if he was enduring some kind of pain. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯m here to save you!¡± Lin Ran asked hurriedly. After saying that, he immediately pricked up his ears, wanting to distinguish the direction of the voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I am. It¡¯s too dark here. I can¡¯t see anything.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice sounded again. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be stunned because he realized that the voice was coming from all directions at the same time! Lin Ran heard the voice very clearly. It sounded different from the echo in the cave. It sounded like Huo Qiyun was everywhere, but also like¡­ Lin Ran didn¡¯t dare to continue thinking about it. He quickly composed himself and asked in a calm tone, ¡°Then do you remember what happened? How is Xiao Huai? Is she with you?¡± ¡°What happened¡­¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice was filled with confusion. ¡°I can¡¯t remember, but Xiao Huai should be fine.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t remember?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression was a little strange. He and Huo Qiyun had only been apart for two to three days. How could he not remember? Could it be that he had dementia at such a young age? However, on second thought, Lin Ran felt that it was not impossible. After all, Huo Qiyun was only young on the surface. He had been wandering in the martial world alone for 60 years. It seemed normal for him to have dementia at this age. Lin Ran continued to ask in a calm tone, ¡°Then tell me what you remember first. What happened here? What¡¯s with the evil aura outside? Who is operating the mechanism here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice sounded like he was enduring pain, as if Lin Ran¡¯s words had evoked some painful memories. Lin Ran realized that the situation was bad and was thinking about how to calm Huo Qiyun down when he suddenly heard Huo Qiyun shout, ¡°I remember now! It¡¯s Liu Hongshan! We met Liu Hongshan at Sword Grave!¡± ¡°Liu Hongshan!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed drastically. He did not expect Liu Hongshan to hide in Sword Grave after leaving the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace. But how did he know about the existence of Sword Grave? It had to be known that even Lin Ran only knew the secrets of Mount Sword after reading the books about it in the secret place. Although Liu Hongshan was once the general of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, with his rank back then, he shouldn¡¯t be qualified to know those secrets. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Lin Ran subconsciously narrowed his eyes and suddenly remembered that when the two of them first entered the secret place of the Hundred Fragrance Palace, he had been in a coma for a period of time because of his serious injuries. Could it be that Liu Hongshan had found something during that period of time? The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was possible. Lin Ran hurriedly asked, ¡°What happened after you met Liu Hongshan? Did you fight him? Did he say anything?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I can¡¯t remember the rest.¡± Huo Qiyun said in a muffled voice, ¡°I only remember that I was with Xiao Huai at that time. Liu Hongshan was sitting on that stone platform. After we met, he raised his hand, and then I didn¡¯t know what happened after that.¡± After a moment of silence, Lin Ran thought of something and asked in confusion, ¡°From what you said, you should have been in a daze for the past few days. Then how do you know that Xiao Huai is fine?¡± ¡°I¡¯m holding her hand.¡± Huo Qiyun immediately replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been drifting between the state of awakeness and sleep these past few days, but every time I¡¯m awake, I can feel I¡¯m holding Xiao Huai¡¯s hand. She has a body temperature and a pulse. Although she hasn¡¯t moved, she should be fine.¡± Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Then do you know who¡¯s controlling the mechanism here?¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say anything, as if he was recalling. Lin Ran knew that Huo Qiyun was not in a good state at the moment, so he didn¡¯t push him too hard. However, he didn¡¯t expect that after waiting for fifteen minutes, Huo Qiyun still didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Huo Qiyun? Can you hear me?¡± Lin Ran called out tentatively, but there was no response. Thinking of what Huo Qiyun had just said, Lin Ran guessed that he might have gone into a state of sleep again. He felt a little helpless, but he was not worried. Although he didn¡¯t know what kind of situation Huo Qiyun was in, since he had been like this for the past few days, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to ¡°sleep¡± again. At this moment, Lin Ran was more concerned about the mastermind who was controlling the mechanism in Mount Sword. He shook off Shen Rulin and came alone to meet the other party. If he did not find this person, even if he saved Huo Qiyun, Xiao Huai, and people from the Golden Guards, there would still be a threat here. But where was the ¡°mastermind¡±? Lin Ran frowned and looked around the stone room. After what he had done just now, this place was no longer as square as before. As he watched, Lin Ran¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed. At some point, a low cave entrance had appeared on the stone wall behind him. Chapter 246 - 246 Rewinding Time? The Mysteriously Restored Cave Entrance 246 Rewinding Time? The Mysteriously Restored Cave Entrance Mount Sword¡¯s main peak. Shen Rulin rode Thunderball and went straight to the top of the mountain. He remembered that Lin Ran had said that the entrance was on the west slope. Although he didn¡¯t know the exact location, the west slope wasn¡¯t very big. As long as he was patient, he would definitely be able to find it. At most, it would take him a little more time. As he was thinking, Shen Rulin had already arrived near the dark cloud. Just as he was about to dive into it, his pupils suddenly constricted as he sensed something. He stopped steadily near the dark cloud. ¡°Who is it? Show yourself.¡± Shen Rulin shouted and jumped to the ground. The Thunderball in his hand surged with countless lightning bolts. With a thought, these tiny lightning bolts would turn into a lightning dragon and attack! ¡°Is it Deputy General Shen?¡± A surprised voice sounded from the dark cloud. Then, a large group of Golden Guards ran out. There were twenty to thirty of them! Most of these guards were injured, and some were even carried out by their companions. However, after seeing Shen Rulin, everyone looked surprised. ¡°Deputy General Shen! We finally found you!¡± ¡°Found me?¡± Shen Rulin was stunned when he heard this. He looked at these people carefully and was puzzled because he realized that these people didn¡¯t belong to the same team. Among these twenty to thirty people, the ones who were more seriously injured were from the second to the sixth team. Although Shen Rulin knew the rest of the people, he didn¡¯t remember sending them out on the mission. ¡°We¡¯re from the eighth and ninth team.¡± As if sensing Shen Rulin¡¯s confusion, someone took the initiative to explain, ¡°After you went into the mountain, there was no news for a long time. The general sent two more teams up.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shen Rulin nodded, but the confusion in his eyes did not decrease at all. ¡°But why are you together? Your investigation route should be completely different, right?¡± Someone replied in a low voice, ¡°Deputy General Shen, to be honest, we don¡¯t know how we got together¡­¡± Shen Rulin frowned. Someone explained, ¡°Deputy General Shen, I¡¯m from the fifth team. After we entered this fog, someone suddenly started to attack indiscriminately. At first, we wanted to stop him, but then, we forgot everything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for the third team!¡± ¡°The same for the second team too.¡± ¡°And us!¡± ¡­ What everyone encountered was pretty much the same. Shen Rulin recalled that Lin Ran had once said that this ¡°dark cloud¡± was actually formed by a large amount of evil aura and killing intent that could affect one¡¯s mind. It seemed that this was the situation these Golden Guards encountered. However, Shen Rulin did not explain. He only nodded and continued to ask, ¡°Then how did you get together?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say that? We don¡¯t know either¡­¡± Someone replied in a low voice with a strange expression, ¡°After we woke up just now, we discussed for a while and felt that this place was strange and we couldn¡¯t stay for long, so we brought our injured companions down the mountain. We ran into you just as we reached here.¡± The others nodded in agreement, but Shen Rulin frowned even more tightly. Although he did not experience it personally, he could roughly imagine the scene from everyone¡¯s description just now. Seeing that so many people were still alive, Shen Rulin was happy from the bottom of his heart. However, at the same time, he couldn¡¯t figure out how these people suddenly woke up since their minds were already affected by the evil aura. However, the situation was urgent. It was obvious that these people did not have any useful information. Shen Rulin did not want to waste any more time. He waved his hand and instructed everyone to continue to go down the mountain immediately. Then, he rushed into the dark clouds with his sword. Soon, Shen Rulin found the mark he had left behind previously. When he and Lin Ran were following Zhao Ziming, he casually left some marks out of boredom. It was just a small habit of his, but he did not expect it to come in handy now. After following the mark, Shen Rulin returned to the vicinity of the cave entrance. Zhao Ziming, who was tied up, was still lying there, but he was no longer struggling as hard as before. Shen Rulin hesitated for a moment before sending Zhao Ziming out of the dark cloud. After lighting up a yellow bamboo tube, he returned to the entrance and jumped down without hesitation. It was extremely dangerous for him to jump down because he didn¡¯t know the depth of the cave, so he naturally didn¡¯t know when he should land. A strong sense of weightlessness overwhelmed him. Shen Rulin fell for more than ten seconds without changing his expression. Only then did he wave the Thunderball and slash out a bolt of lightning. Then he saw that the ground was almost within reach! Shen Rulin directed his internal energy to his feet and landed heavily on the ground. With a loud bang, countless gravel scattered in all directions, causing dazzling sparks to fly when he landed. After stabilizing himself, Shen Rulin began to look around under the dim light. His original intention was to find Lin Ran. Since Lin Ran had sealed the cave entrance, he must have returned to this stone room. Otherwise, if Lin Ran wanted to escape at the last minute or had other motives, he wouldn¡¯t have to spend so much effort. He could just sneak away when the two of them split up. However, Shen Rulin did not find Lin Ran. Instead, he discovered something else that puzzled him. The stone room was still the size of a hundred square feet. On the stone walls in the south, north, and southwest, there was a black cave entrance, but Shen Rulin clearly remembered that the cave entrance in the south had been destroyed by Lin Ran! Shen Rulin¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn. In the blink of an eye, the flickering sparks around him were completely extinguished, and the dense darkness filled every inch of the stone room. At the same time, Shen Rulin also walked towards the cave entrance in the south. Then, he held the Thunderball tightly and activated all his internal energy! Accompanied by the sound of a sharp blade being unsheathed, a snow-white electric light flashed, lighting up the black cave entrance in the darkness. Although the light only lasted only for a moment, it made Shen Rulin break out in cold sweat! Wasn¡¯t this cave entrance destroyed by Lin Ran? How could it be restored? Just as Shen Rulin was feeling puzzled, there was suddenly a clicking sound in the darkness. It sounded like the sound of horses¡¯ hooves stepping on gravel¡­ Chapter 247 - 247 Breaking Through With Force 247 Breaking Through With Force In Mount Sword. Lin Ran sat cross-legged on the ground. A few fire sword energy circled around him, and the dim light seemed like it would be extinguished at any moment. ¡°Huo Qiyun? Can you hear me?¡± Lin Ran called out tentatively, but as expected, there was no response. Seeing this, Lin Ran sighed. He had been waiting here for fifteen minutes, but Huo Qiyun still didn¡¯t show signs of waking up. As he thought to himself, Lin Ran stood up and summoned Ten Miles Dragon Roar Sword. As the dragon gems on the hilt began to flicker, the stone room he was in began to slowly rotate. In a moment, a brand new cave entrance appeared in front of Lin Ran. This cave entrance could lead straight to Sword Grave. Since Huo Qiyun saw Liu Hongshan in Sword Grave, the probability of finding him near Sword Grave was higher. As for the low cave entrance on the stone wall behind him, Lin Ran didn¡¯t even look at it. On one hand, it was because the cave entrance was too narrow. After Lin Ran entered, it was impossible for him to even stand up and walk, let alone riding his sword. If anything happened, he wouldn¡¯t even have room to turn around. Secondly, the cave entrance was clearly opened by the mastermind. Since the mastermind was unwilling to show up, even if Lin Ran really entered, he would probably just walk into another trap. Therefore, Lin Ran chose to ignore it. After he saved Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai, he didn¡¯t believe that the mastermind could sit still and not show up. At the same time, in the stone room. Just as Shen Rulin was wondering why the cave entrance had been restored to its original state, he suddenly heard the sound of hooves in the darkness. ¡°Father, are you there?¡± Shen Rulin¡¯s expression changed slightly. He pricked up his ears and listened carefully. He realized that the sound was coming from the cave to the north. Shen Rulin rushed towards the cave entrance to the north. After entering the cave, the sound of horse hooves became clearer. Hearing the crisp sound, Shen Rulin was certain that it was from the white horses that pulled his father¡¯s carriage. Because the four white horses were given to his father by the late emperor, his father cherished them very much. He even spent a lot of money to forge black iron horseshoe for them. Shen Rulin would never forget the crisp sound after hearing it once. However, although the sound of horse hooves was crisp, it was extremely slow. It did not sound like they were pulling a carriage, but like they were taking a stroll. Puzzled, Shen Rulin held the Thunderball in front of him and injected a wisp of internal energy into it. Countless small electric sparks immediately surged on the sword. These electric sparks were not particularly bright, but they could still illuminate a distance of about ten steps. Shen Rulin maintained the electric sparks and was about to explore when he realized that the sound of horse hooves was already approaching. Then, a white horse with fur as smooth as brocade slowly walked out of the darkness like a gentleman. ¡°Qing Xue?¡± Shen Rulin recognized the white horse. It was one of the four white horses. However, the strange thing was that the other three white horses and the carriage were nowhere to be seen. As if hearing Shen Rulin call her name, the white horse sped up. She came to Shen Rulin¡¯s side and neighed. Then, she lowered her head and rubbed against Shen Rulin. Shen Rulin frowned slightly and stroked Qin Xue¡¯s smooth mane. ¡°Do you know where my father is?¡± ¡°Neigh¡­¡± Shen Rulin was overjoyed and mounted Qing Xue¡¯s back. ¡°Bring me there!¡± ¡°Hiss¡ª!¡± Qing Xue raised her head and let out a hiss. She turned around and ran in the direction she came from. ¡­ Inside the mountain, Lin Ran flew through the passageway he had opened up. Soon, he sensed the familiar majestic sword intent filled with violent killing intent coming from Sword Grave. The destination was right in front of him, but Lin Ran didn¡¯t dare to slack off. This was because he clearly felt that another force was controlling the mechanism, wanting to change the passageway and leading Liu Ran to somewhere else. Although the force was not very strong, it was obvious that the mastermind could no longer sit still. However, to Lin Ran¡¯s surprise, even after he entered Sword Grave, the hidden mastermind still did not show up. However, the force competing with him for the control of the mechanism became stronger. After waiting for a moment and seeing that there was nothing strange, Lin Ran, who was in a hurry to save people, threw this matter to the back of his mind. He swung his sword and slashed out a few fire sword energies to dispel the darkness. Then, he was stunned by the scene in front of him. There were almost no changes from the last time Lin Ran was here. Countless broken weapons stood in the surging black water pool. As if triggered by the internal energy Lin Ran had just activated, the originally calm water began to stir. However, Lin Ran was not worried. What really shocked him was the scene on the platform in the water¡ª Xiao Huai lay on the platform with her eyes closed, looking as if she had just fallen asleep. Huo Qiyun was guarding her like a big brother, one hand still holding Xiao Huai¡¯s hand tightly, but his posture looked a little strange. From Lin Ran¡¯s point of view, it was as if there was a huge pit on the stone platform. Huo Qiyun was standing in the pit, but he clearly remembered that the last time the two of them came to Sword Grave, the stone platform was flat. However, no matter what, it was a good thing that Lin Ran found the two of them. ¡°Huo Qiyun? Huo Qiyun!¡± Lin Ran called out a few times, but Huo Qiyun could not hear him. As he spoke, he had already walked to the stone platform. Just as he was about to reach out to slap Huo Qiyun awake, his hand suddenly froze in midair, and his expression suddenly turned extremely ugly! Previously, because of Xiao Huai¡¯s body blocking Huo Qiyun, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t see many details. It wasn¡¯t until he walked onto the platform that he suddenly realized that the reason Huo Qiyun¡¯s posture was so strange was that his body below his abdomen had already become one with this stone platform! Chapter 248 - 248 The Person in the Stone, An Existence That Defies Logic 248 The Person in the Stone, An Existence That Defies Logic Lin Ran looked at Huo Qiyun, who seemed to have grown out of a stone, his mouth wide open in shock. ¡°Impossible, impossible. I must be hallucinating!¡± Lin Ran muttered softly and reached out to slowly pull Huo Qiyun up. At this moment, he still had a trace of hope. Perhaps someone had really dug a hole in the stone platform and ¡°planted¡± Huo Qiyun in it. However, as Lin Ran pulled Huo Qiyun up, his heart sank. Under the flickering light, Lin Ran could see Huo Qiyun¡¯s waist attached to the stone platform. There were even a few dark red things that looked like tree roots stuck into the stone platform from Huo Qiyun¡¯s waist. ¡°What!¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. He immediately took a few steps back. He grabbed his hair with both hands, but he still couldn¡¯t pull that terrifying scene out of his mind. ¡°Impossible! This is impossible!¡± Lin Ran roared and suddenly summoned the Yin-Yang Sword to slash around crazily. ¡°Come out! Fight me one-on-one! Why are you bullying people so much weaker than you?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s hoarse roar caused a thunderous echo in Sword Grave. Countless sword energies tore through the air, emitting ear-piercing roars. The black insects in the black water pool were attracted by the internal energy, and the huge waves that were as thick as ink were surging violently. In just a moment, Sword Grave was turned into a mess by Lin Ran. The surrounding walls were covered in sword marks of varying depths, and the ancient weapons that had been there for an unknown period of time were broken into pieces by the sword energy. However, even though Lin Ran had caused such a huge commotion, the mastermind still had no intention of showing up. After an unknown period of time, Lin Ran sat on the ground dejectedly. Most of the fire sword energy that was hovering in the air had been extinguished, leaving only a few that were still dancing around him. The flickering fire barely illuminated the stone platform. Looking at Huo Qiyun, who had his eyes closed, Lin Ran¡¯s heart ached for him. Recalling the times the two of them spent together, Lin Ran¡¯s eyes were already slightly red. Lin Ran sighed softly, his voice filled with fatigue. ¡°I told you not to come, but you refused to listen. Now, you can¡¯t leave even if you want to.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Your emperor sister has found her mother, but the situation is a little complicated. I feel that she¡¯s depressed. I originally wanted to ask you to make her happy, but looking at you now, it shouldn¡¯t be very convenient for you to move around, right?¡± ¡­ Lin Ran had a sad smile on his face as he rambled on like an old man on his deathbed. If it were any other time, Huo Qiyun would have told him to shut up. Now, even though Huo Qiyun was listening quietly, Lin Ran was not happy at all. After a long while, Lin Ran told Huo Qiyun everything he had experienced in the past few days, but even if there was nothing else to say, he still didn¡¯t want to stop. ¡°Oh, right!¡± After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran suddenly clapped his hands and put on a mysterious expression. ¡°Let me tell you a secret. Aren¡¯t you curious about how my realm advances so quickly?¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not a genius at all. The reason is because I have a sign-in system¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Lin Ran saw Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyelashes tremble a few times before he slowly opened his eyes! ¡°You¡¯re awake?!¡± Lin Ran was overjoyed. He rushed forward and hugged Huo Qiyun. He didn¡¯t know what to do to save him, but as long as Huo Qiyun could wake up, it was already a great comfort to him! Huo Qiyun frowned and stared at Lin Ran for a long time before saying softly, ¡°Lin Ran? Why are you here? Am I dreaming?¡± Lin Ran rubbed the corners of his eyes and replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°Believe me, I hope this is a dream more than you do!¡± Huo Qiyun frowned, indicating that he didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was talking about. Then, he closed his eyes and said helplessly, ¡°I hope this isn¡¯t a dream. I had a dream just now. In the dream, you kept nagging at me. It¡¯s so annoying!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Lin Ran looked embarrassed. He didn¡¯t expect Huo Qiyun to really hear him! Before Lin Ran said anything, Huo Qiyun suddenly opened his eyes and frowned in confusion. ¡°When did you grow again? Why do I feel that you¡¯re about the same height as me when you¡¯re sitting?¡± As Huo Qiyun spoke, he was about to lower his head, as if he wanted to see if he was standing on a low ground. Seeing this, Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed drastically and he quickly extinguished the fire sword energy. The two of them were immediately swallowed by the thick darkness. However, before Lin Ran could heave a sigh of relief, he heard Huo Qiyun mutter in confusion in the darkness, as if he had discovered something strange. Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he quickly said, ¡°Huo Qiyun! Don¡¯t worry. Although I don¡¯t know what to do yet, as long as there¡¯s a glimmer of hope, I¡¯ll definitely save you!¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice sounded in the darkness. Other than confusion, there was also a hint of disdain. ¡°Can¡¯t you control the mechanism of the mountain? When Xiao Huai is fine, we¡¯ll just go out.¡± Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this. From what Huo Qiyun said, he didn¡¯t seem to have realized that he had become one with the stone platform. However, how could he not feel anything? Just as Lin Ran was thinking about how to explain the situation, he heard Huo Qiyun ask in confusion, ¡°Did you really not notice anything wrong?¡± Lin Ran pretended to be calm and said, ¡°No, nothing. What¡¯s wrong with this place?¡± ¡°This stone platform is very strange.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Huo Qiyun had indeed discovered it! Chapter 249 - 249 Father and Son Reunited in Despair 249 Father and Son Reunited in Despair In the cave. A white horse ran crazily on the ground. Before the gravel stirred up by the rampaging horse could fall, the white horse had already run dozens of feet away. Shen Rulin lowered his body on the horseback and looked past Qing Xue¡¯s smooth mane into the darkness in front of him. Apart from anxiety, there was also a hint of vigilance on his face. Although Qing Xue¡¯s speed was not as fast as him riding the Thunderball Sword, she was still fast. She had been running for nearly fifteen minutes, but there was still no sign of the passage coming to an end. It still confused Shen Rulin how one could dig such a long underground passage. As he was thinking, Qing Xue ran for another few thousand feet. Shen Rulin was about to speed up the horse when something flashed by from the corner of his eyes. Shen Rulin was stunned for a moment before he hurriedly reined in the horse. When he turned around, he saw that the thing had already disappeared into the darkness. Other than Qing Xue¡¯s breathing, there was no other sound in the cave. If it were anyone else, they might think that they were mistaken, but Shen Rulin believed firmly that he had seen something. He hesitated for a second before getting off the horse. He patted Qing Xue and said softly, ¡°Qing Xue, wait for me here. Don¡¯t run.¡± Qing Xue neighed in response. Shen Rulin extinguished the lightning on the Thunderball Sword and walked in that direction in the dark. Because the thing flashed by, Shen Rulin was not very sure of the exact location of it. He first walked back dozens of steps and pricked up his ears to listen for a moment. After confirming that there was nothing unusual around him, he raised the Thunderball and suddenly activated his internal energy. The snow-white electric light flickered, instantly illuminating an area of ten steps. Shen Rulin was about to look around when he realized that there was something white hanging on the stone wall two to three steps in front of him. When he got closer, Shen Rulin realized that it was a piece of white brocade that was slightly larger than a palm. He recognized it at a glance as the curtain on the roof of his father¡¯s carriage. Now that it appeared here, it was most likely scraped off by a rock when the carriage passed by. As he thought about this, Shen Rulin reached out to take off the white cloth. As soon as he touched it, he felt that his fingertips were a little sticky. He turned it over and saw a few words written in blood on the back of the white cloth! ¡°There¡¯s a dead end ahead! Go back!¡± The handwriting of these words was very sloppy. It was obvious that they were written in a panic. However, Shen Rulin still recognized that it was his father¡¯s handwriting, and his expression immediately became solemn. No one in the Five Elements Imperial Guards knew his father¡¯s personality better than him. His father could remain calm even in the face of a landslide, but now, he left behind such sloppy handwriting. It was enough to show that the danger here was far beyond what his father could control! However, other than the fact that the journey was a little long, Shen Rulin did not find anything unusual. Why did his father leave these words? After thinking for a long time, Shen Rulin still had no clue. He looked at the white cloth carefully with the help of the electric light, wanting to find some clues. However, other than the blood being dried and dark red, there was nothing else. Just as Shen Rulin was feeling puzzled, the sound of horse hooves suddenly sounded and receded into the distance. ¡°Qing Xue!¡± Shen Rulin¡¯s expression changed and he was about to chase when he suddenly felt a grip on his shoulder. He turned around and saw a thin and bloody hand pressing down on his shoulder! This bloody hand appeared too suddenly. Shen Rulin did not have time to think carefully and instinctively swung his sword. At the same time, the bloody hand let go of Shen Rulin¡¯s shoulder. With a light pinch of its two thin fingers, the Thunderball was locked in place. Seeing this, Shen Rulin was shocked. Just as he was about to exert more strength, he heard a low voice behind him. ¡°You even dare to point a sword at me now.¡± ¡°Father?¡± Shen Rulin instantly recognized the voice. He turned around and saw a withered old man standing behind him. His face was wrinkled and looked tired, but his expression was still serious. This person was Shen Rulin¡¯s father, the commander of the Five Elements Imperial Guards, Shen Qingquan! ¡°Father! It¡¯s really you!¡± Shen Rulin was overjoyed and pulled Shen Qingquan into his arms. However, before he could say anything, he was suddenly sent flying by a gentle force! Shen Rulin let out a cry and flew more than 20 feet before landing on the ground. Before he could get up, he heard Shen Qingquan reprimand him in a displeased tone, ¡°Didn¡¯t ever I teach you it¡¯s appropriate for two men to hug each other?¡± Shen Rulin felt helpless. He sighed and knelt on the ground. ¡°Father¡­ Ah no, Commander, you are right. My apologies for being rude.¡± ¡°Get up. I don¡¯t want to see that happen again.¡± Shen Qingquan frowned and said coldly, but there was a smile on his face that disappeared in an instant. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Shen Rulin stood up and carefully explained everything. As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Qingquan asked, ¡°In that case, you don¡¯t know where Lin Ran currently is either?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Rulin nodded. After hesitating for a moment, he raised his head and asked tentatively, ¡°Father, your injury¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Shen Qingquan waved his hand to interrupt Shen Rulin and asked, ¡°When you were with Lin Ran, did he say where he was going?¡± ¡°Lin Ran only said that he wanted to wait and see. He didn¡¯t tell me his plan.¡± Shen Rulin replied honestly with a puzzled expression. ¡°Commander, you keep mentioning Lin Ran. What does it have to do with Lin Ran?¡± Shen Qingquan shook his head gently, his calm eyes suddenly revealing a hint of helplessness. ¡°But if we can¡¯t find him, both of us will die here.¡± ¡­ Sword Grave. When Lin Ran heard Huo Qiyun say that this stone platform was strange, his expression changed in an instant. Just as he was thinking about how to comfort him, he heard Huo Qiyun ask curiously, ¡°Why is this stone platform black?¡± ¡°Black?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t understand what he meant at first. It took him a moment to react. The last time the two of them entered Sword Grave, this stone platform was emitting a halo. At that time, because they were afraid of the black insects, they did not dare to use their internal energy, so they relied on the fluorescent halo of this stone platform to illuminate the area. However, at this moment, in this absolute darkness, there was not a single trace of light. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly thought of a possibility that even he found ridiculous. Chapter 250 - 250 Internal Strife of the Five Elements Imperial Guards? 250 Internal Strife of the Five Elements Imperial Guards? Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°Huo Qiyun, I have something to tell you. I hope you can be mentally prepared.¡± ¡°Are you in love with Sister Empress?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before he quickly waved his hand. ¡°What nonsense are you thinking about?! Of course not!¡± Huo Qiyun nodded and sounded relieved. ¡°Then tell me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Lin Ran hesitated again and asked in a roundabout manner, ¡°Did you notice anything wrong? It¡¯s not about Sword Grave, it¡¯s about you.¡± ¡°About me?¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s voice was filled with confusion. ¡°I feel a little tired, but it¡¯s not a big deal. What do you want to say? Can you light up the place first?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a few fire sword energies lit up in the darkness and spiraled to a high place. The two of them could barely see each other¡¯s faces. ¡°Why did you raise it so high? I¡­¡± Halfway through his sentence, Huo Qiyun realized that Lin Ran was looking at him with a solemn expression. He was stunned and asked in confusion, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Lin Ran moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything. He reached out and lifted Huo Qiyun¡¯s clothes. ¡°See for yourself.¡± Huo Qiyun was confused by Lin Ran¡¯s actions. He looked down in confusion, and then his expression instantly turned ugly! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Huo Qiyun shouted and struggled with both hands on the ground, but no matter how hard he tried, his waist, which was attached to the ground, did not move. ¡°Calm down!¡± Lin Ran quickly stopped Huo Qiyun and summoned a fire sword energy to illuminate the things that looked like tree roots. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is yet, but it grew out of you. If you act rashly and break them, I don¡¯t know what the consequences will be.¡± Huo Qiyun suddenly looked up at Lin Ran. ¡°But compared to living like this, I¡¯d rather¡­¡± A crisp slap suddenly landed on Huo Qiyun¡¯s face, causing him to stop in mid-sentence. A clear palm print quickly appeared on Huo Qiyun¡¯s face, but he looked confused, as if he didn¡¯t know what had happened. ¡°Are you calm now?¡± Lin Ran cracked his knuckles and said angrily, ¡°Seriously¡­ Can you let me finish? Why do you have to force me to do it?¡± At this moment, Huo Qiyun came back to his senses. He touched his face and didn¡¯t struggle crazily like before. He just said expressionlessly in a low voice, ¡°Go on then.¡± Seeing Huo Qiyun like a walking corpse, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but sigh, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. If the two of them were swapped, Lin Ran felt that he couldn¡¯t remain calm either. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran said, ¡°You don¡¯t feel anything unusual now, right?¡± Huo Qiyun nodded. Lin Ran asked again, ¡°Then can you feel your legs?¡± ¡°Kind of¡­¡± Huo Qiyun nodded and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe it¡­ At this moment, I can¡¯t feel my legs, but I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve lost them either. If I concentrate, I can feel something pressing down on me¡­ Do you understand this feeling?¡± Lin Ran was confused, but he still nodded to show that he understood. After thinking for a moment, he suggested, ¡°How about this? Try and see if your legs can move.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded. Just as Lin Ran was about to ask, a rumbling sound came from the ground! The sound clearly came from deep underground. When it passed through the layers of rocks and reached Sword Grave, it was so weak that it was almost inaudible. If the two of them hadn¡¯t kept quiet, they might not have heard it. The two of them instantly became vigilant. Lin Ran raised his hand and summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Huo Qiyun nodded. ¡°The source of the sound is very far away. It shouldn¡¯t be a threat to us for the time being.¡± Lin Ran replied in a low voice, ¡°We can¡¯t let our guard down.¡± Mount Sword used to be the place Lin Ran was most familiar with. But now, because of the existence of the mastermind, everything here began to feel unfamiliar to him. In this dangerous environment, it was really difficult for Lin Ran to completely relax. At the same time, in a certain passage in the mountain. Shen Rulin walked slowly with his father, Shen Qingquan. Suddenly, a slight sound brushed past their ears, and the two of them immediately stopped in their tracks. Shen Rulin was stunned for a moment before asking, ¡°Father, did you hear it too?¡± Shen Qingquan nodded slightly. ¡°This sound came from very far away.¡± Hearing this, Shen Rulin narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is it the sound of people fighting?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Shen Qingquan shook his head thoughtfully. ¡°The sound only rang once. Someone must be trapped and trying to find the way out.¡± Shen Rulin¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Could it be Lin Ran?¡± This time, Shen Qingquan did not speak immediately. He pondered seriously for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say now, but there shouldn¡¯t be anyone else in this mountain¡­ Let¡¯s go to Sword Grave quickly. If he¡¯s still here, he¡¯ll probably go there too.¡± Shen Rulin agreed and continued to help his father walk forward, but he couldn¡¯t help but look back from the corner of his eye. Seeing his son¡¯s strange action, Shen Qingquan asked in a low voice, ¡°Rulin, what are you looking at?¡± ¡°Father, I¡­¡± Shen Rulin asked tentatively, ¡°I¡¯m wondering if we really don¡¯t have to find Qing Xue and the other horses. There¡¯s only this passage here. If we chase with all our might, we might be able to find them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless even if we find the horses.¡± Shen Qingquan sighed softly, his deep voice revealing no emotions. ¡°They¡¯ve already been infected by the evil aura here. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been injured.¡± Hearing his father mention this, Shen Rulin¡¯s heart skipped a beat and he asked, ¡°Father, your injury looks strange. Who exactly did you encounter?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Shen Qingquan said calmly, ¡°The other party didn¡¯t reveal himself and shattered my carriage with one strike¡­ I suspect that it¡¯s that old fellow, Tu Baichuan!¡± ¡°Tu Baichuan?!¡± Shen Rulin¡¯s expression changed drastically as he exclaimed, ¡°The Commander of the Earth Guard, Tu Baichuan?!¡± Chapter 251 - 251 Calm in the Face of Danger 251 Calm in the Face of Danger Because the Five Elements Imperial Guards had different responsibilities, other than large-scale operations, they rarely interacted. Of course, this was not absolute. For example, there was often interaction between the Golden Guards and the Water Guards to exchange information. However, the Earth Guards¡¯ main duty was to guard the periphery. There was no reason for them to appear here. Therefore, after the initial shock, Shen Rulin inevitably felt suspicious. ¡°Father, why do you suspect it¡¯s him?¡± ¡°My intuition.¡± Shen Qingquan said with uncertainty, ¡°At that time, when I heard that you were missing in the mountain, I barged in in a hurry and found the cave you dug at the top.¡± ¡°After coming down from the cave, I discovered the five-colored smoke you left behind. I knew that you had just left, so I chased after you¡­¡± Hearing this, Shen Rulin couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. ¡°Father, there were a total of three cave entrances in that stone room. How did you determine where I went?¡± ¡°Three cave entrances?¡± When Shen Qingquan heard this, he was stunned for a moment, his eyes clearly filled with confusion. ¡°But when I got down, there was only one cave entrance!¡± ¡°One?!¡± This time, it was Shen Rulin¡¯s turn to be stunned. He clearly saw three cave entrances in the stone room. His father was far above him in terms of cultivation and experience. How could he fail to see the other two? ¡°Could the mechanism in the mountain move the cave entrances away?¡± Shen Rulin thought to himself. He remembered that Lin Ran had said that the main peak of Mount Sword was a huge mechanism. Moreover, after he returned from the canyon, the cave entrance that they had sealed previously was restored. This was enough to show that the mechanism really existed. If someone hid two of the cave entrances after he and Lin Ran left, it would be normal for his father to only see one cave entrance when he arrived. Shen Rulin figured this out, but he did not say it out loud. This was because compared to what his father suspected, the change in the number of cave entrances was simply insignificant. Shen Qingquan did not know that his son was absent-minded. He continued, ¡°But after entering the cave, I realized that something was wrong. There¡¯s no sign of anyone having passed by in the cave, but because that¡¯s the only cave I could take, I continued forward.¡± At this point, Shen Qingquan paused for a moment, and he looked pensive. ¡°When I walked for nearly five kilometers, I suddenly sensed a strong internal energy fluctuation.¡± ¡°Then, the stone walls on both sides began to close quickly. My carriage was squeezed, so I had no choice but to abandon it and rush back. However, when I returned the way I came, I realized that the cave entrance I took had disappeared.¡± ¡°Disappeared?¡± Shen Rulin was stunned when he heard this. He remembered that Lin Ran had destroyed the cave entrance to the south, but his father entered the cave entrance to the north. Could it be that he remembered wrongly? Before Shen Rulin could recall carefully, what Shen Qingquan said next proved that his memory served him right. ¡°The original cave entrance turned into a stone wall. The rut I left on the ground appeared on the stone wall.¡± Shen Qingquan frowned slightly and said in a low voice, as if he still did not understand. ¡°I originally thought that it was a stone door, but when I used my divine sense to investigate, I realized that it was an ordinary rock.¡± Hearing this, Shen Rulin immediately looked puzzled. Even though he knew that this mountain was a huge mechanism, he still felt that the power of this mechanism was too unbelievable. ¡°What happened after that?¡± Shen Rulin hurriedly asked, ¡°Since your path of retreat has been blocked, how did you leave?¡± ¡°At that time, the stone walls on both sides were still closing in. I didn¡¯t have time to think too much about it. When I realized that my way out was blocked, I walked back.¡± ¡°When I walked back, the carriage was already crushed by the closing stone wall. Qin Xue and the other horses were also nowhere to be seen. However, I couldn¡¯t even protect myself at that time, so I didn¡¯t look for them and could only continue forward.¡± ¡°Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take long for me to find a hole that can barely accommodate me. This arm was injured when the stone walls pressed together.¡± Shen Qingquan raised his injured arm and said calmly, as if he was talking about an insignificant matter. However, Shen Rulin knew his father¡¯s personality too well. The situation at that time must have been extremely dangerous. After a pause to calm himself down, Shen Rulin continued to ask, ¡°Father, did you suspect that Uncle Tu attacked you because of the closing stone walls?¡± Shen Qingquan nodded. ¡°Controlling the earth and stones is that old guy¡¯s forte. I just can¡¯t figure out why he attacked me.¡± ¡°Father, I think¡­ you might have misunderstood Uncle Tu.¡± Shen Rulin smiled bitterly and told him everything he had heard from Lin Ran in detail. When he heard that the main peak of Mount Sword was a huge mechanism, even the experienced Shen Qingquan couldn¡¯t help but reveal a strange expression. It had to be known that the Five Elements Imperial Guards was quite high-ranking in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. As the commander of the Golden Guards, Shen Qingquan knew a lot of secrets, but he had never heard of this! ¡°How many more secrets does the Heavenly Saint Dynasty have¡­¡± Shen Qingquan suddenly thought of something and looked at Shen Rulin. ¡°Rulin, did you just say that¡­ Lin Ran can also control the mechanism here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Rulin nodded, but his tone was a little uncertain. ¡°But I only heard him mention it. I¡¯ve never seen him do it with my own eyes.¡± Shen Qingquan continued to ask, ¡°You also said that he shook you off in a canyon outside the mountain?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Rulin nodded again. ¡°Father, did you ask me these because you thought of something?¡± Shen Qingquan didn¡¯t answer. He just looked at Shen Rulin with a burning gaze. ¡°Think about it carefully. Along the way, did Lin Ran do anything suspicious?¡± Just as Shen Rulin was about to say no, a terrifying thought suddenly came to his mind when he opened his mouth. ¡°Father¡­¡± Shen Rulin subconsciously gulped. ¡°I think I know what¡¯s going on.¡± Chapter 252 - 252 Taking the Blame Again 252 Taking the Blame Again After hearing his father¡¯s question, the first thing Shen Rulin thought of was that Lin Ran¡¯s analysis along the way was always wrong. Almost every time he finished speaking, he would be slapped in the face by what unfolded. However, Lin Ran¡¯s analysis made sense. Otherwise, Shen Rulin wouldn¡¯t have been fooled by him. At first, Shen Rulin felt that Lin Ran was just unlucky. It was not until his father asked him that he thought of another possibility¡ªLin Ran did it on purpose. The analysis was made up by Lin Ran to fool him. Lin Ran wasted so much time walking around the mountain not because he couldn¡¯t find the way, but because he wanted to stall for time so that Shen Qingquan would be worried and go into the mountain to look for his son. They returned halfway because Lin Ran had already activated the mechanism. He felt that Shen Qingquan was definitely going to die, so he brought Shen Rulin back to the stone room and lured Shen Rulin to the canyon from another cave entrance to prevent him from wandering around the mountain and discovering Shen Qingquan¡¯s corpse! As soon as this thought appeared, a layer of cold sweat broke out on Shen Rulin¡¯s back. Although he didn¡¯t know what grudge Lin Ran had with his father, and there was no evidence to support this deduction, as soon as this thought appeared, he had a strong feeling that he had probably guessed the truth! After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, Shen Rulin told his father his analysis bit by bit. Shen Qingquan listened quietly and did not interrupt. From time to time, he would nod in response. Only when Shen Rulin finished did he ask, ¡°Is your guess based on any evidence?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shen Rulin shook his head honestly. ¡°But since Lin Ran is His Majesty¡¯s trusted aide, he must be far more capable than ordinary people. If he doesn¡¯t want me to find any evidence, it¡¯ll be very difficult for me to find out, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Shen Rulin reached out to touch the stone wall at the side. ¡°Compared to Uncle Tu, who is your sworn brother, I still think it¡¯s more likely for Lin Ran to do this. Father, do you really have no grudge against Lin Ran?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. We¡¯ve only met twice.¡± Shen Qingquan replied firmly without hesitation, ¡°The first time was the day the Sacred Abyss Sword was stolen. Although I ordered you to capture him that day, I was just following orders. There is no reason for him to hate me because of this.¡± Shen Rulin nodded in agreement. Then, he changed the topic and asked, ¡°By the way, Father, you said that if we can¡¯t find Lin Ran, we¡¯ll all die here¡­ Who told you this?¡± ¡°Yin Hui told me.¡± Shen Qingquan replied bluntly, but Shen Rulin frowned. Yin Hui was one of the four white horses bestowed by the late emperor to Shen Qingquan and was the most intelligent among the four. However, Shen Rulin still couldn¡¯t imagine how a horse could ¡°tell¡± such complicated information to his father. As if sensing Shen Rulin¡¯s confusion, before he could ask, Shen Qingquan took the initiative to say, ¡°After I hid in the hole, the cave completely closed. It didn¡¯t open again after a long time.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t get out. I could only walk furhter into the hole. Fortunately, although the hole is narrow, it¡¯s barely enough for me to pass through.¡± Shen Qingquan took a deep breath and continued, ¡°I walked through the hole for about a hundred feet and arrived at another cave. It¡¯s not as spacious as the last one. I chose a direction and didn¡¯t walk far before I saw Yin Hui and Yun Xun.¡± ¡°After that, I vaguely heard a voice shouting for Lin Ran. Just as I was looking for the source of the voice, I accidentally discovered another hole and heard the sound of Qing Xue¡¯s hooves. The hole was not long. After I passed through it, I arrived here.¡± Shen Qingquan¡¯s voice was as deep as usual, but when he mentioned Yin Hui and Yun Xun, his expression was clearly a little unnatural. Shen Rulin saw these subtle changes, but he did not ask further. Worried that his father would remember something sad, Shen Rulin quickly changed the topic and asked, ¡°Just because you heard someone called Lin Ran, can you conclude that he¡¯s the key to solving the problem?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a thought.¡± Shen Qingquan shook his head, but his eyes were filled with certainty. ¡°But after hearing what happened on your side, I¡¯m basically certain that Lin Ran is the key to solving the problem here!¡± ¡­ In Sword Grave, on the stone platform in the pool. ¡°Achoo!¡± Lin Ran suddenly sneezed loudly, causing an echo in the sealed tomb. Lin Ran rubbed his nose. ¡°But I have an ominous feeling.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Is the thing that made the sound coming?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing unusual within a thousand feet.¡± Lin Ran shook his head and said firmly. Ever since he heard the sound just now, he had immediately extended his divine sense to cover an area of thousands of feet. Within a thousand feet, even if it was just an insect flapping its wings, Lin Ran could feel it clearly. Of course, this feeling was not good because there were billions of black insects in the black water pool where the stone platform was. When they flapped their wings together, Lin Ran felt that his brain was about to explode. After a moment of silence, Huo Qiyun said, ¡°We can¡¯t stay here forever. Why don¡¯t you go out first¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Lin Ran refused without hesitation. ¡°I asked you to come, so I must bring you back!¡± ¡°Let me finish.¡± Huo Qiyun smiled bitterly and said helplessly, ¡°What I mean is that you have to bring Xiao Huai out first before coming back to save me. Otherwise, if anything happens, it¡¯ll be very difficult for Xiao Huai to protect her.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. Xiao Huai was unconscious now. If anything happened, it would indeed be difficult for him to take care of both of them alone. Since he had made up his mind, Lin Ran was about to send Xiao Huai out when he realized that Huo Qiyun was still holding Xiao Huai¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry as he asked, ¡°Are you unwilling to let her go, or are you afraid that I won¡¯t come back to save you?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. ¡°I can¡¯t open my hand.¡± Chapter 253 - 253 Hidden Crisis, Crimson Mycelium 253 Hidden Crisis, Crimson Mycelium Hearing Huo Qiyun¡¯s words, Lin Ran thought that Huo Qiyun was joking again. However, when Lin Ran saw Huo Qiyun shaking his arm crazily, unable to detach his hand from Xiao Huai¡¯s, he realized that something was wrong. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Let me check!¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he placed Xiao Huai on the ground and summoned a few fire sword energies. He leaned close to look at their hands carefully. At first, Lin Ran didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. It wasn¡¯t until he pried Huo Qiyun¡¯s fingers open a little that he saw that the place where their hands were touching was covered in countless scarlet and mycelium-like things! The red mycelium seemed to be extremely elastic. As soon as Lin Ran let go, Huo Qiyun¡¯s fingers were immediately pulled back. However, even if it was only for a moment, it was enough for the two of them to see it clearly. ¡°What is this.¡± Huo Qiyun asked softly with a pale face. A layer of sweat broke out on his forehead. It was unknown if it was from pain or fear. Lin Ran shook his head to indicate that he didn¡¯t know. However, from what he glimpsed just now, he vaguely felt that the mycelium was somewhat similar to the ¡°root¡± growing out of Huo Qiyun. After a moment of silence, Lin Ran asked, ¡°When did you realize that you couldn¡¯t loosen your grip?¡± ¡°Just now.¡± Huo Qiyun said in a low voice, ¡°But this situation should have been going on for a long time. Every time I wake up these past few days, I can feel my hand holding Xiao Huai. I thought that holding her hand could make her feel secure, so I didn¡¯t pull back.¡± Lin Ran took a deep breath and looked at their hands with a strange expression. ¡°I have an idea. Although I can¡¯t guarantee that it will work, if it works, I might be able to bring you out with me as well.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡°Although the sizes are different, I feel that what¡¯s growing on your hand is the same thing as these.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he lifted Huo Qiyun¡¯s clothes and showed him the tree root-like things growing on his body. ¡°The size of these on you is too scary. I don¡¯t know what will happen if I cut them off, so I want to try cutting the small ones on your hand first to see what¡¯ll happen.¡± Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t say anything. A few veins bulged on his thin face, as if he was gritting his teeth. Just now, when Lin Ran pried open his fingers a little, he felt a tearing pain in his muscles. Although he didn¡¯t know what the red mycelium was, it seemed to have become a part of his body. Now that Lin Ran suggested cutting off the mycelium, Huo Qiyun immediately felt fear for no reason. However, this fear only lasted for less than a second. He gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, ¡°Go ahead.¡± Lin Ran nodded and raised his hand to summon the sharpest Dragon Roar Sword. He pried open Huo Qiyun¡¯s fingers slightly before cutting the outermost mycelium. With a soft whoosh, the thin mycelium snapped. Almost at the same time, Huo Qiyun¡¯s entire body shook violently and he almost broke free from Lin Ran¡¯s grip! Lin Ran was shocked. He quickly looked at Huo Qiyun and asked with concern, ¡°What happened? Why are you reacting so strongly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Huo Qiyun gritted his teeth as cold sweat rolled down his pale face. ¡°Continue!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of continuing!¡± Lin Ran could tell at a glance that something was wrong. He had just cut off a few mycelium, and Huo Qiyun looked like he was about to die. There were nearly a hundred mycelium strands growing on one fingertip on Huo Qiyun¡¯s hand. If Lin Ran cut them all off, Huo Qiyun would probably die eight hundred times! Thinking of this, Lin Ran put away the Ten Miles Dragon Roar and waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll think of another way!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, another rumbling sound came from the ground. This time, the sound was clearly much louder than last time. Even the stone platform shook slightly. The two of them subconsciously looked at each other and saw the vigilance in each other¡¯s eyes. Although they did not know what was deep underground, it was obvious that it had already begun to become irritable. ¡°It¡¯s fine! I can hold on!¡± Huo Qiyun gritted his teeth and insisted, ¡°It was because I wasn¡¯t prepared just now. Now that I¡¯m ready, do it!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s face darkened and he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°We are running out of time!¡± Seeing that Lin Ran still didn¡¯t raise his sword, Huo Qiyun made up his mind and drew his sword, ready to do it himself. The sword slashed down, but it stopped half an inch away from Huo Qiyun¡¯s wrist. Huo Qiyun looked up and saw Lin Ran reach out and grab the sword with two fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Lin Ran looked into Huo Qiyun¡¯s eyes and said in a low voice. Then, he took the sword from Huo Qiyun and knocked him out. ¡°This way, you shouldn¡¯t feel any pain¡­¡± Lin Ran muttered to himself and pried open Huo Qiyun¡¯s fingers. He looked at the sword in his hand that was flickering with cold light. After hesitating for a moment, he made up his mind and cut it. ¡­ Somewhere in Mount Sword. Shen Rulin and his father walked silently in the pitch-black cave. Suddenly, a slight vibration came from the ground. The two of them stopped in their tracks. After the vibration was gone, Shen Qingquan said, ¡°We have to speed up. The noise this time is clearly much louder than last time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shen Rulin nodded, his face filled with helplessness. ¡°But even if we want to speed up, we still don¡¯t know where Sword Grave is.¡± Shen Qingquan said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s continue forward first.¡± Shen Rulin nodded in agreement. Then, he handed the Thunderball Sword to his father and grabbed the hilt of his original sword. As soon as the snow-white lightning flickered, the two of them turned into a phantom and disappeared. ¡­ In Sword Grave, on the stone platform in the pool. Lin Ran had already cut open the mycelium on two fingers. There was clearly no blood flowing out, but the air was filled with the nauseating smell of blood. At the same time, the inexplicable vibration appeared again. Although it was not as ¡°majestic¡± as last time, the interval was getting shorter and shorter! The continuous vibration was like a death warrant. Even Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious, but at this moment, he reached the most difficult part¡ªthe place where Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai¡¯s fingers were crossed, so he had to do it very carefully. Although it wasn¡¯t a big deal to scratch their fingers to save their lives, the mycelium was strange. If possible, Lin Ran still hoped that their blood wouldn¡¯t touch the mycelium. However, even though Lin Ran was already very careful, a sudden violent vibration still made his hand tremble slightly. The sharp tip of the sword cut through Xiao Huai¡¯s finger. Almost at the same time, all the sounds instantly disappeared. It was so quiet that time seemed to have frozen. Lin Ran¡¯s pupils constricted, and he suddenly had an ominous feeling. Chapter 254 - 254 A Message from the Nemesis, Goodwill or Provocation? 254 A Message from the Nemesis, Goodwill or Provocation? The sudden silence made one¡¯s heart palpitate. Lin Ran¡¯s muscles instantly tensed up, and he maintained the posture of cutting the mycelium. He watched as a dark red drop of blood seeped out of the wound on Xiao Huai¡¯s finger and pricked up his ears to listen to the sounds around him. The first thing he heard was Huo Qiyun¡¯s clearly rapid breathing, followed by the buzzing sound of the fire sword energy circling in the air and the rustling sound of billions of black insects flapping their wings¡­ After Lin Ran deliberately filtered out these sounds, a strange sound that he had never heard before began to appear. The sound was so soft that Lin Ran had to hold his breath to hear it. It was gurgling somewhere, like the sound of running water. At the same time, it was intermittent like breathing, as if it carried a certain rhythm. Lin Ran closed his eyes and listened carefully. He realized that the sound was almost ringing in his ears. Just as he was thinking about what it was, he accidentally opened his eyes and realized that at some point, his surroundings had lit up with a hazy red light. Lin Ran extinguished the fire sword energy circling in the air. With the fire sword energy gone, the red light became more and more obvious. It was actually emitted from Huo Qiyun¡¯s body¡ªor more precisely, from Huo Qiyun¡¯s waist. Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and reached out to pick up Huo Qiyun¡¯s clothes. He saw that what was glowing was indeed the tree root-like thing at his waist. At this moment, these things looked more like blood vessels. As they pulsed, beams of dark red light flowed through them like magma. However, Lin Ran did not notice this before, which meant that this phenomenon had just happened. ¡°These mycelium are indeed connected to the tree roots!¡± Lin Ran muttered softly, and his expression darkened. In fact, after seeing the ¡°mycelium¡± and ¡°roots¡±, he had a guess. These mycelium should have grown out of Xiao Huai¡¯s body. After passing through Huo Qiyun¡¯s body, they grew into tree roots and rooted him deeply on the stone platform. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know why Xiao Huai didn¡¯t ¡°take root¡± on the stone platform herself, but it was obvious that she couldn¡¯t do such a thing. Therefore, someone used Huo Qiyun as a medium for Xiao Huai to absorb something. The person who set all of this up was undoubtedly Liu Hongshan, who had once appeared here! Thinking of this, Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly darkened. In the darkness, extreme anger seemed to have materialized and surged around him! ¡°In short, the two of you should go back as soon as possible. Otherwise¡­ you might regret it.¡± Previously, in the Great Yong Dynasty, Liu Hongshan had specially found Lin Ran and the empress and said this to them before leaving. When Lin Ran first heard this, he thought that Liu Hongshan was hinting that something had happened to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. But now that he thought about it, the ¡°regret¡± he was referring to should be Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai! Lin Ran didn¡¯t know what was going on with this technique of rooting people on the stone platform, but this process clearly took time. The more he thought about it, the more muddle-headed he became. Lin Ran patted his face hard and forced himself to calm down. Then, he waved his sword and scattered a few fire sword energies before continuing to focus on cutting the mycelium. After realizing that time was running out, Lin Ran was no longer so careful. Soon, Lin Ran separated their hands. Before he could heave a sigh of relief, he realized that there was a small jade talisman hidden where their palms connected. The jade talisman was half the size of an egg and half an inch thick. The quality was not particularly good, and there were no patterns on the surface. It looked like a raw jade that had just been polished. However, when Lin Ran injected his divine sense into it, a man¡¯s voice sounded in his mind. ¡°Lin Ran, you should be the one holding this jade talisman right now, right?¡± ¡°Liu Hongshan!¡± Lin Ran instantly recognized the voice and frowned. Lin Ran was not surprised to hear Liu Hongshan¡¯s voice. After all, there were only a few people who knew of the existence of Sword Grave. What he was more concerned about was why Liu Hongshan left a message for him in this way. As if knowing that Lin Ran would ask this question, Liu Hongshan¡¯s voice continued in his mind, ¡°There are three main reasons why I left this jade talisman for you.¡± ¡°First of all, what you are facing is the Taotie¡¯s Evil Technique in the form of an array formation.¡± ¡°The platform you¡¯re on is the array formation of Mount Sword¡¯s mountain-protecting array formation. I connected Huo Qiyun to the earth vein of Mount Sword. This way, Xiao Huai can use him to absorb the killing intent and evil aura of the entire Mount Sword to heal her injuries. The sword intent that is useless to her will remain in Huo Qiyun¡¯s body.¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he frowned. If Liu Hongshan wasn¡¯t lying, this would be a huge opportunity for Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai. But why did he do this? ¡°Are you wondering why I helped them?¡± Liu Hongshan laughed devilishly. Even though it was just a voice, Lin Ran could still imagine his expression. Liu Hongshan continued in a serious tone, ¡°I once promised Huo Qiyun that if he handed the Sacred Abyss Sword to me, I would help him increase his strength. Although the Sacred Abyss Sword he gave me is fake, it didn¡¯t affect my plan, so I still fulfilled my promise. After all, I¡¯ve always kept my word.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips in disdain. At the same time, Liu Hongshan continued, ¡°Increasing Huo Qiyun¡¯s strength and treating Xiao Huai are two of the three reasons why I set up the Taotie Evil Technique. As for the last¡ª¡± At this point, Liu Hongshan suddenly stopped talking. There was a long silence, so long that Lin Ran thought that the message was over. Just as Lin Ran was about to retract his divine sense, Liu Hongshan finally said, ¡°I want to see the regretful expression on your face.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t be saved anymore? Chapter 255 - 255 Missed a Good Opportunity 255 Missed a Good Opportunity Despair sprouted in Lin Ran¡¯s heart, but before it could take root, it was instantly crushed by Liu Hongshan¡¯s next words. ¡°The fact that you found this jade talisman means that you¡¯ve already separated the two of them.¡± ¡°Originally, if you leave them alone, when Xiao Huai recovers, she will naturally be separated from Huo Qiyun, and Huo Qiyun can at least break through to the ninth level of the Grandmaster Realm, but now¡ª¡± There was another familiar silence. Liu Hongshan chuckled slyly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what realm Huo Qiyun can break through to, and I don¡¯t know when Xiao Huai will wake up. Huo Qiyun lost a chance to increase his realm, and you obtained a severely injured demon¡­¡± Crack! With a crisp sound, the jade talisman was crushed by Lin Ran. He had already heard the answer he wanted. As for what Liu Hongshan wanted to say next, he was not interested at all. ¡°Liu Hongshan!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth. The main purpose of Liu Hongshan leaving the jade talisman was to anger him. Although Lin Ran didn¡¯t want to admit it, it was obvious that Liu Hongshan had succeeded. However, before Lin Ran could explode with anger, the originally quiet Sword Grave shook. Then, all the evil aura and killing intent in Sword Grave boiled and condensed into wisps of black fog that gathered towards Xiao Huai! Apart from the evil aura and killing intent, Lin Ran could clearly feel the sword intent around him begin to gather. At the same time, Huo Qiyun¡¯s aura began to rise steadily! The pressure of the first level of the Grandmaster Realm descended, followed by the second level, the third level¡­ It only gradually stabilized when Huo Qiyun was about to enter the sixth level. At the same time, countless sword intent began to appear in the air. The flickering cold light made Sword Grave look like a dazzling galaxy. Even the furious Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be a little stunned by such a beautiful scene. Just as he was in a daze, a cold light flashed past and a wound appeared on his cheek. He didn¡¯t even see what it was! The moment the pain entered his brain, Lin Ran had already summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. Thousands of condensed sword energy swept out and instantly formed a sword energy cage to protect the three of them. Almost at the same time, the sword intents that flickered like stars began to fly crazily. In just a moment, fine cracks appeared on the sword energy cage. Lin Ran had no choice but to slash out thousands of sword energy to maintain the protective barrier. In the blink of an eye, the originally quiet Sword Grave had become a battlefield. Hearing the howling wind outside, Lin Ran inexplicably felt that even with his cultivation, he would definitely be minced without a bone if he went out. This was only what Lin Ran saw. In places he didn¡¯t see, this scene of carnage happened on almost every inch of Mount Sword! Facing this sudden sword intent storm, the first to suffer was the Golden Guards who were investigating. Almost at the same time the sword intent appeared, dozens of Golden Guards fell to the ground in a mess. By the time the others reacted and retreated from Mount Sword, the number of casualties had already exceeded 300! There were only about a thousand guards in the entire Golden Guards, and they had lost 30% of them in the blink of an eye. Just as everyone was trembling in fear, someone discovered another phenomenon, or rather, two phenomena. First, the dark clouds that enveloped Mount Sword began to gather. Then, the divine swords that filled the mountain began to rust and decay like flowers that had lost their nutrients. When they fell to the ground, they turned into rust-colored scraps. Even the gems on them shattered into pieces. At the same time, in the cave that led to Sword Grave that Lin Ran had opened previously. Shen Rulin and his father crawled out of a hole. Before they could get their bearings, Shen Qingquan suddenly shouted, ¡°Be careful.¡± Then, he pushed Shen Rulin away. Pfft! Shen Rulin hurriedly turned around and saw his father standing where he was just now. His arm was still in the posture of pushing him, but the area below his elbow was gone¡­ ¡°Father!¡± Shen Rulin¡¯s eyes instantly turned bloodshot. Just as he was about to step forward to check, he was suddenly forced to fall to the ground by a sharp pain. Only then did he realize that the armor on his leg had been cut open and blood was flowing out of the wound. It was obvious that he was seriously injured. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash! Retreat first!¡± As Shen Qingquan spoke, he retreated into the hole. His voice was as calm and powerful as ever, as if the person with half of his arm cut off was someone else. Hearing his father¡¯s calm voice, Shen Rulin calmed down immediately. He curled up to protect his vitals and quickly crawled into the hole. ¡°Father! How are you?¡± As soon as he entered the hole, Shen Rulin hurriedly asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± As Shen Qingquan spoke, he reached out and pressed a hand on Shen Rulin¡¯s chest. Then, boundless pure internal energy was injected into him. Shen Rulin was about to refuse when he heard Shen Qingquan say in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t move! I can¡¯t get out of here with my old bones. It¡¯s a waste to keep this internal energy in me. Hurry up and circulate your internal energy to heal. I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Father¡­¡± Shen Rulin wanted to say something, but when he felt the force coming from the hand on his chest, he finally shut his mouth and began to circulate his energy to heal as he was told. ¡°Since you were young, I¡¯ve always been very strict with you¡ªdon¡¯t speak¡ªI know you know in your heart that I¡¯m strict with you for your own good, but I always feel like I owe you something.¡± As he spoke, Shen Rulin felt his father¡¯s hand move to his outer shoulder. Then, a withered body leaned over. ¡°Fortunately, the two of us are relatively thin, so we can still hug in such a cramped place.¡± Shen Rulin trembled and his eyes instantly turned red. ¡°Father¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak. Heal well.¡± After saying that, Shen Qingquan returned to his original position and continued to inject internal energy into Shen Rulin. ¡°I¡¯ve used my divine sense to check. From here, there¡¯s a huge space about 150 feet to the left. There¡¯s a master there who¡¯s far stronger than me. It should be Lin Ran, whom we¡¯ve been looking for.¡± Hearing that his father had found Lin Ran, Shen Rulin suddenly had a strange feeling. On the one hand, finding Lin Ran meant that he could leave this place, but on the other hand, Lin Ran¡¯s previous suspicious actions did not make sense. At the thought that Lin Ran might want to attack his father, Shen Rulin had the urge to escape. ¡°Find him! Get out of here!¡± Just as Shen Rulin was letting his imagination run wild, his father pressed his chest heavily and then fell weakly to the ground¡­ Chapter 256 - 256 Unexpected Changes 256 Unexpected Changes ¡°Father!¡± Shen Rulin exclaimed and subconsciously reached out to hug his father, but then he felt something sticky to the touch on his hand. He retracted his hand. Halfway through, he smelled the strong smell of blood. The smell made Shen Rulin¡¯s mind go blank. As his breathing gradually became heavier, a red light slowly crept into his eyes in the darkness¡­ ¡­ At Sword Grave, on the stone platform in the pool. Lin Ran slashed out a hundred sword energies to repair the cage. He couldn¡¯t remember how many times he had done it. At first, Lin Ran thought that the violent sword intent was triggered by Huo Qiyun or Xiao Huai, but he quickly knew that it was not the case. First of all, the trajectories of these sword intents were completely irregular, like fallen leaves in a violent wind. Secondly, their power was also different. In the beginning, the sword intent that appeared was only about the sixth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm. As time passed, the later the sword intent appeared, the stronger it became. Now, it had already soared to the shocking sixth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm, increasing by two realms! Although it was still much weaker than Lin Ran¡¯s realm, the power of such a huge amount of sword intents hitting the sword energy barrier at the same time was something that even a sixth level Half-Saint couldn¡¯t withstand. Most importantly, only less than a minute had passed since the sword intents erupted. No one knew if more powerful sword intent would appear next. After repairing the barrier again, Lin Ran subconsciously turned to look at Xiao Huai. Because the sword energy barrier blocked the evil aura from entering, Xiao Huai¡¯s condition had completely stabilized. She lay on the ground with her eyes closed, looking like she was asleep. Lin Ran knew that this was not conducive to her recovery, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn¡¯t leave Xiao Huai outside in the sword intent storm just to let her recover, right? Lin Ran sighed and gritted his teeth. He looked at Huo Qiyun casually. He suddenly felt that something was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. After staring at Huo Qiyun¡¯s face for three seconds, Lin Ran suddenly realized that Huo Qiyun had gained weight. Although he didn¡¯t know what was going on, Huo Qiyun¡¯s face was indeed rounder than usual and he wasn¡¯t as thin as before. However, this change was very subtle, so Lin Ran didn¡¯t notice it at first. After realizing this, he was puzzled. Huo Qiyun had been starving here for two to three days. Not only had he not lost weight, but he had also gained weight. Could it be that he was really like a plant that could rely on its roots to absorb nutrients after being ¡°planted¡± into the ground? Wait¡­ Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed drastically. He hurriedly reached out and lifted Huo Qiyun¡¯s clothes. At a glance, he was shocked! At some point, the thumb-thick tree root-like things on Huo Qiyun¡¯s waist had already grown to the thickness of a wrist. The flowing dark red vessels on it turned into a demonic red color that was continuously pouring into Huo Qiyun¡¯s body. Lin Ran instantly realized that the sword energy barrier he set up could block the surrounding sword intent and evil aura, but it had no effect on these roots that were rooted in the ground. At this moment, Huo Qiyun was like a balloon. The energy of the entire Mount Sword was replenishing his body through the roots. Most importantly, Xiao Huai had already been separated from Huo Qiyun. In other words, other than the sword intent that permeated Mount Sword, the evil aura and violent killing intent in Sword Grave were also entering Huo Qiyun¡¯s body. If ordinary people were exposed to the evil aura and killing intent, it was very likely that their minds would be affected. At this moment, these things were directly injected into Huo Qiyun¡¯s body. God knew what the consequences would be! ¡°Damn Liu Hongshan!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and cursed. Without caring about the chain reaction, he swung his sword at the ¡°root¡± at Huo Qiyun¡¯s waist. Unexpectedly, although this thing looked like a tree root, it was actually not tough. The sword easily cut it off. Immediately after, the ¡°tree root¡± that was broken into two began to quickly turn black and rot. A nauseating stench immediately floated in the air. Lin Ran took a light breath and immediately felt like vomiting. He realized that this smell might be poisonous and quickly controlled the sword energy barrier to open a few air vents to send the smell away with the help of the strong wind outside. After doing all this, Lin Ran looked at Huo Qiyun and realized that the rotten ¡°root¡± had already left his body. There was a dark brown circular mark where the root connected to the body, looking like a burn. This discovery shocked Lin Ran. Since this thing did not really ¡°grow¡± from Huo Qiyun, it meant that Huo QIyun might not have really been ¡°planted¡± into the stone platform. However, before Lin Ran could check further, Huo Qiyun suddenly let out a muffled groan. Then, his expression turned ferocious. His sword-like eyebrows were furrowed tightly, and he gritted his teeth, as if he was enduring some great pain. Boom! An explosion sounded. The aura of a sixth level Grandmaster spread out with such force that it almost shattered the sword energy barrier set up by Lin Ran! When Lin Ran came back to his senses, Huo Qiyun¡¯s realm had already entered the first level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm! Huo Qiyun¡¯s strength had increased by two realms in one go, and his body was very likely to collapse because of this. As expected, the aura of the first level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm appeared for less than a second before it returned to the peak of the ninth level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm. Almost at the same time, a few bloody wounds suddenly burst open on Huo Qiyun¡¯s body. The flesh on the wounds looked horrible. As soon as they appeared, Lin Ran knew something was wrong with his body. In the blink of an eye, Huo Qiyun¡¯s aura fell to the sixth level of the Grandmaster Realm, and it showed no signs of stopping. At the same time, more than ten wounds appeared on Huo Qiyun¡¯s body. Fine cracks appeared on his skin, as if his body could not contain such a huge amount of energy and could explode and die at any moment. At the critical moment, Lin Ran didn¡¯t have time to think carefully. He subconsciously reached out and pressed his hand on Huo Qiyun¡¯s chest. The Regal Technique: Sovereign Descent was instantly activated! Immediately after, a huge sword intent mixed with endless killing intent and evil aura overwhelmed Lin Ran, destroying everything like molten iron. However, it carried an extremely cold temperature, as if it could even freeze one¡¯s soul. Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly changed. This power was definitely not something a human could control, not even him, a half-saint! Chapter 257 - 257 Hatred for Killing His Father 257 Hatred for Killing His Father Almost instantly, half of Lin Ran¡¯s body felt like it was being pricked by needles. Although it was not intense, it was as annoying as the buzzing of a mosquito on a summer night. Then, the effect of the evil aura and killing intent began to appear. Lin Ran could clearly feel himself becoming irritable. He even had the urge to kill Huo Qiyun. Although he had this urge before, it was never as strong as this time. If not for the fact that he had been suppressing it with all his might, he would have already done it. However, even in this crazy situation, Lin Ran didn¡¯t stop thinking. All kinds of thoughts appeared and disappeared in his mind, but in the end, Lin Ran still couldn¡¯t think of a solution. Helpless, Lin Ran took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He began to analyze the current situation again. The sword intent storm outside was a threat, but after he cut off the roots on Huo Qiyun¡¯s body, there were no longer any new sword intents. As for the remaining ones, the sword energy barrier was enough to withstand them, so there was no need to worry about it for the time being. Xiao Huai was unconscious because she was injured, but as long as there was enough evil aura for her to absorb, she would wake up soon, so there was no need to worry for her for the time being. Therefore, the problem returned to what made Lin Ran the most troubled¡ªHuo Qiyun. Actually, it would be easy if there was only sword intent. Although Huo Qiyun¡¯s body could not withstand it, it was not a problem for Lin Ran. Perhaps it could even increase his realm by another level. However, the evil aura and sword intent mixed in were a big problem. Even Lin Ran did not dare to touch these things. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran summoned the Yin-Yang Sword and held it in his hand. The pitch-black half of the sword glowed with a hazy black light. The evil aura in his body immediately began to pour into the Yin-Yang Sword crazily, as if it had been guided by something. Lin Ran didn¡¯t have a way to deal with the violent killing intent for the time being, so he could only reduce it as much as he could. At the same time, the sword energy storm outside the barrier began to dissipate. The remaining sword intents slashed through the air, causing a series of clangs, like a bamboo forest blown by the wind. Outside Sword Grave. The dark clouds that enveloped Mount Sword had completely disappeared. Sunlight shone on the desolate ground, and from time to time, a weak cold light flashed. It was the sword intens that were still wandering in the mountain. Everything seemed to be going well until¡­ ¡°Lin Ran.¡± A furious roar broke the silence in Sword Grave. Lin Ran opened one eye and turned to look. He saw Shen Rulin standing by the black pool, but he didn¡¯t seem to be in the right state. When the two of them were traveling together, no matter how dangerous the situation was, Shen Rulin could always remain calm. However, at this moment, Shen Rulin¡¯s hair was disheveled and he looked crazy. Most of the white armor on his body was dyed red with blood, and many places were covered in new sword marks. ¡°How did he find this place?¡± Lin Ran was suspicious, but Huo Qiyun¡¯s situation had just stabilized. It was a critical moment, so he couldn¡¯t divert his attention to explain. He could only suppress the killing intent in his heart and shout, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous here! Don¡¯t get close!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, not only did Shen Rulin not retreat, but he even took a few steps forward and stopped by the surging black pool. The black insects that splashed out landed on his armor and instantly corroded a big hole, but he seemed to not notice it. His crazed eyes landed on the stone platform through his hair and he sneered in a hoarse voice. ¡°Stop pretending! Are you still going to lie to me at this point?¡± Lin Ran thought that he was talking about being left by him in the canyon, so he explained patiently, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand! When I arrived at the canyon and realized that there was no one there, I knew that I was wrong. The reason why I left you behind was because I didn¡¯t want you to take the risk with me again!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Shen Rulin roared angrily, ¡°You did it to assassinate my father! Now that you¡¯ve succeeded, are you satisfied?¡± ¡°Assassinate your father?¡± Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this. He had only seen Shen Rulin¡¯s father¡¯s carriage once and didn¡¯t even know what he looked like. Why would he assassinate him? However, before Lin Ran could continue asking, the ground under Shen Rulin¡¯s feet exploded, and he turned into a bolt of lightning that shot towards the stone platform! ¡°I want you to pay with your life!¡± Shen Rulin roared crazily. Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed drastically, not because Shen Rulin suddenly attacked, but because Shen Rulin didn¡¯t know the secret of the black pool! Almost at the same time that Shen Rulin moved, countless black insects in the pool began to stir. Boom! A black wave dozens of feet tall rose from the pool and blocked Shen Rulin¡¯s path like a thick wall. However, Shen Rulin acted as if he did not see it. The speed of the bolt of lightning did not even slow down as he crashed into the black wave. By the time he crashed out of the other side of the black wave, most of the white armor on his body had already been corroded, and white smoke began to rise from all his skin. What awaited him was a huge wave wall that was taller and thicker. Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of someone hitting the water surface sounded four or five times in a row. Shen Rulin finally stood on the stone platform in the pool. His clothes and armor had disappeared, and his skin had been bitten into a dark red color by the black insects. He looked like a person who had just been skinned. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel his hair stand on end when he saw this scene. However, just as he was about to persuade Shen Rulin, he suddenly realized that something was wrong with Shen Rulin. Previously, he was too far away to see clearly. Only now did Lin Ran realize that Shen Rulin¡¯s eyes, which were hidden behind his messy hair, were bloodshot. At first glance, he looked extremely angry, but his eyes were hollow. ¡°You killed my father. I¡¯ll make you pay with your life!¡± Shen Rulin gritted his teeth and suddenly swung his sword at Lin Ran without warning! Clang¡ª With a loud clang, the Thunderball was blocked by the sword energy barrier. Lin Ran, who was in the barrier, was shocked. In his moment of absent-mindedness, he forgot to suppress the killing intent in his heart¡­ Chapter 258 - 258 Difficult to Choose 258 Difficult to Choose If the killing intent that had been suppressed to the extreme suddenly erupted, the consequences would be extremely terrifying, let alone it was the killing intent that had been accumulated in Sword Grave for thousands of years. Lin Ran¡¯s eyes turned red. Looking at Shen Rulin, who was so close to him, he suddenly felt a wave of anger surging inside him that even he was afraid of He did not care who this person was or what this person had done. At this moment, he only wanted to completely cut this annoying guy into pieces and burn his corpse to ashes! Clang¡ª Suddenly, a soft cry that sounded like a sharp blade being unsheathed filled Lin Ran¡¯s heart and cooled him down. The bloodshot eyes faded and Lin Ran woke up from the mad state. He saw that the white part on the Yin-Yang Sword that represented justice was trembling slightly, and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead. ¡°Phew¡ªThat was close!¡± Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief, and then there was another loud clang. Shen Rulin, who had already fallen into madness, still did not give up on attacking. However, with the help of the Yin-Yang Sword, Lin Ran quickly suppressed his surging killing intent. He took a deep breath and shouted sternly, ¡°Shen Rulin! You¡¯re affected by the evil aura here! Wake up!¡± After roaring three times in a row, Lin Ran still couldn¡¯t stop Shen Rulin. On the contrary, small cracks appeared on the sword energy barrier. Although there were only a few cracks, they were already signs that the sword energy barrier was about to dissipate. Lin Ran¡¯s expression turned solemn. He realized that Shen Rulin had been infected too deeply by the evil aura. He was definitely not going to be awakened by just a few words. If it were any other time, Lin Ran would have knocked him out with a punch, but now that Lin Ran¡¯s heart was filled with strong killing intent, he was not really confident that he could control the intensity of the punch. As he thought about this, Lin Ran took the time to look at the two people beside him. Xiao Huai¡¯s condition was still stable, and Huo Qiyun¡¯s realm also stopped at the fourth level of the Grandmaster Realm. However, Lin Ran could feel that there was still too much sword intent in Huo Qiyun¡¯s body. If he stopped now, Huo Qiyun would still explode and die. ¡°Hold on! Hold on a little longer!¡± Lin Ran muttered under his breath. Maintaining the sword energy barrier to stall for time was the only way he could think of at this moment. The Thunderball Sword kept slashing at the sword energy barrier. After the dense electric light flickered, the cracks on the barrier increased. It was like a broken mirror, making the crazy Shen Rulin look even more ferocious. After an unknown period of time, perhaps three seconds or six hours, the crumbling sword energy barrier finally couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and exploded into specks. At the same time, the restless sword intent in Huo Qiyun¡¯s body finally calmed down. ¡°Now!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s pupils constricted. He grabbed Xiao Huai and Huo Qiyun with both hands and quickly retreated! Actually, Lin Ran was taking a gamble. He wasn¡¯t sure if Huo Qiyun had really become one with the stone platform, but no matter what, he couldn¡¯t leave him by Shen Rulin¡¯s side. Fortunately, Lin Ran made the right bet. The moment he jumped up, Lin Ran clearly felt a resistance coming from Huo Qiyun. However, the resistance only lasted for a moment before Huo Qiyun was forcefully pulled out of the stone platform. Then, the Thunderball Sword landed where Lin Ran had been standing. Thick lightning shot out and almost instantly shattered the stone platform. Lin Ran used the shockwave of the explosion to rush to the edge of the pool, while Shen Rulin fell heavily into the swarm of black insects. The black wave instantly swallowed him. Seeing this, Lin Ran did not hesitate for a moment. As he let go of Xiao Huai and Huo Qiyun, he tapped the edge of the pool and rushed forward! A majestic sword intent spread out along an exquisite trajectory. Soon, the surging Black insects were cleared out of the water. Shen Rulin lay at the bottom of the pool with his eyes closed. It was unknown if he was unconscious or dead. Lin Ran flew over and brought Shen Rulin up. When he pulled Shen Rulin up, he saw a stone on the ground that was stained with blood. It seemed that Shen Rulin had accidentally knocked himself unconscious when he fell. The Thunderball Sword was nowhere to be found, but at this point, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t care less. After returning to the shore, Lin Ran immediately stopped circulating his internal energy. The black insects were restless for a while before slowly calming down. He looked at the three people in front of him and began to worry. The three people in front of him were all in a deep coma. Although the reason for their coma was different, there was one thing in common. They were not in a good state and had to be treated as soon as possible. Therefore, the problem arose. If there were only Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai, Lin Ran could just carry one on his back and carry the other in his arms. But now, there was Shen Rulin. Unless he grew another hand, it was impossible for him to get the three of them out in one go. From a rational point of view, Xiao Huai needed the evil aura here to heal. It was most reasonable to take Shen Rulin and Huo Qiyun away first. However, this way, if Xiao Huai woke up before Lin Ran returned and saw that she was trapped here where she was born, she might go berserk and Lin Ran would have no choice but to kill her personally. However, if he took Xiao Huai away, no matter who of the other two was left here, he would be infected by the evil aura. That was also a problem. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. The killing intent he had suppressed in his heart began to stir, but the more this was the case, the harder it was for him to calm down. Just as Lin Ran was about to break down, he suddenly heard a slight cough. Lin Ran subconsciously turned around and saw a withered old man walking out of the cave he had opened. His python-patterned white robe was covered in blood and someone had even cut off half of his arm. The old man¡¯s aura was very weak and there was almost no internal energy fluctuation coming out of him, but his heartbeat was still strong. It was enough to show that this person was also a master. ¡°Are you Lin Ran?¡± The old man looked at Lin Ran from afar and asked. His voice was not loud, but his tone was very calm, making people feel at ease. Lin Ran¡¯s eyes flickered. He suddenly felt that this voice sounded familiar. He was stunned for a moment before asking, ¡°Elder Shen?¡± The old man nodded and cupped his hands at Lin Ran with difficulty. ¡°I¡¯m Shen Qingquan, the commander of the Golden Guards of the Five Elements Imperial Guards.¡± Lin Ran quickly cupped his hands in return, but his expression turned strange. A while ago, Shen Rulin wanted to kill him because he thought Lin Ran had killed his father, but why was this old man standing here? Before Lin Ran could figure out what was going on, Shen Qingquan had already walked around the pool with the help of the stone wall. Seeing that the old man was walking with difficulty, Lin Ran quickly ran over to help him. If the old man fainted from exhaustion, he would have to carry four people out. Chapter 259 - 259 Whats Going On With This Thing? 259 What¡¯s Going On With This Thing? When he got closer, Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. Although Shen Qingquan looked very seriously injured, he still had the foundation of a grandmaster and would not faint so easily. ¡°Elder Shen, slow down.¡± Lin Ran reached out to hold Shen Qingquan¡¯s arm and transferred a stream of pure internal energy over. Shen Qingquan clearly sensed it. He turned to look at Lin Ran and said in a low voice, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lin Ran quickly asked, ¡°Where did you go previously? Why were you so seriously injured? Did you fight someone?¡± Shen Qingquan waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous here. Let¡¯s go out first.¡± Lin Ran said, ¡°But Elder Shen, I still have two friends who are injured. Including Shen Rulin, there are three people, but I can only bring two at most¡­¡± ¡°Leave Rulin to me.¡± Shen Qingquan took the initiative to speak before Lin Ran could finish. However, as soon as he finished speaking, he started coughing violently, as if saying it too quickly had affected his injuries. Lin Ran quickly transferred another stream of internal energy over, but he still felt that it was inappropriate. While he was thinking, the two of them had already arrived. Looking at the three unconscious people on the ground, Lin Ran pondered for a moment and pointed at Xiao Huai. ¡°Elder Shen, I know you¡¯re seriously injured, but I can¡¯t do it alone¡­ Can you help me bring this child out.¡± Shen Qingquan looked at Lin Ran as if he had something to say, but in the end, he nodded. However, when his gaze landed on Xiao Huai, his slightly turbid eyes narrowed. ¡°This child¡­¡± While feeling afraid that Shen Qingquan would know the real identity of Xiao Huai, Lin Ran didn¡¯t show it on his face. He frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Elder Shen? Do you know this child?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Shen Qingquan shook his head and leaned over to carry Xiao Huai. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Lin Ran could tell that Shen Qingquan was hiding something, but time was tight, so he couldn¡¯t dwell on it too much. He could only pretend to be calm as he carried Shen Rulin and Huo Qiyun. Seeing that Lin Ran was ready, Shen Qingquan walked towards the entrance of the cave shakily. Lin Ran hurriedly shouted, ¡°Elder Shen, please wait a moment!¡± Shen Qingquan looked at him in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°That path leads to the top of the mountain. It¡¯s too far.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he put his hands behind his back and summoned the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. ¡°I¡¯ll open another shortcut.¡± With that, the dragon gem on the hilt of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar began to flicker. The hole from before gradually closed in front of the two of them, and at the same time, a new hole slowly opened beside them. Seeing this, Shen Qingquan narrowed his eyes again. However, this time, he did not say anything. He waited quietly for the hole to stabilize before walking in. ¡°Elder Shen!¡± Lin Ran looked at Shen Qingquan¡¯s feet and asked tentatively, ¡°Do you need a sword to ride? I can lend you a sword.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± Shen Qingquan smiled. ¡°You can go first. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before nodding. Then, he rode his sword away, but he did not speed up. Otherwise, if anything happened to Shen Qingquan halfway, it would be too late for him to help. After nearly five minutes, Lin Ran came out of the cave and arrived at the foot of Mount Sword. Under the blue sky, the sword intent had already dissipated. The cold mountain wind mixed with a faint smell of blood made Lin Ran¡¯s relaxed nerves tense up again. Then, Lin Ran noticed a very strange phenomenon. The divine swords that filled the mountain were gone. Where the divine swords had been standing, there were only handfuls of rust and shattered gems left, as if millions of years had passed. There was no time to study what happened. Lin Ran found a flat land and put Huo Qiyun and Shen Rulin down. Just as he was about to go back to get Shen Qingquan, he turned around and saw Shen Qingquan walking out of the cave shakily. Seeing Shen Qingquan, Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately became strange. Shen Qingquan¡¯s movements were still as slow as before, like an old man on the verge of death. His speed was not fast, but how did he catch up? In the blink of an eye, Shen Qingquan had already approached and gently placed Xiao Huai on the ground. He sat down and began to pant, as if he had exhausted all his strength along the way. After secretly closing the cave with the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, Lin Ran came to Shen Qingquan¡¯s side. ¡°Elder Shen, rest here first. I¡¯ll get someone to help!¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± As Shen Qingquan spoke, he reached into his pocket and took out a bamboo tube. After he lit it, yellow smoke rose from the other end. Lin Ran knew that the yellow color meant help was needed, so he sat on the ground. Previously, he had been tense and didn¡¯t feel anything. Now that he sat down, he felt sore all over, as if he had just been beaten with a mace. After taking a few breaths, Lin Ran pointed at Shen Rulin and asked Shen Qingquan, ¡°Elder Shen, what¡¯s going on with him?¡± ¡°His cultivation is strong enough, and his mind is affected.¡± Shen Qingquan said indifferently. He paused for a few seconds before explaining, ¡°Previously, we were attacked by a mysterious force. I was seriously injured and almost fainted. He couldn¡¯t stand the attack and was affected by the evil aura.¡± Lin Ran nodded thoughtfully. He knew that the ¡°mysterious force¡± Shen Qingquan mentioned was most likely the sword intent that suddenly appeared. In that case, if Shen Qingquan really died here, it was understandable that Shen Rulin wanted to take revenge on Lin Ran. After all, if he hadn¡¯t cut off the mycelium on Huo Qiyun, what happened next wouldn¡¯t have happened. Thinking of this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty. His hatred for Liu Hongshan intensified. The origin of all this was the array formation left behind by Liu Hongshan! The sudden anger caused Lin Ran to almost lose control of himself. He hurriedly activated his internal energy to suppress the killing intent. At the same time, he heard Shen Qingquan ask calmly, ¡°What exactly is going on in Mount Sword?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lin Ran was speechless. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he should say it. Fortunately, seeing Lin Ran hesitate, Shen Qingquan didn¡¯t ask further. He reached out and fiddled with Xiao Huai¡¯s messy hair, looking like a kind grandfather. However, what he said next shocked Lin Ran. ¡°What¡¯s going on with this thing?¡± ¡°This thing?¡± Lin Ran pretended to be calm and asked back. ¡°This thing.¡± Shen Qingquan tidied Xiao Huai¡¯s clothes. ¡°She¡¯s not human.¡± Chapter 260 - 260 Die for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty 260 Die for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty Lin Ran tried his best to hide the surprise and looked confused. ¡°General Shen, what do you mean? I watched this child grow up and know her better than anyone!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Shen Qingquan raised his white eyebrows slightly. ¡°May I ask how old Deputy General Lin is this year?¡± ¡°How did he know I¡¯d just been promoted to deputy general?¡± Lin Ran thought to himself and answered almost subconsciously, ¡°Twenty-six.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran regretted it. Although Xiao Huai looked like a seven or eight-year-old girl, anyone could feel the powerful aura in her body. This was definitely not something an eight-year-old girl could have, no matter how talented she was. As expected, when Shen Qingquan heard Lin Ran¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t even bother to refute. He only smiled ambiguously. ¡°Deputy General Lin, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t have any ill intentions towards this child. The reason I¡¯m asking you this is also for safety reasons. If it¡¯s inconvenient for you to tell me¡­ then don¡¯t.¡± With that, Shen Qingquan closed his eyes to focus on healing. Seeing that he was still worried about state affairs despite being so seriously injured, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed of hiding it from him. ¡°General Shen, actually¡­¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but want to tell him the truth, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he realized something. Shen Qingquan was able to catch up to his speed. Although he didn¡¯t use his full strength, his speed wasn¡¯t slow. It was enough to show that Shen Qingquan¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t that serious. Therefore, he was most likely pretending to be seriously injured to gain Lin Ran¡¯s sympathy! As expected, seeing that Lin Ran didn¡¯t continue, Shen Qingquan slowly opened his eyes and chuckled. ¡°The young people these days¡­ are amazing! This trick I used has never failed in the Golden Guards.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because they respect you.¡± Lin Ran replied coldly. Ever since he fought with Liu Hongshan a few times, he had been especially averse to people playing tricks on him. As if sensing Lin Ran¡¯s dissatisfaction, Shen Qingquan pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Deputy General Lin, perhaps you don¡¯t know me, but I¡¯ve long heard of you.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and said nothing. Shen Qingquan didn¡¯t mind and continued as if he was talking to himself, ¡°I know that you¡¯re favored by His Majesty and have sacrificed a lot for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty , so regarding this child¡­¡± At this point, Shen Qingquan¡¯s gaze landed on Xiao Huai. ¡°I believe you won¡¯t do anything to harm the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, so I won¡¯t ask further about this child.¡± Lin Ran smiled. ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Deputy General Lin.¡± Shen Qingquan waved his hand. He paused for a moment and looked at Shen Rulin. ¡°Rulin is a good child, but he¡¯s too stubborn.¡± Lin Ran nodded in agreement. ¡°I can tell.¡± ¡°So you¡¯d better get rid of him now.¡± Shen Qingquan said calmly as if he was talking about a small matter. There was even a faint smile on his lips. Lin Ran didn¡¯t understand at first. After thinking about what Shen Qingquan had said, his expression changed. ¡°What do you mean by getting rid of him?¡± ¡°Kill him.¡± Shen Qingquan continued calmly, ¡°He firmly believed that you killed me. If you don¡¯t kill him now, he will definitely become your enemy in the future, so¡­¡± ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Lin Ran raised his hand to interrupt Shen Qingquan. He frowned and said in confusion, ¡°You¡¯re alive and well now. When he opens his eyes and sees you, won¡¯t this misunderstanding be resolved?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time¡­¡± Shen Qingquan smiled, and red blood seeped out of the corner of his mouth. ¡°I injured my heart meridian and have been using my internal energy to hold on. I wanted to tell him that what he believes is wrong¡­ It seems that I won¡¯t last until he wakes up.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Qingquan¡¯s aura weakened. Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed. He hurriedly went forward to transfer his internal energy to treat him, but Shen Qingquan stopped him. ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡± Shen Qingquan¡¯s voice was almost inaudible. His unfocused eyes were still looking in Shen Rulin¡¯s direction. ¡°Deputy General Lin, to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, you¡¯re more useful than us¡­ In order to not let my son cause trouble, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to let him die with me.¡± ¡°No!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and replied, ¡°You¡¯re all heroes of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. You can¡¯t die like this. I¡¯ll treat your injuries now. Hold on a little longer!¡± At this moment, Lin Ran suddenly sensed a strong internal energy fluctuation. He looked up and saw more than ten small white dots speeding in their direction! ¡°They¡¯re here! General Shen, if you¡­¡± Lin Ran was overjoyed and wanted to tell Shen Qingquan this good news, but just as he lowered his head, he realized that Shen Qingquan had already closed his eyes. ¡°General Shen? General Shen!¡± Lin Ran called out a few times, but Shen Qingquan didn¡¯t respond at all. Feeling the body slowly turn cold in his arms, Lin Ran suddenly felt suffocated. This was not the first time Lin Ran had seen death. Moreover, he was not on good terms with Shen Qingquan, but this was the first time he felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest. It was not until a long time later that Lin Ran understood why he felt this way. It was not because Shen Qingquan¡¯s death was too sudden, but because he was still worried about the Heavenly Saint Dynasty on his deathbed. For the sake of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, he did not hesitate to let Lin Ran kill his own son. Lin Ran knew that he couldn¡¯t do such a thing, so Shen Qingquan¡¯s death shocked him greatly. Before Lin Ran could come back to his senses from Shen Qingquan¡¯s death, a few white figures suddenly descended from the sky. He was grabbed by the arms and dragged away. At the same time, a few snow-white swords were placed on his neck. Someone seemed to be shouting something, but Lin Ran couldn¡¯t hear it clearly. He just frowned as he watched Shen Qingquan being carried away, as if he couldn¡¯t figure out why this person died. This state of confusion lasted for a long time. When Lin Ran came back to his senses, he was already sitting in a simple room. Looking at the familiar decorations around him, Lin Ran was stunned for a while before recognizing that this was the nameless house in Lotus Town, or one of the secret encampments of the Five Elements Imperial Guards. ¡°Why am I here?¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly and fell into deep thought. Suddenly, the door opened and a burly middle-aged man in a black robe walked in with a gloomy expression. Chapter 261 - 261 Captured 261 Captured As soon as the man entered, his sharp gaze landed on Lin Ran. His big eyes were burning with anger, and the muscles on his face were trembling because he gritted his teeth. He looked so fierce that it was as if he wanted to skin Lin Ran alive! ¡°Are you Lin Ran?¡± The man asked in a voice as loud as a bell. As he spoke, a third level grandmaster pressure descended. However, when he saw that Lin Ran¡¯s expression remained unchanged, the man couldn¡¯t help but look surprised. ¡°You are¡­¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and sized up the other party¡¯s attire. Then, he had an idea. ¡°The commander of the Earth Guard?¡± ¡°The commander of the Earth Guard, Tu Baichuan,¡± The burly man replied in a low voice. Then, his tone suddenly turned cold. ¡°Did you kill Brother Shen?¡± Lin Ran was puzzled for a moment before realizing that the other party was talking about Shen Qingquan. The mention of this name was like the key to opening the floodgate. The memories from before instantly overwhelmed Lin Ran. ¡°How¡¯s the situation in Mount Sword?¡± Lin Ran hurriedly stood up and asked, ¡°My friend¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Tu Baichuan suddenly shouted. His burly figure rushed over like a cannonball and grabbed Lin Ran¡¯s neck, lifting him up and pressing him against the wall! BANG! With a loud bang, a huge dent was instantly formed in the thick brick wall. Tu Baichuan looked at Lin Ran with his big eyes and gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m interrogating you now. Did I say you can ask questions?¡± Lin Ran was strangled and pressed against the wall, but his expression did not change at all. He didn¡¯t even flinch. Hearing Tu Baichuan¡¯s words, Lin Ran looked down at Tu Baichuan¡¯s hand. The hand was thick and calloused, and there were many old scars on the back of his hand. Lin Ran sighed softly and looked at Tu Baichuan. ¡°I understand. Put me down.¡± Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s calm voice, Tu Baichuan frowned slightly. He released a divine sense from his palm and probed Lin Ran¡¯s body. However, just as the divine sense touched Lin Ran¡¯s skin, it was blocked by something. ¡°There¡¯s something not clean in my body.¡± Lin Ran explained, a few muscles bulging on his face. ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t use divine sense on me.¡± Tu Baichuan¡¯s eyes flickered. Although he did not detect Lin Ran¡¯s cultivation, this was actually a signal. Almost every martial artist could block the detection of outsiders with their divine sense, but it was only effective against martial artists whose cultivation was lower than theirs. After a moment of silence, Tu Baichuan went straight to the point and asked, ¡°What realm are you in?¡± ¡°Sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm.¡± Lin Ran replied without hiding anything, and the muscles on his face became more obvious. ¡°I¡¯m no threat to you. You can put me down.¡± Hearing that Lin Ran was actually a Half-Saint, Tu Baichuan¡¯s first reaction was disbelief. He knew that this person¡¯s cultivation was above his, but he shouldn¡¯t be much stronger. Otherwise, how could he be captured so easily? However, after hesitating for a moment, Tu Baichuan let go. Lin Ran sat at the table, breathing hard with his eyes closed. The veins on his clenched fists were bulging, as if he was enduring some pain or trying his best to suppress something. Sensing that the dangerous aura on Lin Ran¡¯s body was gradually dissipating, Tu Baichuan relaxed a little. He turned around and sat opposite Lin Ran, asking in a low voice, ¡°Did you kill Brother Shen?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Are you really not going to tell the truth?¡± Tu Baichuan slapped the table, and the thick ebony table instantly shattered. Amidst the flying wood shavings, Tu Baichuan suddenly stood up and widened his eyes like a furious lion. ¡°The Golden Guards saw Brother Shen die in your arms with their own eyes. They have no grudge against you. Why would they frame you?¡± ¡°He died in my arms so I killed him?¡± Lin Ran asked calmly. Before Tu Baichuan could speak, he continued, ¡°I know you¡¯re the one interrogating me, but please tell me how my friend is.¡± Tu Baichuan gritted his teeth and finally said, ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Huo Qiyun, Shen Rulin, and Xiao Huai.¡± Lin Ran said three names. After a pause, he added, ¡°Xiao Huai is that little girl.¡± Tu Baichuan waved his hand. ¡°All three of them are unconscious, but their lives are not in danger. We¡¯ve already called the Wood Guards over to heal them. Are you friends with Rulin?¡± Hearing that the three of them were fine, Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. He thought for a moment and replied vaguely, ¡°Deputy Commander Shen and I have carried out a few missions together.¡± Tu Baichuan nodded. ¡°From what you said, Brother Shen didn¡¯t die at your hands. Then how did he get seriously injured? What exactly happened in Mount Sword?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lin Ran shook his head and replied in a low voice. Although he had already guessed most of the situation, it was just a guess. Seeing that Tu Baichuan was about to speak, Lin Ran beat him to it. ¡°It might be rude of me to say this, but what happened in Mount Sword is not something someone of your level can know.¡± When Tu Baichuan heard this, he was stunned for a moment before he grinned in disdain. ¡°My level is not high enough? Do you know who I am? I¡¯m¡­¡± Lin Ran interrupted him before he could finish. ¡°I want to see His Majesty.¡± ¡°What a joke!¡± Tu Baichuan roared and subconsciously raised his hand to slap the table. Realizing that the table had already been shattered by him, he put down his hand in embarrassment. ¡°Do you know who you are now? Before you tell me everything, you won¡¯t be able to see anyone but me!¡± Lin Ran looked at Tu Baichuan with pure killing intent in his eyes, but it was replaced by calmness in an instant. ¡°If I want to leave, can you stop me?¡± Tu Baichuan was stunned for a moment. Although he was unwilling to admit it, at that moment, he was indeed frightened by Lin Ran¡¯s gaze. ¡°Given that you are the most likely suspect who killed General Shen, I can¡¯t possibly let you meet His Majesty.¡± Tu Baichuan hurriedly added, ¡°But I can let you contact His Majesty.¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°That works too.¡± Chapter 262 - 262 Incognito Visit 262 Incognito Visit Seeing Lin Ran nod in agreement, Tu Baichuan¡¯s shoulders sank visibly, as if he was relieved. After saying ¡°Wait a moment¡±, Tu Baichuan stood up and went out. After a few minutes, he returned. ¡°Leave what you want to say in this jade talisman. I¡¯ll get someone to send it to the palace.¡± As Tu Baichuan spoke, he handed a jade talisman to Lin Ran. ¡°The message in this jade talisman can only be read once, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me eavesdropping.¡± Lin Ran looked down. The jade talisman was half the size of an egg and half an inch thick. The texture was not particularly high-grade, and there were no patterns on the surface. ¡°Where did this thing come from?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly as he hurriedly asked. This jade talisman was exactly the same as the one left behind by Liu Hongshan! Moreover, Lin Ran had already crushed Liu Hongshan¡¯s jade talisman, so it must be a new one. If he could find out the origin of this jade talisman, he might be able to find out what else Liu Hongshan had done. Tu Baichuan didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking. He explained, ¡°This is a communication talisman used by the Five Elements Imperial Guards because it can record the voice. At the same time, the message inside can only be read once to prevent anyone from leaking the news.¡± ¡°For the Five Elements Imperial Guards?¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and suddenly thought of something, but that thought was very vague. In a moment, it disappeared. After thinking for a while, Lin Ran took the jade talisman to infuse the message into it. This process was very simple. Lin Ran just had to think about what he wanted to say. From the moment Xiao Huai was injured, Lin Ran roughly explained the entire matter and left a last sentence before handing the jade talisman back to Tu Baichuan. Lin Ran said seriously, ¡°Please send it to His Majesty as soon as possible.¡± Tu Baichuan nodded and turned to leave. Lin Ran was alone in the room again. This silence helped him think. However, before he could sort it out, the door suddenly opened and Tu Baichuan walked in. Lin Ran frowned in confusion. ¡°His Majesty replied?¡± ¡°Not so fast. The messenger just left.¡± Tu Baichuan waved his hand and sat down opposite Lin Ran. ¡°I just want to ask one thing. What¡¯s with the out-of-control sword energy in Mount Sword?¡± ¡°Out of control sword energy?¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before he realized that the other party might be talking about the visible sword intent. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. It¡¯s not something you should ask¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that!¡± Tu Baichuan waved his hand, causing a gust of wind to blow. ¡°I won¡¯t ask anything else, but I have to get to the bottom of this matter! I have to give those dead brothers and their families an explanation on behalf of Brother Shen!¡± ¡°Dead brothers?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Someone from the Golden Guards died?¡± ¡°Three hundred and twelve people.¡± Tu Baichuan replied in a low voice, his determined face filled with grief. ¡°When we found out, they were already unrecognizable. We could only rely on their tokens to distinguish their identities¡­¡± As he spoke, the burly man actually choked with sobs. Seeing him like this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be moved. He really didn¡¯t expect there to be sword intent outside Sword Grave, nor did he expect the casualties of the Golden Guards to be so heavy! As his emotions fluctuated, the killing intent he had suppressed in his heart began to stir again. Lin Ran quickly composed himself, gritted his teeth, and said firmly, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about their casualties, but I need to ask His Majesty if I can reveal this. Please understand.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡± Tu Baichuan waved his hand again and shouted sternly with red eyes, ¡°I¡¯m different from Brother Shen. Those rules are useless to me! Back then, I was also a member of the Golden Guards. Now that my former brothers are dead, I have to give them an explanation even if I have to break the rules!¡± The muscle on Lin Ran¡¯s cheeks bulged. He was hesitating. He really wanted to give Tu Baichuan an explanation, but this matter involved too many secrets. Just as Lin Ran was feeling conflicted, there was suddenly a knock on the door. Tu Baichuan immediately adjusted his expression and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. He said in a low voice, ¡°Come in!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened and a young soldier walked in. He held a jade talisman in both hands and said respectfully, ¡°Commander Tu, His Majesty has replied.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± As Tu Baichuan spoke, he reached out to take the jade talisman, but the soldier retracted his hand. The soldier smiled awkwardly. ¡°Commander Tu, His Majesty has ordered me to hand this jade talisman to Deputy General Lin personally.¡± When Tu Baichuan heard this, he retracted his hand and looked at the person¡¯s face. He suddenly asked in confusion, ¡°Huh? You¡¯re from the Golden Guards? Why haven¡¯t I seen you before?¡± The young soldier smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Lu Di. I¡¯m new in the Golden Guards. It¡¯s normal that Commander Tu doesn¡¯t recognize me.¡± Tu Baichuan narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything. He only looked at Lin Ran meaningfully before getting up and leaving. The young soldier turned around and closed the door. Then, he came to Lin Ran¡¯s side. ¡°Deputy General Lin, please.¡± Although he said ¡°please¡±, the person put away the jade talisman and sat opposite Lin Ran with an anxious expression. ¡°What happened?¡± Lin Ran blinked blankly. After a moment, his expression changed as he suddenly thought of something. He lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Your Majesty?¡± The ¡°soldier¡± nodded, and his voice became a female voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to come over as soon as possible? The procedure for the emperor to leave the palace is too complicated, and the existing evidence is very disadvantageous to you. It¡¯s very difficult for me to summon you into the palace, so I can only do this.¡± Lin Ran immediately frowned and questioned in a low voice, ¡°Can you not be so rash? If I really kill someone, do you know how dangerous it is for you to come over so rashly?!¡± ¡°I know, but I also know you won¡¯t harm me.¡± The empress smiled and looked at Lin Ran with certainty. ¡°I believe you.¡± Lin Ran looked at the empress silently for a long time before sighing and saying dejectedly, ¡°It¡¯s different this time. I¡¯m not in full control of myself now. Besides¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, there was a loud bang. The tightly shut door was instantly kicked open. Tu Baichuan walked in with a heavy sword in his hand. His sharp gaze was fixed on the empress like a knife. ¡°I just checked. No one in the Golden Guards is called Lu Di¡­ Who are you?!¡± Chapter 263 - 263 Issue An Arrest Warrant on Me 263 Issue An Arrest Warrant on Me As soon as Tu Baichuan finished questioning, heavy footsteps sounded outside. Lin Ran didn¡¯t need to look out to know that this room had been surrounded. This was what he wanted to tell the empress just now. If she pretended to be a non-existent person in the Five Elements Imperial Guards, she would be exposed as soon as they checked. Fortunately, the empress was not a spy sent by an enemy country, so Lin Ran was not very worried. The empress was also very calm. She stood up and said in a neutral voice, ¡°Commander Tu, I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯m new to the Golden Guards¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Tu Baichuan snorted and slammed the heavy sword in his hand on the ground, making a muffled clang. ¡°Even if you¡¯ve only been here for a day, the Golden Guards will still register your name.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯m new here.¡± When she said the word ¡°new¡±, the empress deliberately emphasized it. Then, she reached into her pocket and took out an envelope covered in wax. ¡°This is my transfer letter.¡± After a short silence, Tu Baichuan snatched the envelope, peeled off the wax, and took out a letter. After taking a look, his expression became strange. ¡°Since there¡¯s a transfer letter, why didn¡¯t you report to the Golden Guards first?¡± ¡°I¡¯m responsible for delivering the holy decree, so I naturally have to do it first.¡± The empress¡¯s answer was flawless. In addition, the transfer letter was true. Tu Baichuan pondered for a moment and finally walked out. The soldiers outside also dispersed. The danger of their identities being exposed was easily resolved. After the people outside walked away, Lin Ran immediately looked at the empress and asked in confusion, ¡°Do you have to go to such an extent? Even if you want to sneak out, can¡¯t you just pretend to be a golden guard?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much trouble to pretend to be a specific person.¡± The empress shook her head and sat down again. She blinked mischievously. ¡°It¡¯s simpler and easier to make a mask and write a transfer letter.¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The empress continued, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this first. I heard that the Golden Guards suffered heavy casualties. What exactly happened in Mount Sword?¡± ¡°Just like I told you before.¡± Lin Ran pointed at the jade talisman on the empress¡¯s hand. ¡°This should be set up by Liu Hongshan. I don¡¯t know his true motive for the time being, but it¡¯s definitely not something good.¡± The empress nodded in agreement. ¡°As long as this person is not eliminated, he will become a thorn in the side of the Heavenly Saint!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Ran echoed, then his expression became solemn. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to go to the Great Yong Dynasty again.¡± The empress¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Go again?¡± Lin Ran nodded solemnly. ¡°Now, I have a huge amount of killing intent accumulated in my body. Although I can suppress it with my cultivation, this is not a long-term solution. If I slack off and lose control, it will cause a huge disaster.¡± Without waiting for the empress to speak, Lin Ran changed his tone. ¡°But this is not entirely a bad thing. Liu Hongshan¡¯s cultivation is slightly higher than mine, and he¡¯s more experienced and ruthless than me. However, with this killing intent inside me, I might be able to fight him!¡± ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± The empress nodded slightly, but she looked troubled. ¡°But many clues point to you being the suspect of what happened in Mount Sword. I can let you leave, but people will not be happy with my decision.¡± After a short silence, Lin Ran clenched his fists as if he had made a decision. He looked up at the empress and said seriously, ¡°Issue an arrest warrant on me.¡± The empress was stunned. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Issue an arrest warrant on me.¡± Lin Ran repeated, ¡°No one in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty can stop me from leaving. After you return to the palace, pretend that nothing happened. After I escape, you can issue an arrest warrant on me. All the problems will be solved!¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± The empress shook her head without hesitation. ¡°We can still investigate the matter in Mount Sword and prove your innocence, but if you leave this place now, it will be impossible for you to explain yourself!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Lin Ran smiled indifferently. ¡°When I bring back Liu Hongshan¡¯s head, you can give me a fake identity. This is not difficult for you to do.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Just as the empress was about to say something, footsteps suddenly sounded. A black-robed young man rushed in anxiously. ¡°Hong Liquan?¡± Lin Ran recognized the person. It was Hong Liquan, who had a conflict with him and Huo Qiyun in Lotus Town. ¡°Lord Lin!¡± Hong Liquan greeted and hurriedly said, ¡°Commander Tu asked me to tell you that Shen Rulin has already woken up, but after he injured a few brothers of the Wood Guards, he disappeared!¡± ¡°What?¡± Lin Ran frowned. It was naturally good news that Shen Rulin had woken up, but why did he run away? ¡°Come with me!¡± Hong Liquan waved his hand anxiously. ¡°Commander Tu said that your cultivation level is high and that you have a higher chance of catching up to Shen Rulin.¡± ¡°Lead the way!¡± Lin Ran was about to move when a hand grabbed his arm. Lin Ran turned around and saw that it was indeed the empress who was holding him. He frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°What are you doing? Didn¡¯t you hear him say that something happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel right.¡± The empress shook her head. After glancing at Hong Liquan, she said softly, ¡°Tu Baichuan can¡¯t wait to send you to prison. Why would he ask you to chase after someone?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he say it already? My cultivation is high, so the probability of catching up is higher!¡± Lin Ran pointed at Hong Liquan, but there was no confidence in his voice. He did not react in time just now, but after the empress pointed it out, he realized that something was wrong. Lin Ran looked at the empress meaningfully. The latter immediately understood what he meant and blinked in agreement. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Hong Liquan stood at the door with a confused expression. ¡°Lord Lin, Commander Tu is still waiting. Let¡¯s go over there quickly!¡± ¡°We still have something to talk about. Wait for me outside.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and asked Hong Liquan to wait outside. Then, he looked at the empress and asked softly, ¡°Tu Baichuan wouldn¡¯t be so bold, right?¡± ¡°Hard to say.¡± The empress pondered and said, ¡°He¡¯s very close to Shen Qingquan. it¡¯s hard to guarantee that he won¡¯t purposefully let you leave and then hunt you down with a justifiable reason.¡± Lin Ran sighed when he heard this, but then he smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that exactly what I want?¡± Chapter 264 - 264 Ill Help You Today 264 I¡¯ll Help You Today Outside the room, Hong Liquan bent down and leaned against the door crack. He pricked up his ears and listened carefully to the conversation inside. Tu Baichuan had specially instructed him to do this. Actually, he had a good impression of Lin Ran, but Tu Baichuan promised that as long as he listened to the full conversation between the two of them and told him, he would promote him. Unfortunately, the two people in the room were too vigilant. When they spoke, their voices were extremely low. With Hong Liquan¡¯s hearing, he couldn¡¯t hear anything clearly. Moreover, with Lin Ran around, he didn¡¯t dare to use his divine sense. The feeling of not being able to seize the opportunity of promotion was frustrating! Just as Hong Liquan was hesitating if he should push open the door a crack, the door was suddenly opened from the inside. He subconsciously looked up and met Lin Ran¡¯s eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lin Ran asked condescendingly with a vigilant expression. Hong Liquan, who had been caught eavesdropping, froze. He pointed at the ground and replied seriously, ¡°I¡¯m watching the ants move.¡± Lin Ran looked in the direction he was pointing. As expected, there was a group of ants moving around. Then, he nodded thoughtfully. ¡°When ants move, it¡¯s a sign that it¡¯s going to rain.¡± Seeing that Lin Ran believed him so easily, Hong Liquan found it hard to believe. However, thinking that the two of them had worked together before, he didn¡¯t suspect anything. Hong Liquan said, ¡°Lord Lin, let¡¯s leave quickly. The commander is still waiting!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded. Hong Liquan led the way. Lin Ran turned around and looked at the empress in the room before following. After the two of them quickly passed through a few gates, they arrived at another courtyard. Unlike the courtyard where Lin Ran was interrogated previously, although this courtyard was not big, it was not desolate. There were flowers everywhere and trees everywhere. Even the air was filled with refreshing wood sword intent. Lin Ran took a deep breath, and his eyes subconsciously flashed with vigilance. This was because other than the wood attribute sword intent, there was also a faint murderous aura in the air. After walking past the corridor, a few rows of rooms appeared in front of him. There were a total of four rooms. Other than the one on the left with the door open, the doors and windows of the other three rooms were closed. In the three rooms with closed doors and windows, Lin Ran could vaguely feel a wave of internal energy fluctuation. The way the internal energy fluctuated was very special. It was not like the fluctuations of ordinary cultivators. It was possible that the wood guards were healing people. Thinking of this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. Only five people came out of Sword Grave with him. Among them, Shen Qingquan died, Shen Rulin escaped, and the remaining Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai were unconscious. Lin Ran saw Shen Qingquan die with his own eyes. There was no doubt about this. Then who was healing in the fourth room? As he thought to himself, Lin Ran quietly released a wisp of his divine sense. In the second and third rooms were Xiao Huai and Huo Qiyun. However, when his divine sense wanted to investigate the fourth room, it was blocked by something. Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before retracting his divine sense. With his strength, he could easily break through the barrier. However, since the other party wanted to stop outsiders from investigating, it was better not to alert him. At the same time, the two of them walked to the door of the first room. Hong Liquan raised his hand and gestured. ¡°Lord Lin, the commander is waiting for you inside.¡± ¡°Thank you for leading the way.¡± Lin Ran thanked him and walked in. He realized that other than Tu Baichuan, there were many strangers in the room. Firstly, there were two green-robed men lying on the ground. Their eyes were closed, and they seemed to be unconscious. Beside them, there was another green-robed man treating them. It seemed that they were the Wood Guards who had been injured by Shen Rulin. This discovery surprised Lin Ran. He originally thought that ¡°Shen Rulin left after injuring someone¡± was just an excuse Tu Baichuan came up with to let Lin Ran go chase Shen Rulin and hunt him down. However, from the looks of it, it seemed that it was true that Shen Rulin injured someone, but he could not guarantee that Tu Baichuan had no intention of killing him. This was because in the corner of the room, there were six Golden Guards wearing white armor. These six people stood by the wall without revealing themselves. There was no internal energy fluctuation coming from their bodies. Their faces were all covered with white gauze, but even by looking at their cold eyes, one could tell that these people were definitely not weak. After seeing the situation in the room in an instant, Lin Ran walked up to Tu Baichuan and asked in confusion, ¡°General Tu, I was checking His Majesty¡¯s reply. Why are you in such a hurry to summon me?¡± ¡°I need your help.¡± Tu Baichuan raised his head at the two men in green on the ground. ¡°These two are from the Wood Guards. They¡¯re also in charge of healing Shen Rulin.¡± ¡°Just now, after Shen Rulin woke up, he injured the two of them and disappeared. I only realized it when I came here to check on the situation.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lin Ran nodded and continued to pretend to be confused. ¡°But what has this got to do with me?¡± Tu Baichuan frowned and looked up at Hong Liquan outside the door. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell Lord Lin?¡± Hong Liquan¡¯s expression changed and he was about to explain when Lin Ran beat him to it. ¡°He said that you want me to chase after Shen Rulin, but I don¡¯t understand why.¡± Tu Baichuan turned his gaze back to Lin Ran. ¡°What do you mean why?¡± ¡°Why do you want me to go?¡± Lin Ran asked with a faint smile, ¡°Now that I¡¯m guilty person, it¡¯s against the rules for me to leave¡± Tu Baichuan seemed to have guessed that Lin Ran would say this. He paused for a moment and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t investigated your matter clearly, so you¡¯re not considered a guilty person yet.¡± ¡°Before His Majesty decides on your punishment, you will still be the deputy general of the Northern Garrison. You have the responsibility to protect the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. I¡¯m not saying that Shen Rulin will pose a threat to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, but from the looks of it, it will be wise to bring him back as soon as possible.¡± Lin Ran asked with interest, ¡°Oh? Then why aren¡¯t you going?¡± When Tu Baichuan heard this, he looked helpless. ¡°I¡¯m indeed supposed to go, but after Brother Shen died, I still have to temporarily take over the position of the commander of the Golden Guards. I¡¯m really busy.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Lin Ran chuckled and nodded. He glanced at the six Golden Guards by the wall. ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you today!¡± ¡°Thank you for your help, Lord Lin.¡± Tu Baichuan cupped his hands with a faint smile. ¡°However, I have something to remind Lord Lin. Your identity is special now. After you go out, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t do anything suspicious.¡± When Lin Ran heard this, the corners of his mouth slowly curled up. ¡°Commander Tu, don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± Chapter 265 - 265 Scheming and Escape 265 Scheming and Escape While saying ¡°I know what to do¡±, Lin Ran suddenly looked Tu Baichuan in the eyes, but Tu Baichuan looked away. ¡°Then Lord Lin, please set off as soon as possible.¡± Tu Baichuan cupped his hands and said, ¡°According to the guards outside, after Shen Rulin left, he fled north.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Lin Ran nodded and turned to leave. He raised his hand and held the Yin-Yang Sword in his hand. He turned around and looked at the six Golden Guards one last time before instantly disappearing on the spot! This terrifying speed made the expressions of everyone in the room change. Tu Baichuan was the first to react. He took a deep breath and was about to shout when he looked up and saw Lin Ran standing on a black and white sword, staring at him with a faint smile. Seeing that Tu Baichuan was looking at him, Lin Ran immediately smiled. ¡°Commander Tu, you¡¯re too polite. You actually came out to see me off personally?¡± Tu Baichuan¡¯s expression changed a few times before he revealed a smile. ¡°Since Lord Lin is doing this for our Five Elements Imperial Guards, we naturally have to be polite.¡± Before Lin Ran could speak, Tu Baichuan continued, ¡°Shen Rulin has been away for about fifteen minutes. Lord Lin, please set off as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Lin Ran nodded helplessly. Then, he turned around in the air and rose to about a thousand feet before slowly flying north. At the door of the room, Tu Baichuan stared at Lin Ran with his bell-like eyes, and his expression gradually darkened. When Lin Ran flew out of the range of the nameless house, Tu Baichuan¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He took a deep breath and shouted sternly, ¡°Criminal Lin Ran, you injured someone and ran away! Water Guards, Gold Guards! Follow me to kill this criminal!¡± His loud shout spread throughout the entire house like thunder. Tu Baichuan shattered the door with a punch and pulled out a black heavy sword that was as tall as a person from the door. The moment the ground under his feet rumbled with thunder, his figure soared into the sky like a cannonball! Immediately after, six Golden Guards rushed out of the room. At the same time, they unsheathed their swords and jumped into the air. As cold light flashed, thousands of sword energies formed an impenetrable net that enveloped Lin Ran! This was not all. With Tu Baichuan¡¯s order, figures soared into the sky from all over the nameless house. Most of them were from the Golden Guards and the Water Guards, and a small number of them were in red and green. Although it was only a small number, there were nearly a hundred people! In the blink of an eye, the sky above Lotus Town was densely filled with figures. However, Lin Ran did not even bat an eyelid. He placed one hand behind his back and used the other hand to gently flick in front of him. With a cracking sound, the huge net of sword energy that seemed to cover the sky shattered. ¡°They¡¯re all at the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm, but when combined, they can unleash the power of a grandmaster¡­ The Five Elements Imperial Guards are indeed extraordinary.¡± Lin Ran muttered thoughtfully. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. In the midst of the scattered sword energies, a burly figure was approaching quickly. The black heavy sword slashed through the air, causing a muffled sound like thunder! ¡°Lin Ran! Die!¡± After a muffled sound, an extremely condensed huge sword energy shot out of thin air. Wherever it passed, the wind howled. However, Lin Ran only reached out and flicked, and the sword energy that was enough to flatten a mountain dissipated with a bang. ¡°I already said that I¡¯m at the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm. Why don¡¯t you believe me?¡± Lin Ran looked at Tu Baichuan and chuckled. He looked at him helplessly as if he was looking at a naughty child. Tu Baichuan instantly realized that something was wrong. He frowned and asked coldly, ¡°You could¡¯ve killed me. Why didn¡¯t you?¡± Lin Ran smiled ambiguously and said seriously, ¡°I really didn¡¯t kill General Shen. I can explain this to you, but not now¡ª¡± At this point, Lin Ran turned to look into the distance. The Five Elements Imperial Guards in the courtyard were about to arrive. ¡°I advise you not to follow too closely.¡± A red glint flashed across Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, and his tone suddenly turned cold. ¡°Otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen.¡± With that, Lin Ran¡¯s figure flashed and appeared hundreds of feet away. Tu Baichuan¡¯s expression changed and he was about to chase after Lin Ran when his vision blurred and Lin Ran appeared in front of him out of thin air! ¡°Sorry, I need to borrow your sword!¡± Before Tu Baichuan could react, the heavy sword in his hand was snatched away by Lin Ran. Lin Ran pressed his palm on Tu Baichuan¡¯s chest, causing him to instantly lose his balance and fall to the ground! ¡°Lin Ran! I¡¯ll definitely kill you!¡± Tu Baichuan roared crazily, but he could only watch as Lin Ran flashed a few times and turned into an undetectable black dot in the sky. Boom! Tu Baichuan smashed into the streets of Lotus Town, creating a deep pit dozens of feet wide. The shops on both sides collapsed from the impact, and countless bricks and rubble instantly buried him below. But soon, the heavy rubble was removed. When Tu Baichuan saw those familiar figures, he immediately widened his eyes and roared, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me! Go after him! Don¡¯t let him escape!¡± ¡°Commaner!¡± A black-robed young man helped Tu Baichuan up with a troubled expression. ¡°He¡¯s too fast. We can¡¯t catch up¡­¡± ¡°Useless!¡± Tu Baichuan cursed and was about to move when his face turned red as he spat out a mouthful of blood. The surrounding people were shocked and hurriedly went forward. Tu Baichuan waved his hand and continued to shout weakly, ¡°Quickly report to His Majesty that Lin Ran has absconded and asked His Majesty to issue a decree to arrest him immediately!¡± Chapter 266 - 266 Confidential Mission 266 Confidential Mission In the imperial study in the palace. Just as the empress changed into her usual dragon robe, she heard Li Tianyi shout from outside, ¡°Your Majesty! Someone requests an audience!¡± ¡°Summon!¡± The empress sat down in front of the desk. Then, the door opened and a white-robed young man walked in. After Li Tianyi closed the door outside, the white-robed young man knelt on the ground and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m from the Golden Guards of the Five Elements Imperial Guards. Instructed by the commander of the Earth Guards, Tu Baichuan, I¡¯m here to ask Your Majesty to issue the decree!¡± The empress raised her eyebrows. ¡°What decree?¡± ¡°The criminal, Lin Ran, fled in fear of punishment. When Commander Tu tried to capture him, he was injured by Lin Ran. Your Majesty, please issue a decree to arrest Lin Ran!¡± ¡°Is that so?!¡± The empress exclaimed and slammed the table as she stood up. The aura of an emperor instantly spread out. ¡°Someone!¡± Li Tianyi hurriedly entered. ¡°What can I do for you, Your Majesty?¡± The empress¡¯s expression darkened as she shouted coldly, ¡°Pass down my order. Mobilize all the border guards to arrest Lin Ran!¡± ¡°Who?¡± Li Tianyi was stunned when he heard this. He looked at the white-robed young man kneeling on the ground and asked softly, ¡°Your Majesty, is the Lin Ran you mentioned just now¡­ the previous commander of the imperial guards in the palace, Lord Lin?¡± The empress frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t I make myself clear enough?¡± Li Tianyi looked troubled. ¡°But is there a misunderstanding? If I remember correctly, this is the third time Lord Lin is wanted by the entire dynasty. The first two times were all a misunderstanding¡­¡± The empress¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Are you telling me I¡¯m wrong?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Li Tianyi hurriedly bowed and apologized before running out. The empress looked at the white-robed young man again. ¡°How is Commander Tu doing?¡± ¡°Fortunately, he¡¯s fine for the time being!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The empress nodded. After thinking for a moment, she instructed, ¡°Order the Five Elements Imperial Guards to set off immediately to catch Lin Ran¡­ Since Commander Tu is injured, let Meng Shinian, the commander of Water Guards, take over the position of the commander of the Golden Guards for the time being!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The white-robed young man cupped his hands and accepted the order. Then, he stood up and left the imperial study. The imperial study fell silent. Worry appeared in the empress¡¯s eyes. She slowly turned to look in the direction of the Great Yong Dynasty and said something, but her voice was so low that only she could hear herself. ¡­ Northern Border, Fort Liushi. General Guo Fuzhen, who was training the new recruits on the training ground, suddenly sensed an extremely powerful aura approaching from the south. Then, his expression froze as he shouted, ¡°Be on guard!¡± With Guo Fuzhen¡¯s order, the soldiers on the training ground immediately started moving. After running to their respective posts, they nocked their arrows and unsheathed their swords, looking at the sky with cold expressions vigilantly. Seeing that the newly recruited soldiers reacted so quickly, Guo Fuzhen could not help but nod in satisfaction. Then, he strode towards the general¡¯s residence in the city. As soon as Guo Fuzhen reached the entrance of the general¡¯s residence, a figure descended from the sky without a sound. ¡°It¡¯s been a few days since we last met. Lord Lin, your cultivation has improved again!¡± Guo Fuzhen cupped his hands and praised. Before Lin Ran landed, he had already recognized this person. After all, in the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty, only Lin Ran had such a powerful aura. Moreover, the imperial edict had yet to reach the border, so he did not know that Lin Ran had become a wanted criminal again. ¡°General Guo, I¡¯m flattered.¡± Lin Ran smiled awkwardly. Guo Fu thought that he had meticulous control over his internal energy, but only he knew that the reason why he landed so lightly was because the killing intent inside him made him not dare to activate too much internal energy. Guo Fu really didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking. He looked around and asked in confusion, ¡°Lord Lin¡­ came alone this time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Ran nodded. ¡°His Majesty sent me to do something.¡± Hearing this, Guo Fuzhen¡¯s eyes flickered. He lowered his voice and probed, ¡°Lord Lin, you passed by this place¡­ Could it be that you¡¯re going to the Great Yong Dynasty?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Lin Ran quickly waved his hand. ¡°I specially came to Fort Liushi to look for General Guo. Do you still remember what I asked you to keep last time?¡± ¡°How can I forget?¡± Guo Fuzhen laughed and said, ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Then, he walked in and took out a small cloth bag. Lin Ran thanked him and took the cloth bag. After opening it, it was filled with tokens and other things that could prove his identity. When he sneaked into the Great Yong Dynasty last time, Lin Ran was worried that his identity would be exposed, so he left these things with Guo Fuzhen. However, now that he was considered famous in the Great Yong Dynasty, these things might be of some use when he went there this time. After checking to make sure that there was nothing missing, Lin Ran put away the cloth bag and cupped his hands at Guo Fuzhen. ¡°Thank you for keeping it for me, General Guo, but I have a request. I hope you can agree.¡± Guo Fuzhen laughed heartily. ¡°Lord Lin, you¡¯re being too polite! Just tell me!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°This is a confidential mission, so no matter what happens, don¡¯t let anyone know that I was here.¡± Guo Fuzhen frowned when he heard that. ¡°What will happen?¡± ¡°No matter what happens.¡± Lin Ran said seriously, ¡°Even if His Majesty comes to the Northern Border in person, General Guo, please keep it a secret for me!¡± ¡°His Majesty sent you on a confidential mission, but I can¡¯t even tell His Majesty if he asks?¡± Guo Fuzhen revealed a suspicious expression, but in the end, he nodded. ¡°Lord Lin, don¡¯t worry. I swear in my father¡¯s name that no matter what happens, I will keep my mouth shut!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Lin Ran bowed deeply to Guo Fuzhen and immediately rode his sword away. Guo Fuzhen stood rooted to the ground and watched, but even after Lin Ran disappeared into the horizon, he still couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on. Guo Fu sighed and shook those messy thoughts. He was about to return to the training ground to continue training when another aura suddenly approached quickly. He looked up and saw a messenger flying over on his sword. ¡°General! An emergency order from the capital!¡± Before the messenger landed, he shouted anxiously, ¡°His Majesty has ordered that the deputy general of the Northern Battlefront, Lin Ran, is guilty of assassinating the general of Golden Guards and must be arrested and brought back for punishment!¡± Guo Fuzhen¡¯s expression changed drastically. He flew forward to take the imperial edict. After opening it and confirming that the message was correct, a hesitant expression immediately appeared on his face. ¡°Lord Lin¡­ What are you doing?!¡± Guo Fuzhen rolled up the imperial edict and muttered softly. His originally fierce face was filled with conflict, and his hand that was holding the imperial edict trembled slightly¡­ Chapter 267 - 267 Cloud Breaking Slash 267 Cloud Breaking Slash In the forest in the southern border of the Great Yong Dynasty. Lin Ran quietly landed. Looking at the tall stone pillars around him, he couldn¡¯t help but think of Zou Hao, who had died because of him. He was not a soft-hearted person. Over the years, he had killed and saved many people, but he was particularly filled with guilt towards Zou Hao. Although Zou Hao deserved it, he died because of a mission given by Lin Ran. Moreover, his death was too tragic. Every time Lin Ran thought of him, he would have a strange feeling. Looking at the stone pillar where Zou Hao was buried from afar, Lin Ran¡¯s eyes flickered. No one knew what he was thinking. [Ding!] [Special location detected. The host is in the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s Thousand Blades City.] [Host, do you want to sign in?] The system notification suddenly sounded. Lin Ran calmed himself down and began to observe the forest seriously. The last time he came to the forest, the system notified him that this was a [Special Place]. However, at that time, Lin Ran had something else to do, so he was not in a hurry to sign in. However, now that he was going to fight Liu Hongshan, although he told the empress that he was full of confidence, the difference of one level of cultivation made it impossible to be easy. ¡°Even becoming a little stronger is better than nothing.¡± Lin Ran muttered and raised his hand. A huge black heavy sword appeared out of thin air and sank into the ground with a clang. This was Tu Baichuan¡¯s sword. Lin Ran had already guessed the rules of the system. Every time he signed in at a special place, the reward he received for the first time was the best. At the same time, the higher the grade of the sword he signed in with, the better the reward. The main reason why Lin Ran was not in a hurry to sign in last time was that he did not have a suitable divine sword with him. Therefore, he wanted to go back and find a divine sword before signing in. Otherwise, this opportunity to sign in at a special location would be wasted. The Hidden Sword Pavilion and Mount Sword were two places where divine swords were abundant in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Unfortunately, the former was destroyed by Lin Ran, while the latter was inexplicably reduced to dust and rust overnight. Although there were definitely divine swords scattered across the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, the difficulty of finding them was no different from finding a needle in a haystack. Lin Ran would probably fall into Qi Deviation before he could find a suitable divine sword. Helpless, Lin Ran could only ¡°borrow¡± Tu Baichuan¡¯s sword. At that time, the situation was urgent and he didn¡¯t have time to identify it, but since it was the sword of the commander of the Five Elements Imperial Guards, it shouldn¡¯t be too bad. As he thought about this, Lin Ran¡¯s gaze landed on the heavy sword. The first word that popped up in his mind was ¡°big¡±. Lin Ran had seen many heavy swords in Mount Sword. For example, Liu Hongshan¡¯s sword, Dragon Elephant, was a heavy sword, but compared to Tu Baichuan¡¯s sword, Dragon Elephant was like a toy. Even if nearly half of the sword dug into the ground, the rest was almost as tall as Lin Ran. The pitch-black sword was without any patterns. It stood on the ground like a stone tablet, but if one gently knuckled it, it would emit a crisp metallic sound. Lin Ran walked around the heavy sword three times, but in the end, he didn¡¯t recognize what material it was made of. However, he was certain of one thing¡ªthis heavy sword was definitely not ordinary. ¡°Since there¡¯s no other choice, I¡¯ll use you!¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. Then, he slowly reached out and stroked the cold and rough blade of the heavy sword¡ª [Ding!] [Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in and obtaining Cloud Breaking Slash.] ¡°Cloud Breaking Slash?¡± When Lin Ran heard this name, his expression immediately became strange. Why did the thing he obtained from signing in with the divine sword at a special place sound like a third-rate game skill? While Lin Ran was puzzled, an ancient book slowly unfolded in his mind. It was blank. Lin Ran suddenly felt speechless. Not only was it a third-rate game skill, but it was also blank. Was the system playing with him? When he became irritable, he could no longer control the suppressed killing intent. Lin Ran quickly restrained the killing intent. When he was distracted, he suddenly thought of something from a long time ago. At that time, Lin Ran was still a mountain guardian. After signing in one time, he obtained the Sword Flight Technique. When he first obtained it, it was blank. This was because there was a realm restriction to learning that cultivation technique, and his realm at that time was not high enough. Now that this ¡°Cloud Breaking Slash¡± was blank, could there be some restrictions? With this guess, Lin Ran suppressed his killing intent and looked at the ancient book in his mind. Back then, Sword Flight had a restriction notification that one could only cultivate it after reaching a certain realm. However, when Lin Ran looked at Cloud Breaking Slash, he didn¡¯t find a similar notification. However, this was understandable. Lin Ran was already at the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm. Although he was still a long way from shattering the void and ascending, there shouldn¡¯t be a situation where his realm was insufficient. Otherwise, this Cloud Breaking Slash would be too useless. After removing the possibility of realm restriction, Lin Ran began to think about other possibilities. The first one that popped up in his mind was weapons. The martial artists of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty were good at using swords, while the martial artists of the Great Yong Dynasty were good at using sabers. The ¡°Cloud Breaking Slash¡± was obtained by signing in in the Great Yong Dynasty. Perhaps this was not a sword technique but a saber technique. After thinking for a moment, he felt that it was very likely. Then, Lin Ran fell into a dilemma. Although this place was called ¡°Thousand Blades City¡± by the system, it did not look like a city at all. There were only rocks around. Where was he going to find a saber? Was he going to grind it out with rocks? Looking at the gravel of different sizes around him, Lin Ran suddenly felt that this idea was not impossible. As he thought about this, Lin Ran put the heavy sword into the Divine Sword Technique Manual and began to look for stones of the right size. Once Lin Ran made up his mind to do something, he had to do his best. He planned to make a three-foot-long stone saber, so the shape of this stone had to match. Just like that, Lin Ran walked around the forest for an hour. In the end, he didn¡¯t find a suitable stone, but he found a strange place. Chapter 268 - 268 Thousand Blades, Lost City 268 Thousand Blades, Lost City At an unknown location in the forest, Lin Ran discovered a strange stone pillar. It was a little inaccurate to call it a strange ¡°place¡± because it was still filled with stone pillars. However, compared to other places in the forest, the stone pillars here were clearly much shorter and smoother. There were about a few hundred stone pillars that occupied an area of about a thousand feet. Unlike the other stone pillars, which were dozens or even hundreds of feet tall, the stone pillars here were generally about 30 feet tall. Moreover, its thickness was very uniform, as if it had been man-made. The strangest thing was that not far ahead on Lin Ran¡¯s right, on the periphery of this strange place, there were two stone pillars leaning towards each other, forming a triangular door with the ground, looking like a gate. Lin Ran walked towards the ¡°gate¡± without hesitation. Looking in through the triangular gate, Lin Ran even had a strange feeling, as if the stone pillars here were arranged according to a certain pattern. ¡°Could this be some kind of array formation of the Great Yong Dynasty?¡± Lin Ran muttered and walked into the ¡°gate¡±. He wandered around the low stone pillars aimlessly. The more he walked, the more he felt that the positions of these stone pillars matched a certain pattern, but he couldn¡¯t figure it out for the time being. After walking for nearly fifteen minutes, Lin Ran arrived at the center of the stone pillars. It looked no different from anywhere else, but he had a strong feeling that there was definitely a treasure here! The system¡¯s judgment of the [Special Location] was that there was a divine sword. The probability of finding a ¡°divine sword¡± in the Great Yong Dynasty was not high, but there might be something like a ¡°divine saber¡± here. Lin Ran was about to look carefully when his expression suddenly changed slightly. He suddenly turned to look in a certain direction! On a stone pillar about a thousand steps away stood a pitch-black figure. Although he was too far away to see his face clearly, Lin Ran recognized that word intent immediately. ¡°Liu Hongshan!¡± Lin Ran roared angrily. The scenes in Mount Sword flashed through his mind. Under intense emotional fluctuations, he finally couldn¡¯t suppress the violent killing intent in his heart. Boom¡ª A violent killing intent spread out, and sand and rocks instantly flew everywhere around Lin Ran! Clang! With the sound of a sharp blade being unsheathed, Lin Ran held a heavy sword that was taller than him in his hand. The weight made Lin Ran¡¯s shoulders sink, but this was the best tool he could use. His strength did not increase? It did not matter! He didn¡¯t understand ¡°Cloud Breaking Slash¡±? It didn¡¯t matter! A demonic red light flashed across Lin Ran¡¯s eyes. At this moment, all the questions were thrown to the back of his mind. The only thought in his mind was to use all kinds of methods to turn Liu Hongshan into ashes! The ground under his feet exploded. Lin Ran rushed out like an arrow leaving the bow and charged straight at Liu Hongshan! The distance of a thousand steps was closed in an instant. Lin Ran roared and raised his heavy sword. However, just as he was about to slash down, a breeze suddenly blew past his face. The anger instantly dissipated without a trace, and even the strength in his body seemed to have been sucked out. The huge feeling of weakness only lasted for a moment, but it happened at the most critical moment. By the time Lin Ran returned to his usual state, his momentum was gone. He could only put down his heavy sword and land on the stone pillar helplessly. Ten steps away, Liu Hongshan looked at Lin Ran with his hands behind his back and said with a faint smile, ¡°It¡¯s been so long since we last met. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not the way to treat a guest, right?¡± ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and stared at Liu Hongshan. He asked coldly, ¡°What happened just now? Did you do it?¡± ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. I¡¯m helping you.¡± Liu Hongshan shrugged innocently. ¡°If I had let you slash down just now, your mind would have been completely corrupted by the killing intent and you would have become a man-killing demon.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Liu Hongshan smiled and tilted his head to look at Lin Ran with interest. ¡°But so what if you don¡¯t believe me? I¡¯ve already used the Taotie¡¯s Evil Technique to absorb all the killing intent. You still don¡¯t know, right? Those things are excellent nourishment for me.¡± Lin Ran looked at Liu Hongshan and didn¡¯t say anything, but his mood gradually became heavy. He originally thought that with that violent killing intent, he would at least have a chance of winning against Liu Hongshan. He did not expect Liu Hongshan to resolve it so easily and benefited from it. However, on second thought, Lin Ran felt that Liu Hongshan might be bluffing. It had to be noted that the killing intent was different from a martial artist¡¯s internal energy or the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Even Xiao Huai, who was born from killing intent, could not absorb it. How could Liu Hongshan do it? However, no matter what, Lin Ran did not feel that irritable anymore. He still had anger and hatred for Liu Hongshan, but the killing intent that did not belong to him seemed to have really disappeared. Just as Lin Ran was wondering what was going on, Liu Hongshan suddenly asked, ¡°From the looks of it, you must have been to Sword Grave. How is it? Is Xiao Huai awake? How much has Huo Qiyun improved?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Lin Ran replied coldly. He held the heavy sword with both hands behind his back and stared at Liu Hongshan with a sharp gaze. ¡°When we were exchanging death duels, I said that after leaving that place, we have to find a place where no one is around to fight. There¡¯s no time like the present.¡± As he spoke, the aura of the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm slowly spread out. However, looking at the murderous Lin Ran, Liu Hongshan waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I still have something to do, so our duel might have to be postponed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not here to fight?¡± Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°Then why are you here?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one asking you that?¡± Liu Hongshan asked in amusement, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty is already in troubled times. Why didn¡¯t you stay in the palace to assist Emperor Sheng Yuan? Why did you come to our country?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Lin Ran was about to speak when he suddenly felt that something was wrong. He had been in the Great Yong Dynasty for nearly two hours. If Liu Hongshan did not want him to come, why didn¡¯t he appear earlier? Why did he show up this time? Chapter 275 - 275 Benevolence Receives Benevolence 275 Benevolence Receives Benevolence Seeing that Lin Ran agreed so readily, Ye Jin seemed to be relieved. Holding the oil lamp, she led the way, taking Lin Ran to a room in the corner downstairs. The room was not big. At most, it was only ten square steps. There was only a metal bed in the room. Ye Jin placed the oil lamp at the head of the bed and turned to smile awkwardly at Lin Ran. ¡°No one has lived in this room for a long time, but it¡¯s quite clean. Sit here for a moment. I¡¯ll get you some bedding.¡± With that, Ye Jin turned around and left. Lin Ran thanked her and sat by the bed. He casually placed the wooden box containing the Black Shadow Saber by the wall. Just now, he took out the Ten Miles Dragon Roar from the wooden box in front of Ye Jin, so in Ye Jin¡¯s eyes, this wooden box should be empty. Now, the less he paid attention to the wooden box, the safer the saber in the sword box would be. Soon, Ye Jin brought over a set of bedding. The originally red satin had been washed so much that it whitened, and there was a faint fragrance on it. Lin Ran sniffled and his expression immediately became strange. ¡°Is this your bedding?¡± Ye Jin blushed and muttered in embarrassment, ¡°My father is seriously ill. I¡¯ve sold everything I can sell at home. Although I took your money today, I haven¡¯t had time to buy a new one¡­ Don¡¯t worry! I just washed this bedding a few days ago. It¡¯s very clean!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of whether it¡¯s clean or not¡­¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°If you give me the bedding, what do you have to cover yourself with when you sleep tonight?¡± Ye Jin thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll just cover myself with a few clothes. You¡¯ve already paid for the room, so you have to live more comfortably.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m a man. How can I snatch your bedding?¡± Lin Ran shook his head and refused. Before Ye Jin could speak, he said, ¡°You should take this bedding back. In any case, I¡¯ll be cultivating instead of sleeping tonight.¡± ¡°Cultivating?¡± Ye Jin frowned slightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t know martial arts?¡± ¡°Are children so hard to fool these days?¡± Lin Ran muttered in his heart, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. ¡°I said that I don¡¯t know how to use a sword, but I didn¡¯t say I don¡¯t cultivate! The border is so chaotic now. How can I do business without some self-defense skills?¡± Ye Jin thought that it made sense, so she didn¡¯t dwell on this question. However, from her hesitant expression, it seemed that she still wanted to leave the bedding for Lin Ran. Seeing this, Lin Ran suggested, ¡°How about this? You stay here¡­¡± Ye Jin¡¯s expression instantly became vigilant. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand!¡± Lin Ran realized that he had said something wrong and quickly waved his hand. ¡°What I mean is that you can sleep here tonight. I¡¯ll go outside to cultivate.¡± ¡°How can that do?¡± Ye Jin frowned. ¡°You¡¯re a guest, and you already paid.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ye Jin was about to say something when Lin Ran waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s settled then. I spent the money, so I have the final say!¡± ¡°¡­Alright then.¡± Ye Jin nodded helplessly. ¡°But I¡¯ll go upstairs. I¡¯ll leave this room for you. Something happened in the city today. It¡¯s not safe for you to be outside.¡± Ye Jin finally carried the bedding out of the door and soon brought over a bowl of steaming egg noodles. There was no table in the room, so Ye Jin handed the bowl to Lin Ran. Fortunately, Lin Ran took it and thanked her before wolfing it down. ¡°By the way!¡± After taking a few bites, Lin Ran suddenly thought of something and looked at Ye Jin. ¡°You¡¯re a martial artist too, right?¡± Ye Jin quickly waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯m just a newbie. I wouldn¡¯t call myself a martial artist.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Lin Ran sneered and said while eating the noodles, ¡± Actually, my senses are very sharp, but when you approached me today, I didn¡¯t even notice you¡­ You must be a martial artist!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not!¡± Ye Jin smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Maybe you were so frightened that you didn¡¯t notice me approaching, right?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lin Ran frowned. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t believe this explanation. Besides, he was not an easily frightened person. If he wasn¡¯t worried about causing a conflict between the two countries, he wouldn¡¯t even hide. As he spoke, Lin Ran sent a wisp of divine sense to Ye Jin. As expected, he detected nothing. This result made Lin Ran even more certain of his guess. Ye Jin must have cultivated some kind of hiding technique, but for some reason, she was unwilling to admit it. Thinking of this, Lin Ran didn¡¯t continue asking because not only would Ye Jin not tell him, but it would also make Ye Jin suspicious of him. After eating a few mouthfuls of noodles, Lin Ran changed the topic and asked about the Iron City. Most of the time, he only asked superficial questions. Occasionally, he would ask indirectly about some secrets. At the same time, on a low mountain outside the Iron City. Liu Hongshan looked in the direction of the Iron City with his hands behind his back. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking about something he couldn¡¯t understand. From this angle, the dark Iron City emitted a heavy cold light under the bright moon. It was like a mirror embedded in the wilderness, or the huge mouth of some ancient beast. Suddenly, a breeze blew past and a sinister-looking young man in white appeared behind Liu Hongshan. ¡°Did you settle it?¡± Xuan Wushang asked indifferently. His voice was not loud, but it was especially clear in the silent night. Liu Hongshan was stunned for a moment before retracting his gaze. He turned to look at Xuan Wushang and said in confusion, ¡°But I still can¡¯t figure out why you wanted to give Black Shadow to Lin Ran.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what he wanted?¡± The corners of Xuan Wushang¡¯s mouth curled up as his sinister gaze drifted towards the Iron City. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Liu Hongshan stopped asking. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, ¡°Do you know where I found him?¡± Xuan Wushang did not say anything and only looked at Liu Hongshan in confusion. ¡°In the ruins of Thousand Blades City.¡± Liu Hongshan spat out a few words indifferently. His voice was so soft that it sounded like it would be blown away by the wind. However, Xuan Wushang¡¯s expression instantly changed. Chapter 276 - 276 Scraps? Strange Metal Ball 276 Scraps? Strange Metal Ball It was unknown what happened, but the originally quiet wind suddenly became turbulent. A thin fog quickly appeared in the air and surrounded Xuan Wushang and Liu Hongshan with the wind. As soon as the fog thickened, Xuan Wushang immediately questioned, ¡°How did he find that place?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Liu Hongshan frowned, as if he was a little dissatisfied with Xuan Wushang¡¯s attitude. ¡°When I arrived, he had already entered Thousand Blades City. If you want to know how he found it, you can just ask him!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Xuan Wushang revealed a sullen expression, but in the end, he sighed. ¡°Uncle, I know you¡¯re angry, but this matter concerns the future of the Great Yong Dynasty. In front of the enemy, you and I should unite.¡± ¡°Unite?¡± Liu Hongshan sneered. Looking at Xuan Wushang, who was clearly worried, he thought for a moment and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. Although I don¡¯t know how he found it, I think he must have done it by accident.¡± Xuan Wushang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What exactly do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s just a feeling.¡± Liu Hongshan shook his head with a hint of fear on his face. ¡°After all, if he finds out the secret of Thousand Blades City, he won¡¯t leave with me so easily.¡± Xuan Wushang nodded thoughtfully. After pondering for a moment, he said, ¡°Uncle, just in case, you should go to Thousand Blades City again to check.¡± Liu Hongshan nodded to indicate that there was no problem. Then, he turned around and walked into the white fog. After passing through the white fog, Liu Hongshan suddenly thought of something and wanted to go back. However, when he turned around, the white fog had already quietly dissipated and Xuan Wushang was nowhere to be seen. ¡°He¡¯s still so elusive!¡± Liu Hongshan muttered softly and looked at the Iron City from afar before flying towards the forest. ¡­ In the Iron City. Because it was too late, Ye Jin had already returned to her room. Lin Ran lay on the only furniture in the room¡ªthe bed made of unknown metal. To his surprise, this bed was much more comfortable than he had imagined. The metal bed looked flat, but there were actually some curves on the surface. These curves would evenly share the gravity of Lin Ran¡¯s body. Instead of saying that he was lying on the bed, it was more accurate to say that he was embedded here. Feeling the coldness of the metal, Lin Ran¡¯s mind became much clearer. Ye Jin¡¯s words replayed in his mind. This little girl clearly had not received any confidentiality training, so even if she was quite vigilant, her unintentional words still revealed a lot of information. For example, the Iron City was a relatively independent city. Although it was under the management of the Great Yong Dynasty, most of the time, the people in the city were self-sufficient. Compared to the ¡°City of Great Yong¡±, the Iron City was more like a small country attached to the Great Yong Dynasty. However, this was Lin Ran¡¯s own analysis. There might be some differences in the actual situation. Unfortunately, the information was not helpful to Lin Ran because it could not explain the problem Lin Ran encountered. After thinking for a while, Lin Ran reached into his pocket and took out a small cloth bag. After opening it, there were a few small metal balls he had taken from the junk pile today. Lin Ran had asked Ye Jin before, and she said that these metal balls were scraps thrown away by the blacksmith. However, from her fearful expression towards the metal balls, it was obvious that these things were not as simple as ¡°scrapes¡±. Under the dim oil lamp, the green metal balls looked even smoother, but when he held them in his hand, he realized that they were rough. Lin Ran picked up one and looked at it carefully. Before he could figure it out, he suddenly smelled a strange smell. The smell was not pleasant, but it was not unpleasant either. It smelled like rust mixed with copper. At the same time, there was a faint smell that Lin Ran was very familiar with, but he couldn¡¯t remember it at the moment. ¡°What exactly is this?¡± Lin Ran muttered and brought the metal ball closer, but the smell was much weaker. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but frown at this abnormal situation. A while ago, he was a little sleepy, but now, his sleepiness was all swept away. Lin Ran sat on the edge of the bed and took the metal ball to the oil lamp to observe carefully. Just as he took the metal ball over, the strange smell appeared. Looking at the flickering flame, Lin Ran suddenly had an idea. He guessed that this smell must have been produced by heat. Previously, these metal balls were piled up in the alley, so they didn¡¯t smell much. Later, Lin Ran put them in his arms for a few hours, so the smell was produced by his body temperature. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it made sense. Lin Ran immediately placed the metal ball on the flame of the oil lamp. As it turned out, Lin Ran was right. As soon as the flame came into contact with the surface of the metal ball, a strange smell that was several times stronger than before spread through the room. Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed. After the smell became several times stronger, he finally remembered what that familiar smell was¡ªit was the smell of blood. Looking at the metal ball wrapped in the flames, Lin Ran¡¯s expression gradually turned solemn. As if he was scolded, he suddenly swung his hand, and the metal ball flew out of his hand and smashed into the metal wall, making a loud clang. A deafening sound echoed in the room. Almost at the same time, the sound of someone coming downstairs was heard from outside. Lin Ran came back to his senses and hurriedly picked up the metal ball and wrapped it up. Just as he put it away, Ye Jin barged in. Ye Jin¡¯s hair was a little messy. It was obvious that she had fallen asleep. Under the coat that was draped over her shoulders, the close-fitting shirt covered her slender body, revealing a mature curve that did not match her age. After entering, Ye Jin looked around to make sure that there was nothing unusual before looking at Lin Ran. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I accidentally fell to the ground when I flipped over on the bed just now.¡± Lin Ran replied with a stiff expression. Afraid that Ye Jin wouldn¡¯t believe him, he added, ¡°I¡¯m used to sleeping in a big bed at home.¡± Ye Jin was stunned for a moment before feeling amused. ¡°You scared me to death. I thought that a burglar broke in!¡± Just as Lin Ran was about to let Ye Jin go back to sleep, his gaze accidentally landed on Ye Jin¡¯s neck. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. ¡°Why do you have that?¡± Ye Jin followed Lin Ran¡¯s gaze and looked down. It turned out that half of a necklace was sticking out of her collar. She smiled and replied sadly, ¡°This is what my mother left for me¡­ Do you know it?¡± ¡°I know him too well!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression became even stranger because the style of this necklace was exactly the same as the necklace belonging to the empress! Chapter 277 - 277 Idendical Necklace 277 Idendical Necklace The empress¡¯s ruby necklace was a treasure passed down from generation to generation in the royal family of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Unlike the ropes or chains of ordinary necklaces, the rope part of the necklace was made of metal rods the thickness of a chopstick and the length of a knuckle. Ye Jin¡¯s necklace had the same structure, but the size of the metal rods was almost twice as small. However, Lin Ran had observed the empress¡¯s ruby necklace up close, so he believed that he was definitely not wrong! ¡°Can I see it?¡± Lin Ran asked tentatively. Actually, he didn¡¯t have much hope. Firstly, this was something left behind by Ye Jin¡¯s mother, and secondly, it was something that the girl wore on her body. It was a little rude for him to ask for it directly. However, to Lin Ran¡¯s surprise, Ye Jin took off the necklace without hesitation. Moreover, the way she took off the necklace was very special. She didn¡¯t unfasten the clasp or take it off her head, but grabbed the necklace and tore it off. This puzzled Lin Ran. Wasn¡¯t this something left behind by Ye Jin¡¯s mother? Why didn¡¯t she cherish it? However, after Lin Ran took the necklace, he understood it. It turned out that at the place where the necklace clasp was, two ends were filled with magnets. If two ends approached, they would be stuck together. After studying the magnetic clasp, Lin Ran looked at the pendant of the necklace and realized that it was a jade token the size of an apricot. It was of good quality and seemed to be worth a lot of money. Seeing Lin Ran sizing up the jade token, Ye Jin whispered dejectedly, ¡°If I didn¡¯t meet you today, I would have to catch the thief who stole the saber to exchange bounty to buy medicine for my father. Otherwise¡­¡± Ye Jin didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but Lin Ran understood what she meant. At the same time, he understood why she had such a big reaction when she saw the money. It wasn¡¯t because she was greedy, but because her life was too difficult. Thinking of this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be moved. He subconsciously wanted to give her more money, but on second thought, he gave up. After the Ten Miles Dragon Roar was reforged, he decided to give them some extra money. Lin Ran was still observing the necklace. After being passed down for hundreds or thousands of years, the empress¡¯s ruby necklace still looked brand new. On the other hand, Ye Jin¡¯s necklace was clearly blackened from oxidation. However, other than that, the two necklaces were quite similar. The first thing Lin Ran noticed was the way the metal rods were connected. Just like the empress¡¯s ruby necklace, every joint of this necklace was connected internally. It looked like it was carved from one single metal rod. Apart from the structure, the patterns on the surface of the metal rod were also extremely similar. At first glance, it looked like some kind of decorative pattern, but on closer look, it looked like a part of a map. Lin Ran had once asked the empress what these patterns meant, but unfortunately, even the empress didn¡¯t know. Lin Ran looked at the necklace again and again. At the same time, he was certain that there was definitely a connection between this necklace and the empress¡¯s ruby necklace. When he returned the necklace to Ye Jin, Lin Ran asked, ¡°The workmanship of this necklace is very exquisite¡­ Is it your mother¡¯s doing?¡± At the mention of her mother, Ye Jin¡¯s eyes darkened. After taking the necklace and putting it back on, she looked at Lin Ran and forced a smile. ¡°My mother passed away when I was born. My father gave this to me.¡± ¡°¡­My condolences.¡± Lin Ran replied awkwardly and quickly changed the topic. ¡°You seemed to have come very quickly just now. It¡¯s so late and you¡¯re still awake. Are you afraid that I¡¯ll steal your things?¡± ¡°Is there anything else to steal in my house?¡± Ye Jin looked at the room and smiled. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and continued, ¡°It¡¯s because my father has been unstable recently. I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll hurt himself, so I have to be vigilant.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Lin Ran nodded and felt that the atmosphere was even more awkward. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your father?¡± As soon as he asked that, Lin Ran regretted it. As expected, Ye Jin¡¯s expression instantly darkened. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask.¡± Then, she turned around and left. Lin Ran blew out the oil lamp and was about to lie down to sleep when he heard noisy footsteps running past outside the house. Those were the people who were looking for the ¡°saber thief¡± in the city. After night fell, they had already run around the area three or four times. Those people probably felt that the ¡°saber thief¡± wouldn¡¯t be hiding in Ye Jin¡¯s house, so they didn¡¯t come over. However, it was really difficult for Lin Ran to relax when they were running around outside. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran got off the bed, picked up the wooden box, and took out Black Shadow. At the end of the day, this chaos in the Iron City was caused by the missing Black Shadow. Although no one had discovered that Black Shadow was in Lin Ran¡¯s hands for the time being, as long as he was still carrying this wooden box, he couldn¡¯t leave the city through the normal way, so he had to think of a way to hide Black Shadow. Again, he activated the Divine Sword Technique Manual. As expected, the Black Shadow Saber was not put into the manual. ¡°Looks like I can only take a gamble!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and carried the wooden box to the window. Under the dim moonlight outside, he began to fiddle with it. Chapter 278 - 278 Ingenious Interlayer 278 Ingenious Interlayer The next morning. Lin Ran was woken up by a beam of sunlight. When he opened his eyes, he first saw the silhouette of the window frame against the sunlight, then the blue sky outside the window. ¡°How did I fall asleep?¡± A question suddenly popped up in Lin Ran¡¯s mind. Last night, he wanted to keep the Black Shadow Saber in the Divine Sword Technique Manual, but sabers couldn¡¯t be kept in the Divine Sword Technique Manual, and there was nowhere to hide it in Ye Jin¡¯s house. Helpless, Lin Ran had no choice but to make a small interlayer for the wooden box with limited materials¡­ ¡°Right, the interlayer!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes lit up as he sat up. He picked up the wooden box and opened it, only to find that it was empty. However, as long as he lifted the satin covering the bottom, he would see a metal plate perfectly embedded with the slot in the wooden box. The Black Shadow Knife was hidden in the small space under the metal plate. After checking that there were no mistakes, Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he felt a little lucky. If not for the fact that the wooden box Liu Hongshan brought was big enough, he might not have been able to come up with this solution. After putting away the wooden box, Lin Ran began to think about how he fell asleep because the last thing he remembered was checking under the moonlight after finishing the interlayer. He had no impression of lying down to sleep. Suddenly, footsteps sounded. As soon as Lin Ran came back to his senses, he heard someone knocking on the door. Ye Jin called out from outside, ¡°Shopkeeper Huo, are you awake?¡± ¡°Shopkeeper Huo?¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before he remembered that he was using Huo Qiyun¡¯s name. He quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯m awake. Please come in!¡± Ye Jin pushed open the door and entered. There were two water bags hanging from her waist, making her look like she was preparing to go on a long journey. Lin Ran frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Are you going out?¡± Ye Jin nodded. ¡°My father asked me to go out of the city to find a few types of ores. I came to ask if you want to go with me.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Lin Ran agreed without hesitation. As long as he could leave the city, he could find a place to hide the Black Shadow Saber. When he returned to the city, as long as he was not seen by the people who had seen him in the inn, no one would know that he was the famous ¡°saber thief¡±? With this in mind, Lin Ran got off the bed and carried the wooden box on his back. Seeing this, Ye Jin was stunned. ¡°Are you going with that broken sword?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t answer directly. Instead, he asked ambiguously, ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes, you can, but¡­¡± Ye Jin looked troubled, but in the end, she nodded. ¡°Then wait a moment. I¡¯ll go get your sword.¡± Lin Ran agreed and Ye Jin turned to go upstairs. Not long after, the sound of something being smashed came from upstairs. ¡°What kind of temper does that person have?¡± Lin Ran looked at the trembling metal ceiling. He suddenly felt that this scene looked a little familiar. When he first arrived at Ye Jin¡¯s house yesterday, the same thing happened. However, Lin Ran was very sure that this was not the reason because he felt that the trembling metal ceiling looked familiar, and he didn¡¯t look at the ceiling at all yesterday. But what could it be? Lin Ran frowned slightly. Before he could figure it out, Ye Jin came down with the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. ¡°Your sword.¡± Ye Jin handed over the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. Lin Ran, who was already prepared, specially opened the wooden box and asked Ye Jin to put the sword in. Then, the two of them went out together. Before they could walk far, a group of people walked towards them dejectedly. Ye Jin clearly knew these people and waved at them from afar. However, those people didn¡¯t seem to have slept all night. All of them were listless. When they saw Lin Ran, their eyes lit up and they walked over aggressively. ¡°Who are you?¡± One of the middle-aged men looked at Lin Ran and asked coldly. He placed his hand on the hilt of the saber at his waist, looking like he was about to attack. Before Lin Ran could speak, Ye Jin interrupted, ¡°His name is Huo Qiyun. He¡¯s here to ask my father to forge a saber.¡± ¡°Forge a saber?¡± The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment. Someone behind him was already laughing, but he quickly held it in and put on a straight face, pretending that nothing had happened. The middle-aged man turned around and glared at the person. Then, he looked at Ye Jin and smiled kindly. ¡°Jin, is your father getting better?¡± Ye Jin sighed and shook her head. Then, she forced a smile at the middle-aged man. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. Shopkeeper Huo is very generous. I have to go out of the city to find ores first. When I come back, I can get the doctor to treat my father!¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good!¡± The middle-aged man smiled. It was obvious that he was really happy for Ye Jin. However, among the people behind him, two young men revealed strange expressions. After looking at each other, they looked at Ye Jin with flickering eyes, thinking about something. It was obvious from their gazes that they were up to good. Yesterday, Ye Jin had warned Lin Ran not to show off his wealth, but today, she showed off her wealth. Originally, after obtaining the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, Lin Ran planned to take the opportunity to leave the city to look for Liu Hongshan. However, from the looks of it, he would probably have to stay in the city for another day. While he was thinking, Ye Jin and the middle-aged man were almost done chatting. After bidding farewell to each other, the two of them continued walking towards the city gate. Along the way, they encountered a few more groups of people looking for the ¡°saber thief¡±. However, Ye Jin was clearly not that familiar with them. She only greeted them briefly when she saw them. Not long after, the two of them arrived at the city gate and saw a group of men in black guarding the gate. Every time someone passed by, they would be interrogated by these men in black. However, Lin Ran was not nervous at all. This was because these were not the people who had seen him at the inn yesterday, so he was not afraid that they would recognize him. After arriving at the city gate with a calm expression, Ye Jin asked Lin Ran to wait for a moment. Then, he went to talk with the leader of the men in black. No one knew what she said, but soon, the man waved his hand to indicate that they could leave. ¡°We have to hurry.¡± Ye Jin returned to Lin Ran¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°They said that the curfew has been enforced since last night. If we don¡¯t come back before dark, we¡¯ll have to spend the night outside the city.¡± Lin Ran nodded to show that he understood. The two of them walked out of the city as they spoke. Just as they were about to walk out of the city gate, a man in black suddenly shouted, ¡°Wait!¡± Clang¡ª As soon as he finished speaking, all the men in black drew their sabers and surrounded Lin Ran and Ye Jin. Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly because he realized that these people were all staring at the wooden box on his back! Chapter 279 - 279 So Walking is Such A Painful Thing 279 So Walking is Such A Painful Thing These men in black were clearly bad-tempered. Just as they surrounded Lin Ran and Ye Jin, one of them reached out to grab the wooden box on Lin Ran¡¯s back. Lin Ran instinctively turned his body to the side. That person didn¡¯t expect Lin Ran to be so quick to react. He raised his hand and placed the saber on Lin Ran¡¯s neck! The situation immediately became tense. The leader of the men in black waved his hand to signal the man to put down the saber, but he frowned and glared at Lin Ran. ¡°There¡¯s a treasure stolen in the city. Everyone has to be investigated!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that!¡± Lin Ran sneered in disdain and pointed in the direction where he came from. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching over there for a while just now. Others were just asked a few simple questions, but I¡¯m the one who needs to be searched? On what basis? Are you bullying me just because I¡¯m an outsider?¡± The expression of the man in black stiffened. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°Shopkeeper Huo, it¡¯s their job.¡± Ye Jin persuaded him. After thinking for a moment, she leaned closer to Lin Ran and continued in a low voice, ¡°Although the fact that you are carrying a sword will arouse suspicion, you don¡¯t have ill-intentions. Why don¡¯t you show them?¡± Since Ye Jin said so, he could only cooperate. Lin Ran untied the wooden box on his back and handed it over with both hands. The man in black in the lead reached out to open the lock. Lin Ran said, ¡°The thing inside is very expensive. Be careful.¡± The man in black did not say anything, but he was obviously gentler when handling the box. Clatter! Clatter! The two brass locks on the wooden box popped open. Lin Ran¡¯s heart was in his throat. Although he had already made a secret interlayer for the wooden box, these people were obviously sharp-eyed. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could fool them. Soon, the wooden box was opened, and an extremely luxurious Ten Miles Dragon Roar appeared in front of everyone. Someone gasped. Lin Ran subconsciously wanted to turn around, but he saw the man in black who was leading the team wave his hand and instantly, six to seven sabers were put to his throat. ¡°Who are you?¡± The leader of the men in black shouted coldly, ¡°As far as I know, only Heavenly Saint martial artists know how to use swords!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡± Before Lin Ran could speak, Ye Jin hurriedly stepped forward. After pushing their sabers away, she told the leader of the men in black what Lin Ran had told her yesterday. However, the leader of the men in black was clearly not as easy to fool as Ye Jin. After hearing this, he still stared at Lin Ran suspiciously, as if he wanted to see through him. Under such pressure, Lin Ran actually felt much more relaxed. After all, the flaw that would get him exposed was the weight of the wooden box. As long as the wooden box was still in his hand, he was not afraid that the other party would discover the interlayer. Thinking of this, Lin Ran closed the wooden box and put it behind his back. He curled his lips and raised his eyebrows, allowing the other party to size him up. Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s indifferent attitude, although the leader was a little displeased, his doubts were dispelled. He thought for a moment and waved his hand. ¡°Go! You have to come back before dark. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to spend the night outside!¡± ¡°Thank you, Big Brother!¡± Ye Jin quickly bowed and thanked him. Then, she pulled Lin Ran out of the city gate. The moment they walked out of the city gate, Lin Ran felt relieved. Just as he was about to ask Ye Jin where to go, he suddenly felt a divine sense sweep past the two of them. Lin Ran raised his eyebrows. His first reaction was that the men in black had discovered something. However, on second thought, he realized that it was not the case. The men in black just now were generally at the ninth level of the Martial Master Realm, while the man in black leading the team was at the second level of the Senior Martial Master Realm. However, not only was the divine sense just now very weak, but its control was also unstable. It looked like it was from someone who had just mastered using divine sense. At most, the person was at the first level of the Martial Master Realm. As he thought to himself, a wisp of Lin Ran¡¯s divine sense had already spread out. Then, a helpless smile appeared on his face. The people detecting him with their divine sense were none other than the two ill-intentioned young men he had just met. ¡°They are really courting death!¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. They were only at the first level of the Martial Master Realm. No matter what they wanted to do, Lin Ran was not worried at all. On the other hand, Ye Jin had no idea what was going on. She was holding a map and studying it carefully. Seeing her frowning seriously as she flipped the map around, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are we going to get lost?¡± Ye Jin bit her lips and didn¡¯t say anything. She stuffed the map into Lin Ran¡¯s hand and said in a voice not much louder than a mosquito, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m out of the city¡­ I¡¯ll let you lead the way. We¡¯re going to a place called Mount Xianyong.¡± Lin Ran smiled and looked down at the map. Soon, he found Mount Xianyong, which was located in the northwest of the Iron City. It was about 20 to 30 miles away. This distance was only a blink of an eye for Lin Ran, but in front of Ye Jin, he couldn¡¯t ride his sword. He could only determine the direction and set off step by step. The two of them set off in the morning. It was not until late in the morning that they saw the outline of Mount Xianyong in the distance. ¡°So walking is such a painful thing¡­¡± When he was resting by the roadside, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but look up at the sky and sigh. This was because ever since he learned Sword Flight, he had been riding a sword all the time. The last time he walked dozens of miles like this was a few years ago. Ye Jin was also exhausted. Her childish face was red. When she heard Lin Ran¡¯s words, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°From what you said, it seems like you don¡¯t have to walk usually?¡± ¡°I have a carriage! Why should I walk?¡± Lin Ran replied casually. As soon as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming! And there are a lot of them!¡± Chapter 280 - 280 The Real Enemy Is Coming 280 The Real Enemy Is Coming When he first heard Lin Ran¡¯s warning, Ye Jin was a little confused because they were in a desolate plain. The tallest plants around were only half the height of a person, but she didn¡¯t see anything. However, just as Ye Jin was about to ask a question, a strong wind suddenly blew across the wilderness. Immediately after that, a few black figures arrived with the wind like ghosts and surrounded the two of them almost instantly. The black figures landed on the ground and revealed themselves as more than ten men with black masks. Ye Jin¡¯s expression changed as she stood up and shouted, ¡°Who are you? Why are you surrounding us?!¡± With a clang, the masked man standing in front of the two of them unsheathed his saber. ¡°Hand over the money obediently! Otherwise, we¡¯ll kill you one by one!¡± ¡°Yes! Hand over the money!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± ¡°Why are you wasting your breath on them? Just kill them!¡± ¡­ The masked men around the two of them started clamoring, but Ye Jin pretended not to hear them. She frowned slightly and looked at the masked man in front of her. After a few seconds, she probed, ¡°Are you Brother Dashan?¡± That person was stunned for a moment before quickly waving his hand. ¡°No, no! My name is Liu Ertong!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the masked man beside him kicked him. ¡°Wang Dashan, are you stupid? Why are you calling my name?¡± Only then did Wang Dashan react. Although he had been kicked, he knew that he was in the wrong and did not dare to flare up. He could only look at Liu Ertong and say, ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean it¡­ Then what should we do now?¡± ¡°What else can we do?¡± Liu Ertong snorted and took off his mask. His young face was filled with ruthlessness. ¡°They already know our identities. We can¡¯t let them live!¡± Wang Dashan panicked when he heard that. He hurriedly stood in front of Liu Ertong and said anxiously, ¡°No! Didn¡¯t we agree to only rob money? Jin is also from the Iron City. Moreover, her father is in such a state. If we kill her, how will her father live¡­¡± ¡°Wang Dashan!¡± Liu Ertong grabbed Wang Dashan¡¯s collar and glared at him. ¡°Do you think I want this to happen? If you hadn¡¯t exposed our identities, we would have already robbed the money and gone back to have fun!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Wang Dashan was about to say something when Liu Ertong suddenly pushed him away and looked coldly at the others. ¡°What¡¯s the point of hiding your identities now! If they go back alive, none of you will be able to escape!¡± Hearing this, the remaining masked men looked at each other for a while before taking off their masks. Lin Ran glanced around and realized that they were all young people from the Iron City. Ye Jin panicked when she heard that they were going to silence her. She subconsciously leaned towards Lin Ran and asked in a low voice, ¡°Shopkeeper Huo, can you fight them?¡± Lin Ran, who was in a daze, didn¡¯t hear her. Seeing that he didn¡¯t speak, Ye Jin thought that he was afraid. After struggling for a moment, Ye Jin tugged at the corner of Lin Ran¡¯s shirt and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, ¡°Shopkeeper Huo, I¡¯ll attract their attention later. Find an opportunity to run!¡± With that, Ye Jin was about to go forward when Lin Ran came back to his senses and pulled her back. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Let¡¯s talk first.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he pulled Ye Jin behind him and looked at Liu Ertong, who was not far away. ¡°This place is not far from the Iron City. Aren¡¯t you afraid that the people in the city will find out if you kill someone here?¡± Hearing this, not only was Liu Ertong not flustered, but he also smiled sinisterly. ¡°You can only blame yourself for being unlucky. Although this place is not far from the city, very few people come here.¡± ¡°Besides, a few days ago, it was said that a ferocious beast appeared nearby. After killing you, I¡¯ll bury you underground. Who knows if you were killed by us or by the ferocious beast?¡± ¡°That means no one in the city will notice, right?¡± Lin Ran smiled thoughtfully, then his expression darkened. ¡°Then why are you still so arrogant?¡± With that, Lin Ran suddenly disappeared. Liu Ertong widened his eyes in shock. However, just as he raised his eyes slightly, he vaguely heard a series of muffled sounds. Then, he felt a powerful aura appear behind him! ¡°Argh!¡± Liu Ertong exclaimed and wanted to run forward. Suddenly, he felt his neck tighten. It turned out that someone had grabbed his collar. Before his brain could react, Liu Ertong¡¯s legs had already run out, but the force of the grip on his collar was clearly stronger than him. After the world spun around him, when he saw clearly again, he was already lying on the ground. The remaining young people also fell to the ground with their eyes rolled back. ¡°Now we can talk.¡± Lin Ran squatted on the ground with a smile and put his face in front of Liu Ertong¡¯s eyes. He said gently, ¡°Hand over the money or I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Looking at Lin Ran¡¯s big face that occupied two-thirds of his vision, Liu Ertong looked like he had seen a ghost. His lips trembled uncontrollably and he fainted from shock! ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t have the guts, don¡¯t come out and rob people, okay?¡± Lin Ran was speechless. He looked up and saw Ye Jin looking at him as if she had seen a ghost. ¡°What happened?¡± Lin Ran frowned and said in confusion, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I only knocked them out. I didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡± Ye Jin didn¡¯t say anything, but she seemed to be so shocked that she couldn¡¯t speak. After a while, she asked with a complicated expression, ¡°Why are you so strong?¡± ¡°Am I strong?¡± Lin Ran rubbed his nose in embarrassment. He had tried his best to use as little strength as possible just now. Otherwise, with the difference in realm between them, a casual sneeze from him would be enough to shock these people to death. However, Ye Jin clearly didn¡¯t think so because Lin Ran was too fast. She only saw Lin Ran suddenly disappear and suddenly appear behind Liu Ertong. As for how the others fainted, she didn¡¯t see it at all! Such a shocking scene made Ye Jin dumbfounded for a moment. Just as she was trying her best to figure it out, Lin Ran suddenly waved his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this for now. Find a place to hide. The real enemy is about to arrive.¡± ¡°The real enemy?¡± Ye Jin was stunned. He looked at Liu Ertong and the others who had fainted. ¡°Are they not our enemy?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything. He just stared in a certain direction with a solemn expression and slowly shook his head. Chapter 281 - 281 Using Him As A Knife? 281 Using Him As A Knife? Ye Jin didn¡¯t know what was going on, but when she saw how serious Lin Ran was, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Is our enemy dangerous?¡± Ye Jin asked with a trembling voice. It was unknown if she was nervous or afraid, but her childish face turned pale. ¡°Very dangerous.¡± Lin Ran nodded and thought for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°But we don¡¯t know what the other party¡¯s motive is yet, so you don¡¯t have to worry for the time being. Go and hide.¡± Ye Jin wanted to say something, but Lin Ran stopped her with a wave of his hand. She had no choice but to suppress the doubts in her heart and run to a dense bush to hide. Almost at the same time that Ye Jin hid, a muffled sound like thunder suddenly came from the horizon. A few small black dots flew over at an astonishing speed. At the same time, a domineering pressure swept over like a huge wave! The originally quiet wilderness instantly became chaotic. Lin Ran stood proudly in the strong wind with his hands behind his back. No matter how strong the wind was, the area within five steps of him was still calm. However, Ye Jin, who was hiding in the bushes, didn¡¯t have a good time. Under that huge pressure, Ye Jin felt like there was a stone stuck in her chest that made her unable to breathe. Countless branches of the bushes were blown by the strong wind and whipped her mercilessly like a whip. In the blink of an eye, a few bloody marks appeared on her exposed skin. ¡°Ouch!¡± Ye Jin couldn¡¯t help but cry out in pain. When she realized she was exposing her whereabouts, she hurriedly covered her mouth. However, Lin Ran still heard her voice. He expanded the range of the protective barrier to 30 steps, covering the bushes where Ye Jin was hiding. At the same time, the black dots in the sky approached. As the few of them landed on the ground, the wind calmed down. The person in the lead was wearing a black robe. Although he was in the territory of the Great Yong Dynasty, there was a short sword hanging from his waist. He had a faint smile on his face. It was Lin Ran¡¯s old enemy, Liu Hongshan. Behind him were six soldiers in black armor. Their appearances were completely covered by masks. They were tall and straight, as if they didn¡¯t feel the weight of the armor at all. However, one could tell that the armor was definitely not light. After detecting with his divine sense, Lin Ran had a grasp of the situation. Then, he looked at Liu Hongshan and smiled faintly. ¡°We meet again¡­ Saber thief!¡± Liu Hongshan laughed heartily. He changed the topic and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve already gotten what you want. Why aren¡¯t you going back?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m greedy.¡± Lin Ran chuckled and glanced at the Dragon Roar Dagger at Liu Hongshan¡¯s waist. ¡°Why are you here again? You even brought so many people¡­ Are you trying to catch me?¡± ¡°Lord Lin, you must be joking.¡± Liu Hongshan glanced at the black-armored soldiers behind him. ¡°They¡¯re only at the sixth level of the Grandmaster Realm. They¡¯re not qualified to catch you¡­ They¡¯re here to bid you farewell.¡± ¡°Farewell?¡± Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this. He thought to himself, ¡°Do I know anyone in the Great Yong Dynasty?¡± As if knowing that Lin Ran would ask this question, Liu Hongshan raised his hand. The six of them took off their masks in unison, revealing their young faces. ¡°Xiao Shun?!¡± Lin Ran instantly recognized one of them as the young man who had been in charge of receiving him and the empress in Nanjiang Town. However, at that time, Xiao Shun was only at the first level of the Grandmaster Realm. In just a few days, he had reached the sixth level of the Grandmaster Realm. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel a little afraid of such a speed of advancement. As for the others, although Lin Ran couldn¡¯t name them, he remembered that he had seen them all in Nanjiang Town. Moreover, their realms had increased compared to before. It seemed that Liu Ruxi¡¯s cocoon plan was still ongoing and had made progress. ¡°Lord Lin.¡± The six of them lined up and bowed to him respectfully. Xiao Shun hesitated for a moment before saying in a low voice with a troubled expression, ¡°Lord Lin, I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll meet again. Let me apologize to you and Emperor Sheng Yuan first.¡± Lin Ran was thinking about how far Liu Ruxi¡¯s plan had gone when he heard this. He couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± Xiao Shun did not answer. He put on his mask with the others and silently retreated behind Liu Hongshan. Lin Ran could only look at Liu Hongshan in confusion. ¡°What did he mean?¡± ¡°This is His Majesty¡¯s plan.¡± Liu Hongshan replied with a smile, ¡°This afternoon, the six of them will disguise themselves as commoners and sneak into the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. As for what six grandmasters will do¡­ I don¡¯t need to say much, right?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll kill them if you tell me this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± Liu Hongshan smiled calmly and said, ¡°This place is relatively close to the city. I can¡¯t use my full strength easily, but I can still stall you and let them leave.¡± After a pause, Liu Hongshan revealed a sinister expression. ¡°Besides, they¡¯re only the first team. His Majesty has arranged a total of ten teams of people like them. I¡¯ll escort each team into the Heavenly Saint Realm.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll kill them in the Heavenly Saint!¡± Lin Ran replied coldly. After saying that, he suddenly felt that something was wrong. Why did Liu Hongshan seem to be hinting him what to do? Liu Hongshan had once said that he and the Great Yong Dynasty were just using each other. Could it be that Xuan Wushang¡¯s arrangement would affect his plan, so he was using Lin Ran to kill these people? As soon as this thought appeared, Lin Ran felt that it was not impossible. However, in front of Xiao Shun and the others, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t ask too much. Otherwise, if he was right, without him needing to do it, Liu Hongshan would kill them on the spot. Liu Hongshan suddenly turned to look at Liu Ertong and the others who had fainted. ¡°Are you¡­ in trouble?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small trouble. I can handle it.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he raised his eyebrows, but Liu Hongshan still didn¡¯t look at him. His gaze turned to the bushes where Ye Jin was hiding. ¡°There¡¯s also a little rat¡­¡± With that, Liu Hongshan had already raised his hand to touch the hilt of the sword at his waist. Lin Ran¡¯s pupils constricted and he instantly flashed to the bushes. ¡°She¡¯s my friend!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Liu Hongshan raised his eyebrows and looked at the bush with interest. ¡°Then I have to kill her even more. She¡¯s committing treason to be your friend!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Lin Ran shouted as he summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. Almost at the same time, Lin Ran suddenly felt something tremble on his back. The killing intent in his heart that had been dormant for a long time suddenly became restless without warning! Chapter 282 - 282 Losing Control 282 Losing Control This killing intent appeared without warning. Even Lin Ran could not react in time to suppress it. Almost instantly, Lin Ran¡¯s consciousness was occupied by intense killing. A red light appeared in his eyes and dyed everything he saw red! Immediately after, wisps of black fog rose from Lin Ran¡¯s body. At the same time, the surrounding temperature began to drop drastically. It was truly cold. When the few of them breathed, they could even exhale fog! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Someone among the six black-armored soldiers asked, but no one answered because they did not know the answer. ¡°You guys leave first!¡± Liu Hongshan shouted in a low voice with a solemn expression, as if he had realized something. After saying that, he flipped his wrist and unsheathed his sword. A majestic sword intent immediately soared into the sky! There was a clanging sound in the air, as if tens of thousands of swords were unsheathed at the same time. However, before he could take another step, his vision suddenly blurred. When he saw it clearly again, he was already looking into Lin Ran¡¯s red eyes. ¡°Die.¡± Lin Ran said calmly. His voice was so soft that even he couldn¡¯t hear it, but it was like a thunderclap in Liu Hongshan¡¯s ears! Clang¡ª A soft cry that sounded like a sharp blade being unsheathed sounded out of thin air. Liu Hongshan¡¯s pupils constricted as he hurriedly waved his sword to block, but he realized that what made the sound was only a wisp of fog. The Dragon Roar Short Sword slashed across and cut the wisp of fog into two, but it continued to sweep towards Liu Hongshan at a terrifying speed. At this moment, he no longer had time to defend. However, Liu Hongshan was experienced. When he saw that the black fog was strange and difficult to defend against, he immediately activated his internal energy to retreat. Unfortunately, compared to the speed of the black fog, his speed was still a little slower. When the black fog touched Liu Hongshan¡¯s black robe, it instantly cut open a huge hole. Even the pure gold thread used to decorate his robe was cut open. Then, Liu Hongshan felt a chill in his stomach. When he stopped and looked down, he realized that there was a deep wound on his stomach. It was only half an inch away from opening him up! ¡°He¡¯s actually turning the air into blades!¡± At the thought of this, Liu Hongshan was struck dumb. This was because turning the air into blades was a technique unique to the Great Yong martial artists. After he returned to his country, it took him a few years to barely master it. How could Lin Ran use it? Before Liu Hongshan could sort out his thoughts, a few more wisps of black fog floated towards him. At this moment, even Liu Hongshan was trembling in fear! With the previous lesson, Liu Hongshan did not even block this time. He rode the Dragon Roar Short Sword and soared into the sky. After dodging the black fog, Liu Hongshan immediately looked at Xiao Shun and the others who had already retreated into the distance. ¡°All of you! Use the Cloud Concealment Array to hold him back! Don¡¯t let him get close!¡± ¡°Us?¡± Xiao Shun and the others were stunned when they heard this. It was not that they were afraid of death, but a complete Cloud Concealment Array required 36 people to form. However, they only had six people now! ¡°Cut the crap! Hurry up!¡± Seeing that they did not move, Liu Hongshan roared again. In this split second, Lin Ran arrived in front of him like a ghost and swept the Yin-Yang Sword across the air, leaving a faint blood mark on the side of Liu Hongshan¡¯s neck. Seeing this, Xiao Shun and the others did not dare to hesitate anymore. They flew up in unison and began to fly quickly around Lin Ran according to a specific trajectory. In the blink of an eye, the originally clear sky was filled with white fog. Seeing that the situation was disadvantageous against him, Lin Ran wanted to retreat, but how could Liu Hongshan let him retreat? Without any hesitation, Liu Hongshan flew over and blocked Lin Ran¡¯s path of retreat. He quickly slashed out dozens of sword energies to trap him, but he was also wrapped in a black fog that left a deep wound on his arm with just a touch. Before the pain could enter his brain, Liu Hongshan had already flown away. The thick white fog finally trapped Lin Ran in it. ¡°Senior! What should we do now?¡± Someone shouted in the white fog. There was a hint of fear in his anxious voice. It was obvious that the situation inside was not optimistic. ¡°Hold him back!¡± Liu Hongshan shouted and landed on the ground. He did not even look at the wound on his arm. He took a deep breath to calm his restless internal energy and quickly waved the Dragon Roar Short Sword. In the blink of an eye, thousands of sword energy swept out! The strange thing was that these sword energies did not rush towards the huge fog in the air. Instead, they wandered aimlessly on the ground. However, as more and more sword energy surged, a complicated and exquisite huge pattern gradually appeared on the ground that was covered in yellow sand. Boom! Just as the pattern was about to be completed, a violent explosion suddenly sounded in the air. Liu Hongshan subconsciously looked up and saw that the fog in the sky was expanding at an extremely fast speed. In less than a breath¡¯s time, its diameter quickly increased from about 20 feet to nearly 100 feet! Almost at the same time, a few figures flew out of the fog and fell to the ground like meteors. A large amount of dust scattered, and the fog in the sky began to shrink rapidly. A figure surrounded by pitch-black fog appeared from the white fog. This pitch-black fog danced elegantly in the air like the gentlest gauze in the world, but what followed was a terrifying violent killing intent. The huge power that seemed to be able to destroy the world made the figure look like an evil god that had crawled out of the abyss of hell! ¡°As expected, it¡¯s too late.¡± Liu Hongshan¡¯s expression instantly turned solemn. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the Dragon Roar Short Sword and was about to launch an all-out strike, but for some reason, he retracted his gaze and continued to perfect the array formation on the ground. At the same time, the white fog that had expanded to a hundred feet in the air had already shrunk to the size of an apple. The extreme compression made it look like a top-grade pearl, and its smooth surface even emitted a faint light. In the next second, a large hand wrapped in black fog grabbed the perl and crushed it. ¡°Die.¡± A cold voice pierced into Liu Hongshan¡¯s ears like a knife, instantly sending a chill down his spine. Even so, Liu Hongshan still remained in his position. He did not even look at the pitch-black figure in the sky and focused all his energy on the array formation that was about to be completed. Chapter 283 - 283 Seventh Level Half 283 Seventh Level Half-Saint, Not Powerful Seeing that Liu Hongshan did not move, the black figure in the sky seemed to be a little angry. He raised his head and let out a hoarse cry like an eagle. Then, he dove towards the ground like an arrow leaving the bow! Under the violent pressure, Liu Hongshan felt as if he was carrying a huge mountain on his shoulder. His feet sank into the ground. Time seemed to slow down at this moment. The flying sand and stones cut through the turbid air. The pitch-black figure instantly arrived dozens of feet away from the ground. The pitch-black fog around him was blown back by the wind, revealing Lin Ran¡¯s ferocious face. He held the heavy sword that was as tall as a person in his hand. It was so light in his hand that it was as if it weighed nothing. The thick sword slashed through the air and went straight for Liu Hongshan. Wherever it touched, the sand and stones were instantly crushed into powder! The distance between the two of them was still rapidly decreasing. Finally, just as the thick blade of the heavy sword was reflected in Liu Hongshan¡¯s pupils, the array formation was completed. An extremely faint buzzing sounded in the air, like an insect flapping its wings, or like all the air was trembling at an extremely high frequency. A destructive hurricane rose from the ground. Liu Hongshan was instantly sent flying hundreds of feet away by the aftershock. As for the target of the hurricane, Lin Ran, he was directly sent flying hundreds of feet into the sky! As the hurricane swept past, Lin Ran woke up from his extreme anger as if someone had poured a basin of ice water over his head in winter. He could no longer remember what had happened just now. When he came back to his senses, he realized that he was in the sky. He was only stunned for a moment before he rode the Yin-Yang Sword. At the same time, with a thought, he put the heavy sword back into the Divine Sword Technique Manual. As he narrowed his eyes and sized up the situation on the ground, Lin Ran began to recall what had just happened¡ª ¡°First, Wang Dashan and the others tried to rob me. After I dealt with them, Liu Hongshan appeared with Xiao Shun and the others.¡± ¡°Why are Xiao Shun and the others here? Oh, right, they¡¯re here to bid farewell and apologize because they¡¯re about to be sent to the Heavenly Saint Realm to cause trouble. Liu Hongshan doesn¡¯t want too many people to know about this, so he wants to kill Ye Jin to silence her¡­ By the way, where¡¯s Ye Jin?¡± As the memories gradually came back to him, Lin Ran didn¡¯t have time to think about why he appeared in the sky. His figure flashed a few times and he arrived beside the bushes where Ye Jin was hiding. After pushing aside the bushes, Ye Jin was still hiding inside. Although she was unconscious, it didn¡¯t look like she was seriously injured. Lin Ran looked around and realized that there were a few huge pits on the ground. However, he didn¡¯t see Liu Hongshan. He didn¡¯t even see Xiao Shun and the others. He didn¡¯t know if Liu Hongshan had escaped or was hiding somewhere. However, no matter what, he could not stay here for long. Then, while Ye Jin was unconscious, Lin Ran carried her out of the bushes and rode the Yin-Yang Sword towards Mount Xianyong. Five minutes after Lin Ran left, in a pit hundreds of feet away, a hand suddenly reached out of it. It grabbed the edge of the pit and slowly pulled its body up. ¡°Phew¡ªPhew¡ªPhew¡ª¡± Liu Hongshan took a dozen deep breaths before he finally recovered from the shock. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the blue sky, his eyes flickering as he pondered about something. After resting for a while, Liu Hongshan walked towards the ¡°battlefield¡± where he clashed with Lin Rna. On the gravel-covered wilderness, there were six deep pits. Liu Hongshan scanned them with his divine sense and realized that the people inside were still breathing. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief. After a long time, Liu Hongshan finally dug out the six people and put them in a row on the ground. Just as he was about to examine them carefully, a breeze suddenly blew past him. He turned around and met Xuan Wushang¡¯s malicious eyes. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Xuan Wushang frowned slightly and asked coldly. Although he was still dressed in white, with his malicious expression, he looked like a tyrant who was about to fly into a rage at any moment. ¡°Isn¡¯t it all your fault?¡± Liu Hongshan sneered and turned to look at Xuan Wushang without hiding anything. He said coldly in a questioning tone, ¡°Did you already know that Black Shadow Saber can activate the killing intent in his heart?¡± ¡°If you complete my plan properly, this scene will happen in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty,¡± Xuan Wushang said indifferently. Although he did not answer Liu Hongshan¡¯s question directly, the meaning in his reply was basically equivalent to yes. Liu Hongshan¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance?¡± ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Xuan Wushang chuckled and asked in return, his eyes filled with disdain, as if this was an extremely childish question. ¡°If you had completed my plan properly, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this.¡± ¡°You!¡± Liu Hongshan widened his eyes as if he was about to fly into a rage, but in the end, he held back. He suddenly turned around and stopped looking at Xuan Wushang. ¡°He lost control just now, so I could only exert all my strength.¡± Xuan Wushang fell silent as if he was thinking. After a few minutes, he said, ¡°Leave him alone for the next few days. I have something for you to do.¡± ¡°Another escort?¡± Liu Hongshan asked in return. Then, he pointed at Xiao Shun and the others on the ground. ¡°These people will need to recuperate for at least half a year. I¡¯ll send the second team over first. Hurry up and find a few more people.¡± ¡°What second team?¡± Xuan Wushang asked with puzzlement. Liu Hongshan couldn¡¯t help but turn to glare at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you want to send 60 people to infiltrate the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just a way to force Lin Ran to go back.¡± Xuan Wushang smiled. His malicious gaze landed on Xiao Shun and the others, and he did not hide the disdain in his eyes. ¡°They didn¡¯t live up to my expectations. It seems like I have to let Liu Ruxi speed up!¡± Hearing Xuan Wushang¡¯s last sentence, Liu Hongshan suddenly realized that not only were Xiao Shun and the others sacrifices, but even he was only a tool to Xuan Wushang. The anger he had just suppressed instantly surged and he grabbed Xuan Wushang¡¯s collar tightly! ¡°Do you know that I almost died at his hands?¡± Liu Hongshan glared at Xuan Wushang and shouted sternly, ¡°If you didn¡¯t tell me that I have to keep him alive at all costs, would I have to take such a risk?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s your problem for being too weak.¡± Xuan Wushang chuckled. To the furious Liu Hongshan, saying that he was weak was no different from adding fuel to the fire! ¡°I think you really want to die!¡± Liu Hongshan roared and was about to attack when he suddenly felt his hand lighten. When he looked down, his expression changed drastically. He saw that the hand that was grabbing Xuan Wushang¡¯s collar had been cut off from his wrist at some point. Chapter 284 - 284 Identity Exposed? 284 Identity Exposed? The satin on his wrist was flat and smooth. On closer look, one could even see blood flowing through his veins, but not a drop fell to the ground, as if it was still flowing through a closed blood vessel. On Xuan Wushang¡¯s collar, the hand was still holding onto it tightly, as if it did not realize that it had already left its owner¡¯s body. It was still fulfilling its mission dutifully. With a thought from Liu Hongshan, the severed hand let go of the collar and fell to the ground. However, Liu Hongshan only gave the command to let go of the collar in his brain but didn¡¯t let it drop. ¡°What realm are you in now?¡± Liu Hongshan stared at Xuan Wushang and asked coldly, his expression as ugly as a corpse. ¡°Why should I tell you about my own matters?¡± Xuan Wushang patted his robe. Then, he leaned over and picked up the broken hand. He used a finger to gently draw a circle in the palm of the broken hand. ¡°You just have to know that with my current strength, I can¡¯t kill you¡ªbut I can make you wish you were dead.¡± Feeling the itchiness in his palm, Liu Hongshan shivered for no reason. When he looked at Xuan Wushang again, his eyes were clearly filled with fear. ¡°But as far as I know¡ª¡± Liu Hongshan dragged out his voice as if he was choosing his words carefully. ¡°Fluttering Cloud is only effective on people whose cultivation level is lower than the user¡¯s or is equivalent to the user¡¯s. At the very least, both parties have to be in the same realm. As for you¡­¡± ¡°With my years of cultivation, I¡¯m not qualified to enter the Half-Saint Realm, right?¡± Xuan Wushang continued the second half of Liu Hongshan¡¯s sentence with a sinister smile on his face. ¡°But why should I tell you about my own matters?¡± This was the second time Xuan Wushang said this. It didn¡¯t sound any different, but the meaning behind it was completely different. The first time, Xuan Wushang was using the dignity of the emperor to suppress others, but the second time, it was a real threat. Liu Hongshan had lived for hundreds of years, so he naturally could tell what the other party was implying. Most of the anger in his heart was instantly suppressed by fear, and the rest was completely extinguished by his quickly recovered rationality. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Liu Hongshan asked in a gentle voice. At the same time, he stretched out his empty wrist with a respectful expression, like a loyal servant. Xuan Wushang smiled ambiguously and placed the broken hand on Liu Hongshan¡¯s empty wrist. His sleeve swept across the cut, and Liu Hongshan¡¯s hand returned to its original state. ¡°It¡¯s actually very simple.¡± As Xuan Wushang spoke, he turned to face the south. ¡°I want you to go to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty again and bring back the Sacred Abyss Sword.¡± ¡°Sacred Abyss Sword?¡± Liu Hongshan frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Why do you want the Sacred Abyss Sword?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Hongshan smiled bitterly. Now that Xuan Wushang had the upper hand in strength between the two of them, he naturally wouldn¡¯t tell him anything. However, to Liu Hongshan¡¯s surprise, Xuan Wushang did not keep it a secret this time. He only paused for a moment before explaining, ¡°I want to use the Sacred Abyss Sword to threaten Emperor Sheng Yuan.¡± ¡°Lin Ran should have believed what you told him earlier. He doesn¡¯t want the flames of war to spread to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, so in the next few days, he will definitely start looking for traces of other cocoons.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll intentionally leave some clues to waste his time in Great Yong. Seize the time and think of a way to bring the Sacred Abyss Sword back. As for what happens after that¡­ I¡¯ll give you an answer when the time comes.¡± Liu Hongshan hesitated for a moment and probed, ¡°How much time do I have?¡± ¡°How long do you need?¡± ¡°At least ten days.¡± Liu Hongshan said seriously, ¡°Previously, I had designs on the Sacred Abyss Sword. Although I got a fake one in the end, it also made me realize that the real Sacred Abyss Sword is indeed hidden in the Heavenly Saint¡¯s palace.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s all I know. If you want me to get the Sacred Abyss Sword, I have to first determine the location of the Sacred Abyss Sword in the palace and arrange for an operation and evacuation. It will take at least ten days. Of course, if you don¡¯t mind me revealing my identity, it might be faster.¡± Xuan Wushang blinked. ¡°How long is ¡®faster¡¯?¡± Liu Hongshan did not answer immediately. After thinking about it in his mind, he stretched out a palm. ¡°Five days.¡± ¡°Too slow.¡± Xuan Wushang shook his head without thinking. ¡°You have three days.¡± ¡°Three days?!¡± Liu Hongshan exclaimed, ¡°It takes two days to get to and from the Heavenly Saint Palace. In just a day, I might not even be able to find out where the Sacred Abyss Sword is!¡± ¡°That¡¯s your business. You don¡¯t have to tell me about this.¡± Xuan Wushang said indifferently, ¡°In addition, you can¡¯t expose your identity during this period of time. Otherwise, I can only send your corpse to the Heavenly Saint to apologize.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± Liu Hongshan could not help but raise his voice. It was impossible to obtain the Sacred Abyss Sword in a day without revealing his identity! Hearing Liu Hongshan¡¯s deafening roar, Xuan Wushang still had the same indifferent expression. However, his white robe began to slowly flutter. The sound of sharp blades rubbing against each other could be heard in the air, extinguishing Liu Hongshan¡¯s anger like a basin of cold water. ¡°Four days.¡± Liu Hongshan retracted a finger. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely bring the Sacred Abyss Sword back in four days!¡± ¡°You only have three days.¡± Xuan Wushang replied indifferently. Suddenly, a breeze blew over, and his figure dissipated into the air with the voice. ¡°Damn it!¡± Liu Hongshan clenched his fists and cursed. He looked up at the blue sky and saw a white cloud. ¡°Just you wait. You won¡¯t be arrogant for long!¡± Liu Hongshan looked at the white cloud and gritted his teeth. His narrowed eyes flickered with flames, and the veins on his clenched fists bulged. ¡­ Mount Xianyong. Lin Ran sat under a tree and looked at the green mountain peak in front of him. He found it hard to believe that there were abundant ores under it. He held the map in his hand and studied it carefully, afraid that he would find the wrong place and waste time. On the soft grass beside him, with her eyes closed, Ye Jin seemed to be sleeping. Suddenly, Ye Jin¡¯s long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and her clear eyes slowly opened. ¡°Lin Ran¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Lin Ran nodded and turned to look at Ye Jin. ¡°You¡¯re awake? How do you feel?¡± As soon as he said that, Lin Ran suddenly realized that something was wrong. Ye Jin seemed to have called him by his real name just now! As expected, Ye Jin¡¯s expression instantly darkened. As she sat up, she took out a saber from her boot and stabbed it mercilessly at Lin Ran¡¯s chest! Unfortunately, Ye Jin was still too slow. Lin Ran turned his body slightly and easily dodged. He pressed Ye Jing down and shouted anxiously, ¡°Don¡¯t be rash! I admit that I lied to you, but I have my reasons!¡± ¡°F*ck your reasons!¡± Ye Jin cursed and struggled. ¡°Let go of me! You damn murderer!¡± Chapter 285 - 285 A Childs Logic 285 A Child¡¯s Logic Lin Ran was stunned upon hearing the word ¡°murderer¡± and loosened his grip. Ye Jin took the opportunity to break free and stabbed Lin Ran in the face again, but Lin Ran easily dodged it. After failing twice in a row, Ye Jin clearly became anxious. She let out a roar and stabbed Lin Ran in the chest for the third time! Lin Ran wasn¡¯t even interested in dodging this move. He flicked the tip of the saber with his fingers, and the saber flew out of her hand with a clang and fell into the grass. Ye Jin¡¯s expression instantly turned ugly. She reached out to touch her back, wanting to take something, but before she could reach out, Lin Ran stopped her. ¡°You murderer! Let go of me!¡± Ye Jin shouted and struggled again. Her voice was a little hoarse. It was obvious that she was really angry now. Lin Ran waited patiently for the other party to get tired of shouting before asking helplessly, ¡°Calm down first. I didn¡¯t know you at all in the past and haven¡¯t even killed an ant in the past two days. How did I become a murderer?¡± Ye Jin widened her eyes and stared at Lin Ran. ¡°Is your name Lin Ran?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Are you from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± Lin Ran subconsciously wanted to say ¡°that¡¯s right¡±, but just as he opened his mouth, his expression suddenly changed slightly. He looked at Ye Jin and probed, ¡°Could it be that someone in your family was killed by me on the battlefield¡­ That¡¯s not right. I didn¡¯t attack at all during the last war!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t attack, but you advised your emperor to attack us!¡± Ye Jin screamed, tears suddenly welling up in his eyes. ¡°If not for you, my father wouldn¡¯t have become like this!¡± Looking at Ye Jin¡¯s teary face, Lin Ran felt bad. He sighed softly and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t even seen your father. What does it have to do with me?¡± ¡°You are responsible for it!¡± Ye Jin shouted crazily. Seeing this, Lin Ran hurriedly loosened his grip, afraid that he would hurt Ye Jin if he used too much strength. ¡°Can you explain it first? You¡¯re making me very confused!¡± Lin Ran said helplessly, but as soon as he finished speaking, his voice was covered by Ye Jin¡¯s hysterical scream. He could only shut his mouth and wait for her to finish screaming before asking. Fortunately, Ye Jin was still a little girl. Even though she was furious, her stamina could not keep up. After struggling for about fifteen minutes, she lay on the ground and panted heavily. Seeing that Ye Jin was really exhausted, Lin Ran let go, opened the water bag, and handed it over. ¡°Are you done? Can you tell me what¡¯s going on now?¡± ¡°Just you wait! I¡¯m no match for you now, but I will be one day!¡± Ye Jin glared at Lin Ran and shouted weakly. She snatched the water bag and drank it in big mouthfuls. Facing such an unreasonable person, if it were in the past, Lin Ran would definitely have left. However, after interacting with Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai for so long, Lin Ran had become more patient with kids. Now that he saw Ye Jin angry, not only was he not angry, but he even found her quite cute. Thinking of Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai, Lin Ran suddenly felt a little worried. Previously, when he was in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, he left in a hurry. He wondered how Huo Qiyun and Xiao Huai were doing. Would they be implicated if he was wanted? However, with the empress around, the two of them should be fine, right? After Ye Jin recovered her strength, she still didn¡¯t answer Lin Ran¡¯s question. Instead, she jogged to the grass at the side and squatted down, rummaging through the leaves as if she was looking for something. Lin Ran knew at a glance that she was looking for the saber. Then, he released his divine sense to scan the vicinity, picked up a small stone, and flicked it into a bush. Throughout the entire process, Lin Ran didn¡¯t say a word, but Ye Jin still understood what he meant. She jogged over and pushed aside the grass and quickly found the saber. After putting away the saber, Ye Jin heaved a sigh of relief. Lin Ran¡¯s eyes flickered as he asked tentatively, ¡°From the looks of it, this saber is special to you, right?¡± ¡°I made this myself after learning how to forge a saber from my father.¡± Ye Jin replied angrily with a cold expression, ¡°This saber is not worth much, but without it, I can¡¯t kill you.¡± Lin Ran rubbed his face helplessly and changed the topic. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to know how to forge sabers.¡± ¡°Of course I know! Back then, my father¡­¡± A proud expression appeared on Ye Jin¡¯s face, but she suddenly stopped mid-sentence and returned to her cold killer appearance. ¡°Why are you asking so many questions? What does our family¡¯s matter have to do with you?!¡± Lin Ran stood up and pointed at Ye Jin from afar. ¡°Alright, it has nothing to do with me, right? Keep this map to yourself. Find your way back home later!¡± With that, Lin Ran threw down the map and turned to leave. As expected, after taking three steps, he heard Ye Jin shout from behind, ¡°Wait, wait!¡± ¡°No!¡± Lin Ran replied angrily, but he still stopped in his tracks and deliberately asked with a straight face, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it has nothing to do with me? Why are you calling me?¡± Ye Jin looked a little embarrassed. She fiddled with the corner of her shirt with both hands and said softly, ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t understand the map¡­ Can you send me back before leaving?¡± Lin Ran chuckled, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. ¡°Then tell me, how did I harm your father? If you can¡¯t explain it clearly, find your own way back!¡± ¡°You!¡± Ye Jin widened her almond-shaped eyes and was a little angry, but in the end, she gave in and said reluctantly in a low voice, ¡°A while ago, during the war, the emperor ordered the Iron City to speed up the forging of weapons.¡± ¡°My father is the best blacksmith in the city. The emperor even specially issued an imperial edict asking my father to forge 300 top-notch famous sabers. Later, I heard from others that the emperor established a team of masters to deal with a master called Lin Ran from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± ¡°Am I that famous?¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn¡¯t expect Xuan Wushang to take him so seriously. After calming himself down, Lin Ran asked again, ¡°But the emperor issued the edict because he trusted your father. How did it become me who harmed him?¡± ¡°Because the emperor only gave my father three days!¡± Ye Jin screamed hysterically, ¡°That¡¯s impossible to do!¡± ¡°But your father did. Otherwise, he would have been killed, including you.¡± Lin Ran said in a low voice, his expression suddenly turning solemn. He didn¡¯t know what method Ye Jin¡¯s father used, but it was very likely the reason why Ye Jin hated him. Chapter 286 - 286 Unfounded Hatred 286 Unfounded Hatred Actually, at this point, Lin Ran could roughly guess what happened at that time. However, Ye Jin seemed to have the urge to confide in him, so Lin Ran let her continue. ¡°On the day we received the imperial edict, our house suddenly became lively. It was as if everyone in the city had come. Father said that they were here to congratulate us, but I could tell that a large portion of them were here to make fun of my father.¡± ¡°A qualified saber has to be tempered thousands of times. On the first day, my father didn¡¯t eat or sleep at all. He only made six saber embryos, and it will take at least a few days to temper and polish these six saber embryos.¡± At this point, Ye Jin¡¯s expression suddenly became sad, as if she had thought of something she didn¡¯t want to remember. ¡°My father had no choice but to find someone else to help him.¡± ¡°But those people all used all kinds of reasons to refuse. Only Uncle Zhao is willing to help because those people also know that it¡¯s impossible to forge 300 famous sabers in three days!¡± ¡°These despicable people. My father usually helped them so much, but when my father needed help, they all turned a blind eye! When I grow up¡­¡± Hearing that Ye Jin was going off topic, Lin Ran asked, ¡°So what method did your father use?¡± ¡°He used a very dangerous material.¡± Ye Jin returned to the topic and said in a low voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know what that material is called. My father didn¡¯t tell me. When he and Uncle Zhao were forging the saber, he even sent me to Uncle Zhao¡¯s house.¡± ¡°On the evening of the third day, the emperor sent someone to take away 300 famous sabers. Everyone in the city was shocked. When I came out of Uncle Zhao¡¯s house, everyone on the street was talking about this. I returned home ecstatically, but I found¡­ found¡­¡±- At this point, Ye Jin¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. She raised her head and tried her best to stop her tears from falling, but she couldn¡¯t say the rest no matter what. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Lin Ran sighed softly. Although this matter had almost nothing to do with him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel bad when he saw Ye Jin like this. ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad. I¡­¡± Lin Ran reached out to pat Ye Jin¡¯s shoulder, but before he could do it, Ye Jin suddenly pounced into his arms and buried her face in his chest, crying. ¡°You bad person! It¡¯s all your fault! It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Ye Jin cursed incoherently as she punched Lin Ran¡¯s chest with her small fists, as if she wanted to vent all the grievances and anger in her heart. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Lin Ran sighed again and patted Ye Jin¡¯s back with one hand. He did not activate his internal energy to defend against her, but even so, the punch felt like it was tickling him. After an unknown period of time, Ye Jin finally calmed down. She pushed Lin Ran away and walked to the side. When she returned after a while, she no longer looked like she had just cried. ¡°Now do you know what you¡¯ve done?¡± Ye Jin looked at Lin Ran coldly. ¡°You murderer!¡± Seeing that Ye Jin had turned hostile so quickly, Lin Ran was speechless. He pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about you first. Do you know what happened at that time?¡± ¡°After that day, my father¡¯s personality changed drastically¡­ I asked Uncle Zhao, but he didn¡¯t tell me why. He only told me to find a chance to leave the Iron City and never come back.¡± Ye Jin replied awkwardly in a low voice, but as soon as she finished speaking, she returned to her domineering manner. ¡°But no matter what happened at that time, it¡¯s all your fault!¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Ran smiled bitterly and said with a hint of self-mockery, ¡°Actually, this matter has nothing to do with me whatsoever.¡± ¡°Liar!¡± Ye Jin waved her hand and shouted excitedly, ¡°If the emperor didn¡¯t want to deal with you, why would he ask my father to forge 300 famous sabers?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he¡¯s most likely not doing it to deal with me.¡± Lin Ran shook his head, and his expression gradually became solemn. ¡°Because in the war a while ago, there was a person in charge of stalling me. Your emperor knows about this, so he definitely won¡¯t build a team especially for me.¡± The reason why the Great Yong Dynasty dared to start a war was partly because they had Liu Hongshan as their trump card, and partly because they were sure that Lin Ran would not step into the battlefield. Therefore, after he and Liu Hongshan temporarily reconciled, the war inexplicably ended. Although this was what Liu Hongshan had promised, Lin Ran never thought that Liu Hongshan had such power in the Great Yong Dynasty to call off a war. However, if the Great Yong Dynasty withdrew their troops because they were afraid of Lin Ran, then all of this made sense. Back to the main topic¡ªXuan Wushang knew that Liu Hongshan would hold Lin Ran back, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to invade the border. In that case, why did he need to form a team of 300 well-equipped soldiers to deal with him? As soon as these questions were asked, Ye Jin stopped talking. It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t answer the questions, but she didn¡¯t understand at all. There was too much scheming and infighting involved. Even Lin Ran took a long time to figure it out, let alone this inexperienced little girl. Seeing Ye Jin¡¯s confused expression, Lin Ran realized that what he said was too complicated. After thinking for a moment, he asked, ¡°You¡¯re a martial artist now. Do you have a concept of the realms?¡± Ye Jin nodded. Lin Ran said in a low voice, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m now at the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm. If your emperor wants to send people to deal with me, what realm do those 300 soldiers have to be in? How can martial artists in that realm not have their own sabers?¡± This time, Ye Jin understood. Even if she was only a low-level martial artist now, she knew what the Half-Saint Realm meant. There was a world of difference between the Grandmaster Realm and the Half-Saint Realm. If the emperor¡¯s target was really Lin Ran, the martial artists in this team would at least need to be at the first level of the Half-Saint Realm. However, were there 300 Half-Saints in the Great Yong Dynasty? After figuring this out, Ye Jin immediately looked a little at a loss. She had held on to her hatred for so long, but in the end, she realized that she hated the wrong person. Who should she hate then? ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± Lin Ran patted Ye Jin¡¯s shoulder and tried his best to sound relaxed. ¡°Let us adults worry about all the fighting and killing. Children have to be happy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore!¡± Ye Jin slapped Lin Ran¡¯s hand away, her childish face filled with determination. ¡°Can you teach me how to cultivate?¡± Chapter 287 - 287 Discovery of the Strange Stone 287 Discovery of the Strange Stone Hearing Ye Jin¡¯s request, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be stunned for a moment. Firstly, he didn¡¯t know what Ye Jin wanted to do. Secondly, the cultivation methods of the martial artists of the two countries were completely different. Even if he wanted to teach her, he didn¡¯t know where to start! ¡°What do you want to do after you become a master?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ye Jin shook her head, but the determination on her face did not decrease at all. ¡°But I want to be powerful first. This way, I can do whatever I want.¡± ¡°You can do whatever you want?¡± Lin Ran suddenly felt that it was a little funny, but at the thought that the person in front of him was only a teenager, he felt that it wasn¡¯t so funny. After a moment of silence, Lin Ran said with a serious expression, ¡°I don¡¯t know the cultivation method of the martial artists of the Great Yong Dynasty, but I should be able to find someone to teach you. However, you have to promise me something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t seek revenge.¡± Lin Ran said seriously, ¡°No matter who you hate, you can¡¯t seek revenge.¡± Ye Jin¡¯s expression changed for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. ¡°I promise you.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything and just stared into Ye Jin¡¯s eyes. After a while, she smiled helplessly and said, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. I don¡¯t want you to seek revenge because I don¡¯t want you to be obsessed with it. This won¡¯t be good for your cultivation¡­¡± As soon as he said that, Lin Ran was suddenly stunned by his own words and lost in thoughts. Ever since he entered the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm, his cultivation had not increased for a long time. Could it be because he was too obsessed with something? However, how could it be so easy to let go of one¡¯s obsession? He continued. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I know you¡¯re angry, but just because I asked you to not seek revenge doesn¡¯t mean that you need to let the matter rest.¡± Ye Jin retracted her gaze and looked puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lin Ran pointed at Mount Xianyong not far away. ¡°Find the ores your father mentioned first. After we go back, I¡¯ll take a look at his condition. Perhaps he still has a chance to recover.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ye Jin was immediately excited. ¡°As long as you can cure my father, I promise you that I won¡¯t seek revenge!¡± Ye Jin said seriously, but this was what Lin Ran was most afraid of. This was because he didn¡¯t even know what condition Ye Jin¡¯s father was in. How could he make a promise so easily? However, Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to calm Ye Jin down. If he told the truth now, it would only be counterproductive. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like there was no hope at all! Then, the two of them walked towards Mount Xianyong. After walking for a while, Lin Ran turned around and frowned slightly. Noticing Lin Ran¡¯s abnormality, Ye Jin asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is someone here?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s quite safe around here.¡± Lin Ran shook his head, the confusion in his eyes intensifying. At that moment, he clearly sensed Liu Hongshan¡¯s sword intent appear nearby, but he did not appear. He only lingered a few kilometers away before heading south. ¡°Could it be that he has something to tell me?¡± Lin Ran guessed so because if Liu Hongshan was just passing by, he had ways to make his presence unnoticeable. Just as Lin Ran was in deep thought, a scream suddenly pulled him back to reality. ¡°What happened?¡± Lin Ran quickly turned to look in the direction of the scream and saw Ye Jin standing on the top of a low slope, pointing at something below in fear. Seeing that Ye Jin was fine, Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. He rushed up the slope and looked in the direction Ye Jin was pointing, but apart from a dense patch of weeds, he didn¡¯t see anything. ¡°What do you see?¡± Lin Ran asked again. At the same time, he narrowed his eyes and looked carefully, but he still didn¡¯t find anything. ¡°It¡¯s that kind of stone!¡± Ye Jin shouted excitedly, ¡°The stone my asked me to find!¡± Before Lin Ran could understand what was going on, Ye Jin had already rushed down the slope. Only then did Lin Ran realize that the weeds here were terrifyingly tall. Ye Jin¡¯s height almost reached his shoulder, but the moment she rushed in, she was covered up by the weeds. This situation gave Lin Ran an ominous feeling. As he released his divine sense, he chased after Ye Jin and rushed into the weeds. After chasing for a while, Lin Ran saw Ye Jin squatting on the ground as if she was digging something with all her might. ¡°Can you make yourself clear first? What exactly is the¡­¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he walked to Ye Jin¡¯s side. Before he could say the word ¡°stone¡±, he couldn¡¯t continue. Ye Jin had dug out a lot of the soil on the ground. Lin Ran could see a stone sticking out of the soil. The rough surface was suffused with a dark green luster and looked a little like metal. Lin Ran¡¯s expression gradually changed. Although the shape was a little different, why did this green stone look like the trash he had seen in the city? ¡°This is¡ª¡± Lin Ran probed. Before he could finish, Ye Jin nodded, clearly knowing what he wanted to ask. In this short period of time, Ye Jin had already dug a large hole in the ground. The full appearance of the stone was revealed from the soil. It was about the size of half of Lin Ran¡¯s body and had a strange shape. However, from its position in the soil, before it was dug out, only a fist-sized part of the stone was exposed above the ground. Ye Jin still saw it through the dense weeds. Even Lin Ran had to admire her eyesight. ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± Lin Ran asked tentatively. Although the shape of this stone was very different from those scraps, he could still tell that it was the same thing. Ye Jin shook her head and didn¡¯t say anything. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know if she didn¡¯t know or didn¡¯t want to say it. He frowned at the green stone, as if he was thinking about something. After a full fifteen minutes, Ye Jin turned to look at Lin Ran. ¡°Do you have to reforge that sword of yours?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t answer directly. Instead, he looked at Ye Jin and asked, ¡°About this stone¡­ Do you know something you didn¡¯t tell me?¡± ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know much.¡± Ye Jin said awkwardly, ¡°When I returned home while my father was forging sabers, my house was filled with this ore, but Uncle Zhao told me to hide as far away as possible when I see this ore in the future.¡± Chapter 288 - 288 Meteoric Iron 288 Meteoric Iron Hearing Ye Jin¡¯s description, Lin Ran felt even more puzzled because what she said didn¡¯t make him feel a sense of danger at all. Although Ye Jin was almost 20 years old, she had always lived in the city and was ignorant of the world. She had no idea what ¡°danger¡± was. If she wanted Lin Ran to know that this ore was very dangerous, she had to at least describe it as ¡°you¡¯ll die if you touch it¡±. Otherwise, how would one know how dangerous this thing was? After calming down, Lin Ran looked at Ye Jin and asked, ¡°Are you sure this is the ore your father asked you to find?¡± Ye Jin thought for a moment and shook her head. ¡°My father didn¡¯t tell me what kind of ore I need to find. He only asked me to come to Mount Xianyong and said that once I saw that kind of ore, I¡¯d immediately know that it was what he wanted.¡± Lin Ran shrugged and said with a forced smile, ¡°We just arrived at Mount Xianyong. This is the only ore we¡¯ve seen so far. Perhaps this is not what your father needs at all.¡± Ye Jin thought about it and realized that it made sense. She glanced at the ore that was glowing with a dark green color and took a few steps back. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take a look around.¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡± Lin Ran nodded with a smile. Ye Jin turned around and walked into the weeds. After Ye Jin walked a distance away, the smile on Lin Ran¡¯s face disappeared. He reached into his pocket and took out the cloth bag. After opening it, he took out a scrap metal ball and placed it beside the ore. Lin Ran felt that this ore that was suffused with a dark green color seemed to be a little different from the metal ball in his memory. In front of Ye Jin, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t take out the metal ball. Now that he had sent her away and compared it carefully, he realized the difference between the two. It was probably because the metal ball had been melted before, so its surface was smoother than the ore. Secondly, the color of the ore was also slightly different. Although the green color of the ore was strange, it was pure. In contrast, the green luster on the metal ball looked too dark. Lin Ran frowned and thought for a moment. He took out the Yin-Yang Sword and slashed out a few fire sword energies that circled the ore like butterflies. Soon, the surrounding temperature rose, and a faint smell of copper and rust wafted out of the ore. Lin Ran¡¯s eyes flickered as he found the third difference between the two. Apart from the smell of copper and rust, there was also a faint smell of blood on the metal ball, but this ore didn¡¯t smell like that at all. ¡°Lin Ran! Come here!¡± Just as Lin Ran was thinking hard, Ye Jin suddenly shouted from afar, her voice filled with excitement, as if she had discovered something incredible. ¡°Coming!¡± Lin Ran put away the metal ball and went to find Ye Jin. Then, Lin Ran saw a huge pit that was about a hundred feet wide. There were also weeds growing in the pit. A cleared path extended straight to the center of the pit. As he sized up his surroundings, Lin Ran had already jumped to the center of the pit because Ye Jin was waving at him. He landed and looked around before asking in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°I found it!¡± Ye Jin pointed at the ground and shouted excitedly. Lin Ran looked down and realized that there was a silver-white metal sticking out of the ground. It was about the size of a fist and was covered in mud. It was obvious that it had just been dug out. ¡°I saw this huge pit just now and felt that it was where the heavenly metal fell, so I wanted to come down and take a look¡ª¡± Ye Jin gestured excitedly and pointed at the silver metal on the ground. ¡°Then I found this. This must be a piece of heavenly metal! my father asked me to find this!¡± Lin Ran knew that the ¡°Heavenly metal¡± Ye Jin mentioned was actually a meteorite. Although meteoric iron was very rare, it seemed that since ancient times, many divine swords were made of meteoric iron. For example, the national treasure of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, the Sacred Abyss Sword. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know if the Ten Miles Dragon Roar was made of meteoric iron, but if he could use this thing to reforge the Sacred Abyss Sword, it seemed to be a good choice. However¡­ Looking at the huge pit he was in, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but look troubled. Mount Xianyong was a mine. To be able to create such a huge pit here, this meteorite was definitely not small. Even if they could dig it out, it would be a problem to bring it back. Lin Ran told Ye Jin what he was worried about, and Ye Jin suggested. ¡°We don¡¯t have to bring it all back!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just reforging a sword. There¡¯s no need for so many materials.¡± As Ye Jin spoke, she gestured with her hand. ¡°As long as we bring back such a big piece, it¡¯s enough to reforge your sword.¡± ¡°Then what are we waiting for?¡± Lin Ran rolled up his sleeves and called out, ¡°Hurry up and dig it out. We can still return to the city before it gets dark!¡± ¡°Before it gets dark?¡± Ye Jin revealed a suspicious expression. They couldn¡¯t see the sun from their position, but they could feel that the sky was much darker than before. It would probably be dark in less than two hours. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll definitely make it in time.¡± Lin Ran smiled confidently and raised his hand to summon the Yin-Yang Sword. At the same time, he released his divine sense and stuck it to the surface of the metal. Lin Ran¡¯s idea was to figure out the shape of the metal underground first before choosing a piece that was just the right size to bring back. This way, it would definitely be faster than digging all the way down. However, as his divine sense gradually went deeper into the ground, Lin Ran¡¯s expression became strange, as if there was something unbelievable hidden underground. Chapter 289 - 289 What You See May Not Be True 289 What You See May Not Be True Seeing Lin Ran draw his sword empty-handed, Ye Jin¡¯s eyes lit up in shock. Seeing Lin Ran standing there rooted to the ground, she asked suspiciously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m using my divine sense to probe this Heavenly Iron, but¡­¡± Halfway through his explanation, Lin Ran suddenly stopped. A conflicted expression appeared on his face, as if he didn¡¯t know how to describe it. Ye Jin was a little anxious. Lin Ran clearly felt it too. He stopped thinking about how to organize his words and pulled Ye Jin back a few steps. Then, he raised his hand and slashed at the metal. Sharp sword energy surged out and instantly disappeared into the ground. Countless soil and gravel immediately surged out like a fountain. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Ye Jin exclaimed, ¡°This will destroy the heavenly iron. We should dig a little first before¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± Lin Ran interrupted Ye Jin firmly with a puzzled and conflicted expression. Ye Jin was about to say something when Lin Ran slashed out a few more times. Countless sharp sword energy pierced into the ground, and more soil was dug out. This process seemed simple, but it required terrifying meticulous control over every sword energy. Even for the current Lin Ran, it was not easy to complete this operation. In at most five minutes, the flying gravel calmed down. Lin Ran raised the Yin-Yang Sword again and suddenly thought of something. He looked at Ye Jin and said, ¡°Are you ready? What¡¯s down there is very strange.¡± Ye Jin blinked blankly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lin Ran shook his head and whispered in a voice only he could hear, ¡°I hope it¡¯s not what I think.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the Yin-Yang Sword drew an arc in the air and another sword energy pierced into the ground. However, this time, no soil was dug out. Instead, it was soft soil that bulged, as if something was trying to break out of the ground. Ye Jin, who had never seen a martial artist in action, was so frightened by this scene that her face turned pale. She subconsciously grabbed the corner of Lin Ran¡¯s clothes and asked softly, ¡°What is that?¡± Lin Ran still didn¡¯t say a word. He just stared at the growing bulge. Apart from vigilance and confusion, there seemed to be a hint of anticipation in his eyes. Finally, when the bulge was about a foot high, the soil that was clinging to the surface began to collapse because it lost its support. A large piece of silver metal slowly rose from the ground. When the metal block was lifted up by the sword energy and completely rose from the ground, Ye Jin¡¯s expression began to become strange. ¡°This is¡­ a coffin?¡± The metal block was ten feet tall, with one end big and one end small. The widest part was about five feet, and the narrowest part was about three feet. There were no patterns or cracks on the surface, but this shape was indeed very easy to associate with a coffin. ¡°Coffin¡± was just what they associated this thing with. As for what this thing really was, neither of them had a clue. However, one thing was certain. This huge metal block was definitely not heavenly iron because its shape was too regular. After a few minutes of silence, Lin Ran pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Are you sure this is what your father asked you to find?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ye Jin scratched her neck. ¡°But I don¡¯t think so. If it was the material my father wanted, he would definitely tell me.¡± Lin Ran nodded and didn¡¯t say anything. He waved his hand and dispersed the sword energy. The huge metal block immediately dropped into the ground with a bang. The soft soil sank more than a foot deep. It was obvious that this thing was not light. Then, Lin Ran took a few steps forward and reached out to gently stroke the metal surface. The first thing he felt was smoothness. When he knocked gently with his knuckles, he could actually hear a faint echo. ¡°It¡¯s empty?¡± Ye Jin asked in surprise. As she spoke, she took a few steps closer and reached out to touch it like Lin Ran. ¡°Don¡¯t act rahsly.¡± Lin Ran held Ye Jin¡¯s hand up, his eyes clearly more vigilant. ¡°It¡¯s very unusual for this thing to appear here. It might be dangerous. I¡¯ll use my divine sense to probe first.¡± Ye Jin nodded and took a few steps back. Lin Ran took a deep breath and pressed his palm on the metal. After circulating his internal energy through his, he released a wisp of his divine sense to probe the inside of the metal block. However, the result stunned him. There was nothing. This huge metal block was standing in front of him. Lin Ran touched its smooth and cold surface. He could even feel the pressure when he closed his eyes, but when he probed with his divine sense, there was nothing inside. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but gasp. He quickly adjusted his mindset and tried a few more times, but the result was still the same. ¡°It¡¯s really strange!¡± Lin Ran muttered and turned around to look at Ye Jin, wanting to ask her if she had any clues, but he realized that Ye Jin was scratching her neck hard. When Lin Ran saw it, there was already blood on Ye Jin¡¯s fair neck, but she didn¡¯t seem to feel it at all. Instead, she scratched it even harder. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lin Ran grabbed Ye Jin¡¯s hand and asked in confusion. As he spoke, he leaned closer to take a look at the scratches. They were already quite serious. If she continued to scratch her neck, they would bleed. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Ye Jin twisted her neck in pain and replied, ¡°My neck has been itching. It¡¯s so uncomfortable¡­¡± ¡°Stop scratching. Let me take a look at you.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he pulled open Ye Jin¡¯s collar slightly. He thought that a worm had crawled in, but when he looked carefully, he didn¡¯t see anything. Under the clothes was only the necklace left behind by Ye Jin¡¯s mother. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything. Why don¡¯t you go and¡ª¡± Lin Ran wanted Ye Jin to hide behind the tree to take off her clothes and check again, but halfway through, he suddenly thought of something. His expression changed and he reached into Ye Jin¡¯s collar. ¡°Argh!¡± Ye Jin screamed and slapped Lin Ran¡¯s face. Then, she grabbed his collar and scolded angrily, ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t a good person!¡± ¡°What nonsense is that?¡± Lin Ran covered his face with his hand, his eyes filled with grievance. ¡°I realized that your necklace is heating up, so I wanted to check it. If you don¡¯t believe me, look at it yourself!¡± Ye Jin looked suspicious, but she still reached into her clothes to touch it. The suspicion on her face was instantly replaced by surprise. She tore off the necklace and said in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s really heating up! But how is this possible? This is just an ordinary necklace!¡± ¡°It seems that it¡¯s not as ordinary as you think.¡± Lin Ran rubbed his face and said softly. His eyes lit up as if he had understood something. Chapter 290 - 290 Its a Blessing, Not a Disaster 290 It¡¯s a Blessing, Not a Disaster Ye Jin looked at the necklace that she had been wearing since she was young in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ye Jin held the jade token and asked. Just now, this necklace was only slightly hot, but in just ten seconds, the temperature on it had already become a little scalding. ¡°This should be an energy resonance.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he gestured for Ye Jin to look at the metal block. At first, Ye Jin didn¡¯t notice anything wrong. After Lin Ran reminded her, she realized that the soil near the metal block had turned from a moist dark brown to a dry light brown. This meant that the metal was also heating up. ¡°Energy resonance¡­ What does that mean?¡± Ye Jin repeated what Lin Ran said, but this clearly couldn¡¯t help her understand. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and didn¡¯t know how to explain it, so he pointed in a direction. ¡°Go over there first.¡± Confused, Ye Jin did as she was told. After walking for nearly 30 steps, Lin Ran waved his hand to signal her to stop. ¡°Touch the necklace and see if there are any changes!¡± When Ye Jin heard Lin Ran¡¯s shout, she touched it tentatively and looked surprised. ¡°The temperature is starting to drop! This is amazing!¡± ¡°Come back and try again!¡± Lin Ran shouted again. Ye Jin grabbed the necklace and walked forward. She could clearly feel that as she got closer and closer to the metal, the necklace was getting hotter and hotter. ¡°This is energy resonance.¡± Lin Ran explained seriously, ¡°You can think of it as two magnets. When they¡¯re far away, they¡¯re about the same as ordinary stones, but when they¡¯re close, they show the characteristics of magnets.¡± ¡°But they won¡¯t suck together!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just making an analogy!¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and said helplessly, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, as long as you wear this material, you can become undetectable to divine sense.¡± Ye Jin blinked to indicate that she didn¡¯t understand. Lin Ran thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you remember that I once asked you what technique you cultivated?¡± ¡°I remember.¡± Ye Jin nodded. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t notice me when I approached you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Lin Ran clapped his hands and pointed at the metal at the side. ¡°The situation now is the same as back then. I can see it and touch it, but there¡¯s nothing in my divine sense.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ye Jin looked surprised. Although she did not have the ability to use her divine sense yet, she knew that it was a technique used by martial artists. Lin Ran nodded. At the same time, he thought of something else. The material of the empress¡¯s ruby necklace was almost identical to Ye Jin¡¯s necklace. Could it be that they were both made of this metal? Then, when the empress was wearing the ruby necklace, was she also undetectable to divine senses? Speaking of which, Lin Ran had known the empress for so long, but he had never used his divine sense to investigate her. Of course, there was no need for that. He had to give it a try when he returned this time. After making up his mind, Lin Ran patted the metal that was already a little hot. ¡°According to the current situation, this should be what your father asked you to find.¡± Ye Jin was stunned for a moment before coming to a realization. Her father said that she would know when she saw the ores she was looking for. What else could be more indicative than a heated necklace? However, even after confirming this, Ye Jin was still a little hesitant. ¡°Are we going to bring it back? Such a big thing will definitely attract a lot of attention. Besides¡­ we don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside yet.¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran suddenly remembered the hollow sound he had heard just now coming from inside. He sighed and said helplessly, ¡°We have no way of knowing. My divine sense doesn¡¯t work on it, and there¡¯s not even a crack on the surface. However, this thing should be related to your father. Perhaps he knows something.¡± Ye Jin nodded in agreement. ¡°Then should we bring it back?¡± ¡°Forget it. Who knows if there¡¯s any danger inside?¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he waved his sword. In an instant, hundreds of sword energy surged out. After a wave of mud flew, the huge metal disappeared into the ground again. Then, Lin Ran picked up a small stone. After leaving a wisp of sword intent in it, he placed it on the top of the metal. With another sword energy sweeping past, the ground returned to its original state before it was dug up. After doing all this, Lin Ran dusted his hands and explained, ¡°I¡¯ve already left a mark here. Let¡¯s go back to the city and ask your father first. If this thing is not dangerous, I¡¯ll come back tonight to get it. This way, we can avoid attracting attention.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a curfew at night!¡± Ye Jin reminded him. After saying that, she remembered Lin Ran¡¯s identity and muttered, ¡°I forgot that you¡¯re a master. Curfew is not a problem for you at all.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and said, ¡°Wait for me up there. I have to disguise this place a little more.¡± ¡°Is that necessary?¡± Ye Jin looked at the ground and asked suspiciously, but she still turned around and walked away obediently. After her figure disappeared into the weeds, Lin Ran immediately took off the wooden box on his back, opened the interlayer, and took out Black Shadow. Then, he circulated his internal energy to his hands and stabbed Black Shadow into the ground. After grabbing another handful of weeds and scattering them on it to make sure that it was fully covered, Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. Without Black Shadow, he could walk around the Iron City without worrying about being caught. At most, he would be interrogated. After all, those people had no evidence! At the thought of this, Lin Ran felt much more relaxed. He turned around and followed the path to look for Ye Jin. However, after taking a few steps, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. He felt Liu Hongshan¡¯s sword intent again! The sword intent appeared in the south, about ten miles away. It sounded very far, but to a Half-Saint, this distance was a matter of a few seconds. This time, Liu Hongshan stayed for a full three seconds before quickly leaving towards the south. Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn. If it was just an unintentional coincidence before, then this time, he was 100% certain that Liu Hongshan was deliberately trying to attract his attention. If it were any other time, Lin Ran would definitely continue to ignore him. In any case, nothing good would come out of Liu Hongshan looking for him. However, Lin Ran urgently needed to know what the memory he had lost was, so after hesitating for a few seconds, he finally decided to chase after him and ask! Chapter 291 - 291 Unreasonable Request 291 Unreasonable Request ¡°Wait for me here!¡± Lin Ran shouted. Without waiting for Ye Jin to respond, he rode his sword and rushed in the direction where Liu Hongshan left. In an instant, Lin Ran crossed ten kilometers and saw Liu Hongshan hovering in the air on the Dragon Roar Dagger from afar. He was even more certain that Liu Hongshan was especially waiting for him. Lin Ran slowed down and was about to speak when Liu Hongshan asked, ¡°What took you so long?¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Liu Hongshan. He went straight to the point and asked, ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± Seeing how straightforward Lin Ran was, Liu Hongshan pondered for a moment and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just have a small matter that I need your help with.¡± ¡°Small matter?¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows, and the disdain in his eyes was obvious. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time we¡¯ve known each other. Do you think I¡¯ll believe you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± Liu Hongshan said seriously, ¡°Give me the Sacred Abyss Sword in three days. Don¡¯t fool me with a fake one this time.¡± Hearing this request, Lin Ran burst out laughing. He tilted his head and looked at Liu Hongshan as if he was looking at a fool. ¡°Are you crazy? Or do you think I¡¯m crazy? Let¡¯s not talk about whether I can get it or not. Why should I give it to you just because you want it?¡± ¡°Because you can¡¯t say no.¡± Liu Hongshan shrugged and looked at Lin Ran meaningfully. ¡°As long as you give me the Sacred Abyss Sword, I can tell you a huge secret.¡± Afraid that Lin Ran wouldn¡¯t be interested, Liu Hongshan added, ¡°It¡¯s a secret that relates to the foundation of the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± As expected, Lin Ran was interested. However, his trust in Liu Hongshan was not enough to make him believe Liu Hongshan just because of a few words. ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°What if you go back on your word? Since you want my help, you have to show some sincerity, right?¡± Liu Hongshan chuckled and nodded. ¡°Tell me, what kind of sincerity do you want?¡± ¡°Answer me a question first.¡± Lin Ran said slowly, ¡°Previously, you brought Xiao Shun and the others here. What happened after that?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran¡¯s eyes turned sharp as he stared at Liu Hongshan¡¯s face, wanting to catch every subtle change of expression on his face. However, to Lin Ran¡¯s surprise, when Liu Hongshan heard this question, his first reaction was confusion. ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± Liu Hongshan frowned and asked tentatively. His eyes narrowed slightly because of his frown, and there was confusion and surprise in his eyes. It was obvious that he was not pretending to be puzzled. Lin Ran hesitated for a moment and nodded. ¡°I only remember that you wanted to kill my friend. The next thing I saw, I was already in the sky.¡± Liu Hongshan was even more confused. His eyes flickered for a moment before he suddenly thought of something and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°Do you still have Black Shadow?¡± Hearing Liu Hongshan ask about Black Shadow, Lin Ran subconsciously touched the wooden box on his back. ¡°Why are you asking this? Don¡¯t tell me you want to take it back?¡± Liu Hongshan waved his hand and changed the topic. ¡°Do you really not remember anything after that? Not even the slightest bit?¡± Lin Ran looked at Liu Hongshan speechlessly. ¡°If I remembered it, why would I ask you?¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Liu Hongshan muttered and nodded, as if he had understood something. However, he didn¡¯t answer Lin Ran. Instead, he changed the topic and asked, ¡°Have you heard of the Heart Cleansing Array?¡± ¡°Heart Cleansing Array?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes flickered because he had really heard of this thing before. To be precise, he had ¡°seen it¡±. According to the record in the Ten Miles Sword God¡¯s letter, this was an array formation used to assist in cultivation. The origin of the Heart Cleansing Array was unknown, but until now, many sects were still using it. This was because it was very difficult for martial artists who had just entered the sect to clear their minds of distracting thoughts. Master would use this array to help them clear their minds. However, when Lin Ran saw this part, he had already entered the Grandmaster Realm. The effect of this array was minimal to him, so he didn¡¯t study it too much. Seeing that Lin Ran had heard about it, Liu Hongshan paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Then you still remember that when we were in the forest, I said that I absorbed the killing intent in your body, right?¡± ¡°I remember.¡± Lin Ran nodded. Then, he suddenly thought of something and his expression changed slightly. ¡°At that time, you used the Heart Cleansing Array to calm me down?¡± Liu Hongshan shrugged noncommittally. Lin Ran immediately looked regretful. If he could think of using the Heart Cleansing Array back then, he would not have rushed to the Great Yong Dynasty so impatiently. The Heart Cleansing Array could at least calm him down so that he could make some arrangements before leaving. ¡°It¡¯s all because of being influenced by the empress. In the future, I have to think twice before doing something.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. He continued to look at Liu Hongshan and asked, ¡°But the Heart Cleansing Array can only suppress the killing intent in my heart for the time being. It can¡¯t make me lose my memory, right?¡± ¡°Your loss of memory has nothing to do with the Heart Cleansing Array¡± Liu Hongshan nodded in agreement. Then, he said hesitantly, ¡°As for the reason why you lost your memory¡­ I can only say that those killing intents are the culprit.¡± Lin Ran nodded. He could accept this explanation. ¡°So what happened during that time?¡± ¡°You went berserk and we got into a fight.¡± Liu Hongshan spread out his hands and said before Lin Ran could question him, ¡°I know this sounds unconvincing, but nothing special really happened at that time. I advise you to ask something else. Don¡¯t waste this chance.¡± Lin Ran smacked his lips and didn¡¯t say anything. Actually, even if Liu Hongshan didn¡¯t say anything, he could tell that nothing special had happened after gaining his consciousness. The reason why he asked was because he wanted to find out why he would lose memory. It was because it didn¡¯t happen just once. After Lin Ran put an interlayer on the wooden box last night, he fell asleep for no reason. Although he was indeed a little tired at that time, it wasn¡¯t to the extent that he would pass out right? According to Liu Hongshan, he lost his memory because his consciousness was invaded by the killing intent. However, Lin Ran did not feel any killing intent last night. What caused him to lose his memory? After thinking for a while, Lin Ran still couldn¡¯t come up with something. At least he knew that the loss of his memory last night had nothing to do with killing intent. After all, no one in Ye Jin¡¯s family knew how to activate the Heart Cleansing Array. After asking what he wanted, Lin Ran was no longer in the mood to continue chatting. He turned to look at Liu Hongshan and said nonchalantly, ¡°I have nothing else to ask. Why don¡¯t you tell me about what you are up to? If what you said interests me, I can consider helping you.¡± Liu Hongshan smiled bitterly. In the end, he sighed helplessly. ¡°Let me tell you another secret of the Iron City. This secret will definitely make your jaw drop.¡± Chapter 292 - 292 A Childs Trick? 292 A Child¡¯s Trick? Seeing Liu Hongshan pretending to be mysterious, Lin Ran was indeed interested. ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Lin Ran raised his hand casually without showing too much interest. Otherwise, Liu Hongshan would definitely keep him in suspense. Liu Hongshan smiled meaningfully before saying, ¡°The so-called Iron City is actually a prison.¡± ¡°Prison?¡± Lin Ran subconsciously frowned. He remembered that Liu Hongshan had previously said that the people living in the Iron City were all top-notch saber forgers in the Great Yong Dynasty. What he had seen and heard in the city confirmed this. Why did it suddenly become a prison? Moreover, when he came out with Ye Jin today, although he was interrogated, it was because Black Shadow was stolen. If not Black Shadow was stolen, it should be quite easy for the people in the city to enter and leave. Which prison in the world would be so laxly guarded? ¡°Do you mean because the Great Yong Dynasty doesn¡¯t want their saber forging technique to be spread, people are not allowed to leave the city easily, just like a prison?¡± ¡°No, no, no.¡± Liu Hongshan shook his finger and put on an ambiguous smile. ¡°I mean it in a literal sense. The Iron City is a prison.¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and thought for a long time, but he still didn¡¯t understand what Liu Hongshan meant. Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s confused expression, Liu Hongshan smiled and asked smugly, ¡°Do you want to know why it¡¯s a prison?¡± ¡°Alright, I can consider helping you!¡± Lin Ran said angrily, ¡°Can you tell me now?¡± The smile on Liu Hongshan¡¯s face widened. ¡°Considering it is not enough. I also want to see your sincerity.¡± Lin Ran was speechless. ¡°What sincerity do you want? Don¡¯t tell me you want me to bring the Sacred Abyss Sword over first?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. You just have to answer me a small question.¡± As Liu Hongshan spoke, he stopped smiling and put on a serious expression. ¡°Where is the Sacred Abyss Sword hidden?¡± ¡°The secret room in the Hidden Sword Pavilion.¡± Lin Ran answered without hesitation, because even if Liu Hongshan knew about this, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to find the Sacred Abyss Sword. Firstly, he had to use the Ten Miles Dragon Roar to open the secret passage. Secondly, he had to undo the Five Elements Seal to enter the secret room. Liu Hongshan could not do either. Even if Liu Hongshan dug out the entire secret room, he still could not obtain anything inside. However, Liu Hongshan clearly did not know this. After thinking for a moment, Liu Hongshan nodded and turned to leave. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Lin Ran hurriedly stopped him. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me yet. Why is the Iron City a prison?¡± ¡°What prison?¡± Liu Hongshan suddenly revealed a sly smile. ¡°I made it up to get you to tell me. Do you really believe such a thing?¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before he laughed in anger. ¡°Liu Hongshan, you¡¯re already hundreds of years old. Is there a point in playing such a childish trick?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s boring to play with others, but you¡­¡± Liu Hongshan chuckled strangely. Then, he suddenly activated his internal energy and rushed a thousand feet away in a flash! Lin Ran was about to chase after him when he remembered that Ye Jin was still waiting for him. After hesitating for a moment, he turned around and returned to Mount Xianyong. On the way back, Lin Ran still scolded Liu Hongshan in his heart. However, as he scolded, Lin Ran suddenly realized that something was wrong. If Liu Hongshan was just trying to trick him, there were clearly many more things he could say to pique his interest. Why did he have to mention the Iron City? It had to noted that at noon yesterday, Lin Ran still had no clue about the existence of the Iron City. This was undoubtedly very abnormal for Liu Hongshan to bring it up. ¡°Could it be that the Iron City has something to do with me, and he thinks that I¡¯ve already discovered something?¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly and guessed. Although there was no evidence to support his guess, this was the only reasonable explanation he could think of. While he was thinking, Lin Ran had already arrived above Mount Xianyong. He looked down and saw Ye Jin standing at the edge of the pit, looking around. Then, Lin Ran went down. ¡°Did I keep you waiting for too long?¡± After landing, Lin Ran smiled apologetically and looked up at the sky. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s still some time before it gets dark. We should be able to make it back in time.¡± ¡°Where have you been?!¡± Ye Jin shouted with a sobbing tone and punched Lin Ran. ¡°You disappeared without even telling me. I thought you were going to leave me here! Do you know how scared I was just now?!¡± Knowing that he was in the wrong, Lin Ran could only smile apologetically. ¡°How can I leave you behind? Besides, didn¡¯t I tell you to wait for me here?¡± At the mention of this, Ye Jin became even angrier. She kicked Lin Ran¡¯s calf and said angrily, ¡°You only said to wait for you, but you didn¡¯t say when you would be back!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I was careless.¡± Lin Ran apologized profusely, then pulled a long face and swore. ¡°I promise! It won¡¯t happen again! There was indeed an emergency just now¡­¡± Ye Jin snorted and turned her head away from Lin Ran. ¡°Only a fool would believe you! It¡¯s almost curfew. Let¡¯s go back first!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Lin Ran nodded and threw the Yin-Yang Sword into the air. He grabbed Ye Jin and jumped up. Amidst the howling wind, in just a moment, the two of them arrived near the Iron City. Lin Ran landed on the ground and put away the Yin-Yang Sword. He turned to look at Ye Jin and said, ¡°I can¡¯t expose my identity for the time being. It¡¯s not far from the city. We need to walk to the gate.¡± Ye Jin looked around in surprise. It was obvious that she had yet to recover from the Sword Flight. At this moment, Lin Ran suddenly heard the sound of a gong coming from the direction of the Iron City. Lin Ran thought that it was time for the curfew and wanted to urge Ye Jin to walk quickly. However, before he could speak, he saw thick smoke suddenly rise from the Iron City! Chapter 293 - 293 Face It Calmly 293 Face It Calmly ¡°A fire?¡± Lin Ran looked at the thick smoke rising from the city in surprise. However, the Iron City was made of metal. What could possibly catch fire? At this moment, Ye Jin also came back to her senses from the shock. When she saw the direction where the thick smoke was billowing, her expression instantly turned extremely ugly. ¡°It seems to be my house!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Lin Ran exclaimed. He wasn¡¯t familiar with the layout of the Iron City, but after hearing Ye Jin¡¯s words, he felt that the smoke was indeed from her house. Before Lin Ran could react, Ye Jin had already started running to the gate. Seeing this, Lin Ran no longer dawdled. He activated his internal energy and caught up to Ye Jin. He hugged her and rushed towards the city gate! At this moment, the men in black guarding near the city gate were pointing at the thick smoke rising in the distance and saying something. Suddenly, a strong wind blew past. The few people nearby were immediately blown away by the wind. Even those who were far away could only see a black shadow flash past their eyes. ¡°What was that just now?¡± The leader of the men in black got up and said angrily. He unsheathed his saber and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Chase after it!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the men in black immediately chased in the direction where the black figure disappeared. At the same time, Lin Ran had already brought Ye Jin to the vicinity of the fire. He could see thick smoke billowing out from the second floor of Ye Jin¡¯s house, but fortunately, there was no obvious fire for the time being. The surroundings were filled with commoners who came out to check, but these people only looked from afar. Not a single one of them went forward to help. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go in and take a look!¡± Lin Ran put down Ye Jin and was about to rush in when he was grabbed by Ye Jin. Without Ye Jin needing to speak, Lin Ran understood what she meant. He said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely save your father!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran shook off Ye Jin and flew over the heads of the crowd. When he landed, he bent his knees slightly to reduce the impact. Then, he jumped into an open window on the second floor. As soon as he entered the second floor, Lin Ran¡¯s vision was blocked by thick smoke. However, strangely, he couldn¡¯t feel any warmth. Even the metal wall was cold. However, life was at stake. Lin Ran didn¡¯t have time to think too much about it. He rolled up his sleeve and covered his mouth and nose with a cloth. At the same time, he spread out his divine sense. In an instant, the layout of the entire second floor appeared in Lin Ran¡¯s mind¡ª On the east side was a staircase that led to the first floor. After coming up, there was a long corridor. On the left side of the corridor was the window Lin Ran entered through. On the right, there were a total of three rooms, two of which were empty. Only the third room seemed to have something that was preventing his divine sense from probing further. Lin Ran paused for a moment to get his bearings before rushing towards the third room! When he arrived at the third door, Lin Ran pushed it and realized that it was locked. However, there was no smoke coming out of the crack, which meant that the situation inside should be safe. ¡°Is anyone there? Is anyone there?¡± Lin Ran knocked twice on the door, but as expected, there was no response. Lin Ran raised his hand and summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. Just as he was about to break in, he heard a man¡¯s voice coming from the stairs. ¡°Who are you? What are you doing in my house?¡± Lin Ran subconsciously turned around and saw thick smoke in front of him. He quickly replied, ¡°You¡¯re Ye Jin¡¯s father, right? Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here to save you!¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran ran towards the stairs. After passing through the thick smoke, he could vaguely see a hunched figure standing by the stairs. He reached out to take the person away, but the person took a step back. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Do you want to die?¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before he recalled Ye Jin¡¯s father¡¯s strange temper. He could only persuade him patiently, ¡°I¡¯m really your daughter¡¯s friend! I was the one who came to look for you to reforge a sword yesterday! Come out with me. When you see Ye Jin, ask her to explain to you!¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran took another step forward, but the person retreated to the stairs and said coldly, ¡°Who in the world are you? There¡¯s nothing dangerous at my house. Do I need you to save me?¡± Looking at the thick smoke around him, Lin Ran thought to himself, ¡°Is this nothing dangerous?¡± Just as Lin Ran was about to take him away forcefully, a figure suddenly rushed up the stairs. ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Ye Jin?¡± Lin Ran recognized the voice and looked angry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Didn¡¯t I ask you to wait for me outside?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. My house is not on fire!¡± As Ye Jin spoke, she waved her hand to disperse the thick smoke. ¡°This is smoke from the furnace. You¡¯ll understand when you go down and take a look.¡± ¡°Furnace?¡± Lin Ran was suspicious, but on second thought, Ye Jin wouldn¡¯t lie to him about such a thing. After instructing the two of them to stand still, Lin Ran swung his sword and slashed out a large amount of sword energy. In an instant, a violent wind swept through the entire corridor. As the thick smoke was swept away, Lin Ran saw Ye Jin¡¯s father, Ye Shixiao, for the first time. It was a middle-aged man with gray hair. He was bare-chested and only wore a black and shiny leather apron. His muscular arms were shiny. It was really difficult to associate him with the word ¡°patient.¡± However, when he saw that person¡¯s face, even Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but frown. Ye Shixiao¡¯s facial features were similar to Ye Jin¡¯s. The left half of his face was well-defined. Even in his old age, he still looked handsome. However, the right half of his face was unrecognizable. The corners of his eyes were droopy and the corners of his mouth were torn. At first glance, it looked like a pool of melted wax was stuck to his face. Many parts of his face were covered in scars. Even his skin had been burned away! ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Ye Shixiao frowned and asked coldly. As he spoke, he turned his body slightly and hid the disfigured half of his face away from Lin Ran. Lin Ran quickly apologized. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I thought that there was a fire here just now, so¡­¡± Before he could finish, Ye Shixiao interrupted coldly, ¡°I asked you who you are!¡± ¡°Father!¡± Ye Jin hurriedly went upstairs and stopped in front of Lin Ran. ¡°Father, don¡¯t be angry. He¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°My name is Lin Ran.¡± Lin Ran interrupted Ye Jin and replied truthfully, his expression turning serious. ¡°It¡¯s the Lin Ran your emperor wants to deal with.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Ye Shixiao¡¯s expression instantly darkened. He took out a hammer from somewhere and swung it at Lin Ran¡¯s head! Chapter 294 - 294 Stubborn Man 294 Stubborn Man The hammer whistled through the air. Ye Jin¡¯s expression changed and she hurriedly raised her hand to block the hammer, but suddenly, her vision blurred. When she saw clearly again, she was already behind Lin Ran. Before she could shout ¡°be careful¡±, the hammer smashed into Lin Ran¡¯s head. After a loud bang, the hammer in Ye Jin¡¯s father¡¯s hand flew out, but Lin Ran was still standing there unscathed. Lin Ran rubbed his forehead and raised his eyebrows at the dumbfounded Ye Shixiao. ¡°Since you know who I am, you should know that this can¡¯t hurt me.¡± ¡°Are you really Lin Ran?¡± Ye Shixiao asked tentatively. Even though he was trying his best to control his voice, it was still trembling when he spoke. Lin Ran nodded. ¡°Ye Jin told me everything. I know why you hate me¡ªbut I can guarantee you that it¡¯s definitely not what you think.¡± ¡°Father! Just believe him!¡± Ye Jin took the opportunity to stop Ye Shixiao and quickly told him what Lin Ran told her. After hearing everything, Ye Shixiao didn¡¯t say anything, but he no longer looked at Lin Ran suspiciously. After a short silence, Ye Shixiao asked coldly, ¡°Why did you come to the Great Yong Dynasty instead of staying in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty? Aren¡¯t you afraid that we¡¯ll report you to the authorities and arrest you?¡± ¡°Report me to the authorities?¡± Lin Ran burst out laughing. ¡°It¡¯s not that I look down on the Great Yong Dynasty. There are probably less than ten people in your country who can fight me for three rounds.¡± Ye Shixiao¡¯s expression changed, but he continued to say firmly, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, if you don¡¯t leave my house, don¡¯t blame me for being rude.¡± Seeing Ye Shixiao¡¯s stubborn temper, Lin Ran immediately felt a little helpless. After some thought, he suggested, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll ask you a few questions. I¡¯ll leave after you answer.¡± Before Ye Shixiao could speak, Ye Jin grabbed Lin Ran¡¯s arm. ¡°No! You can¡¯t leave! You still have to teach me how to cultivate!¡± ¡°Jin!¡± Ye Shixiao shouted in a low voice and reached out to pull Ye Jin, but he missed. His expression immediately turned ugly. ¡°Jin, don¡¯t forget that he¡¯s the enemy of the Great Yong Dynasty. How can you let the enemy teach you?¡± ¡°Father! Lin Ran is not our enemy!¡± Ye Jin frowned slightly, her childish face filled with seriousness. ¡°In any case, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s as bad as the rumors say. Otherwise, how could I have come back alive when we left the city together today?¡± ¡°Did you go out of the city with him?¡± When Ye Shixiao heard this, his expression changed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the person who asked me to reforge a sword is called Huo Qiyun?¡± ¡°Huo Qiyun is him, and so is Lin Ran. That¡¯s the fake name he used!¡± ¡°All the more reason not to let him teach you! Which good person uses a fake name?¡± ¡°Father, just believe me this once! He¡¯s really not a bad person!¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m your father. I have the final say in this matter!¡± ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Jin!¡± ¡­ Seeing that the father and daughter were about to quarrel, Lin Ran, who was ignored, was a little embarrassed. He waved his hand between the two of them and asked helplessly, ¡°Can you talk later? I¡¯m still here.¡± Only then did the two of them remember his existence. Ye Shixiao reached out and pulled Ye Jin behind him. He stared at Lin Ran and said aggressively, ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of bewitching technique you cast on my daughter. Leave my house immediately! You¡¯re not welcome here!¡± Lin Ran frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t want to listen no matter what, right? Am I being too friendly to you?¡± Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s unfriendly tone, Ye Jin hurriedly stood out and advised, ¡°Give me some time. Can you wait downstairs for a while?¡± At this moment, Lin Ran was in a fit of anger, but for Ye Jin¡¯s sake, he nodded and walked downstairs. Just now, Lin Ran had only dispelled the thick smoke upstairs, but the smoke was still lingering downstairs. Waving his sword to disperse the thick smoke again, Lin Ran realized that a few furnaces had already been lit. However, because there were too many cracks on the furnaces, the smoke had already gushed out of the cracks before it could enter the flue. Beside the furnace was a pile of mud mixed with hay. It looked like it was used to repair cracks. Lin Ran pursed his lips and hesitated for a moment. In the end, he sighed and rolled up his sleeves to repair the furnace. This job was simple. He just had to apply the mud on the crack. As the cracks on the furnace decreased, the surrounding thick smoke slowly faded. Soon, Lin Ran patched up the last crack and was about to disperse the remaining smoke when he turned around and saw Ye Jin and Ye Shixiao standing on the stairs. They looked like they had been standing there for a long time. Realizing that he seemed to have been taken advantage of, Lin Ran¡¯s expression turned ugly. ¡°Are you using me as free labor?¡± Ye Jin covered her mouth and chuckled, but Ye Shixiao said with a nonchalant expression, ¡°I¡¯m going to reforge a sword for you anyway. What¡¯s wrong with letting you do some work?¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath. He changed the topic and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re willing to help me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not helping you. I¡¯m helping Jin.¡± Ye Shixiao corrected him with a cold expression, ¡°Jin said that she took your money. Our Ye family will never take anything from others for nothing!¡± Lin Ran thought to himself, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just return the money?¡± However, he nodded and said, ¡°First of all, thank you very much for being willing to help me, but I still have to ask you a few questions.¡± Ye Shixiao nodded. Lin Ran went straight to the point and asked, ¡°Is the material you asked us to find on Mount Xianyong the material Ye Jin¡¯s necklace is made of?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Ran asked again, ¡°Is it the same material as the Ten Miles Dragon Roar?¡± ¡°No, it¡­ Hiss!¡± While Ye Shixiao was shaking his head, he accidentally pulled the wound on his face. He immediately gasped in pain. After a few seconds, Ye Shixiao continued, ¡°That material is called Heavenly Iron. It¡¯s even tougher than the material of your broken sword. After reforging it with Heavenly Iron, the quality and power of your sword will rise to another level.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± As soon as Lin Ran said that, Ye Shixiao replied as if he had expected it, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just reforging the sword. It won¡¯t affect the array formation in your sword.¡± ¡°As expected of a master!¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°You can even tell that there¡¯s an array formation in the sword?¡± ¡°Cut the crap. What else do you want to ask?¡± Ye Shixiao waved his hand impatiently. ¡°If not, get out. Don¡¯t disturb my work!¡± Lin Ran opened his mouth and was about to speak when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside. Then, more than ten men in black rushed in with sabers! Chapter 295 - 295 Coercion and Temptation 295 Coercion and Temptation ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± As soon as the dozen or so men in black entered, they shouted loudly. Immediately after, two of them ran towards Ye Shixiao and his daughter, while the rest went forward and surrounded Lin Ran. ¡°Why is it you again?¡± A voice said in surprise. Lin Ran turned around and smiled. ¡°What a coincidence. We met again.¡± The person who spoke was none other than the black-robed official who stopped and interrogated Lin Ran when Lin Ran and Ye Jin left the city this morning. ¡°Be serious! Don¡¯t be cheeky!¡± The official scolded angrily. He frowned and looked at Lin Ran warily. ¡°Were you the one who broke into the city gate just now?¡± ¡°Broke into the city gate?¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before he reacted. He ignored the saber on his neck and smiled casually. ¡°I came in a hurry just now because I have something urgent to attend to! Besides, it¡¯s not curfew yet. I should be allowed to come and go as I wish, right?¡± The official was rendered speechless. He turned to look at Ye Shixiao. ¡°Didn¡¯t you seal the furnace? Why are you starting a fire now?¡± ¡°I can seal and open my own furnace whenever I want!¡± Ye Shixiao glanced at the official and sneered. ¡°What? You don¡¯t like me? Kill me now if you dare!¡± The official knew what kind of an unreasonable person Ye Shixiao was, so he didn¡¯t want to provoke him. After lecturing Lin Ran, he waved his hand and was about to leave when he suddenly thought of something and looked at Ye Jin. ¡°By the way, Jin, did you see Liu Dashan and Liu Ertong when you went outside the city today?¡± Hearing these two names, Ye Jin¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°We saw them!¡± Lin Ran was worried that Ye Jin would say something she shouldn¡¯t, so he quickly added, ¡°But we went our separate ways. Did something happen to them?¡± The official glanced at Lin Ran and shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that they haven¡¯t returned yet. I was just asking. Don¡¯t run so fast in the city next time! What if you knock someone down?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful next time.¡± Lin Ran nodded with a smile. The official glared at him again before leaving with his men. A group of men in black came to the street with ugly expressions. ¡°Brother Sun!¡± A man in black leaned towards the official and asked in a low voice, ¡°Although our brothers are not injured, this matter is embarrassing us! Are you really going to let him go just like that?¡± ¡°Let him go? Not gonna happen!¡± Sun Ge sneered and turned to look at the Ye family¡¯s house. His eyes flickered as he pondered about something. ¡°Tell our brothers to hide nearby and keep an eye on that man!¡± Hearing this order, that person immediately looked troubled. ¡°Brother Sun, is that necessary? I think that person¡¯s cultivation level is not low. With just us, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± The corners of Sun Ge¡¯s mouth curled up, but his eyes suddenly darkened. ¡°I have a strong feeling that the missing Black Shadow Saber is most likely with that kid!¡± ¡°What?¡± That person¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s rush in and take him down! Finding the Black Shadow Saber is a huge contribution!¡± ¡°Lower your voice! Are you stupid?!¡± Sun Ge slapped that person¡¯s head and frowned. ¡°You just said that his cultivation level is not low. If he really stole the Black Shadow Saber, wouldn¡¯t we be courting death if we rushed in?¡± When that person realized this, his eyes darkened. ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± Sun Ge sneered and waved his hand. ¡°Keep an eye on him. I¡¯ll go ask a master for help.¡± ¡°Master?¡± The person was stunned for a moment before revealing a pleasantly surprised expression. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± ¡°Shh¡ª¡± Sun Ge gestured for him to keep quiet and interrupted him. Then, he pointed at his ear and said warily, ¡°The five senses of a master are more acute than ordinary people. What if he hears us talking and runs away?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Brother Sun, you are right!¡± That person nodded happily. ¡°Then we¡¯ll keep an eye on him! Please come back quickly!¡± ¡°Be careful not to be discovered by him!¡± Brother Sun instructed again before turning into a shadow and disappearing from the street. The remaining men in black also scattered and found a place to hide, secretly monitoring the Ye family. In the Ye family. Although Lin Ran didn¡¯t hear the conversation between the two of them, he used his divine sense to see their movements clearly. Seeing that they weren¡¯t going to give up, Lin Ran smiled bitterly. However, with these people¡¯s strength, they were not enough to pose a threat to him. After calming down, Lin Ran looked at Ye Shixiao and asked, ¡°Last question¡ªwe found Heavenly Iron on Mount Xianyong, but it seems to be empty inside.¡± Ye Shixiao looked at the charcoal fire in the furnace and didn¡¯t say anything. However, when Lin Ran said that it was empty inside, he frowned. Lin Ran knew that Ye Shixiao must know something, but for some reason, he was unwilling to say it. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran waved his muddy hand at Ye Jin. ¡°My hands are dirty. Can you bring me some water?¡± Ye Jin looked at Lin Ran and then at her father, who was at the side. She immediately looked a little unhappy. ¡°Is there something you don¡¯t want me to know?¡± Ye Shixiao lowered his eyes and didn¡¯t say anything. Lin Ran pretended to be calm and said, ¡°What are you talking about? I just want to wash my hands.¡± ¡°Hmph! Only a fool would believe you!¡± Ye Jin rolled her eyes at Lin Ran, but she still went to get water. Lin Ran took the opportunity to go to the stairs and looked up at Ye Shixiao. ¡°If you have something to say, say it now. Otherwise, don¡¯t ever say it. Anyway, I can find someone else to help me reforge the sword.¡± After that, Lin Ran added in a softer tone, ¡°If you tell me, I might be able to help you. It¡¯s very difficult for your face to return to its original state, but I know someone who¡¯s especially good at making human skin masks!¡± Ye Shixiao¡¯s eyes lit up, as if he was persuaded by Lin Ran. ¡°If I tell you, can you promise me something?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°I want you to take Jin away,¡± Ye Shixiao said softly. Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Take Jin away from the Iron City.¡± Ye Shixiao said seriously with a solemn expression, ¡°Leave this dark prison!¡± ¡°Prison?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed drastically as he suddenly remembered that Liu Hongshan had also said that the Iron City was a prison. At that time, Lin Ran thought that this was just a metaphor, but looking at Ye Shixiao¡¯s attitude now, it seemed that things were not that simple. Could it be that what Liu Hongshan said was true? Was it really not a coincidence that he brought Lin Ran to the Iron City? Chapter 296 - 296 Divine Artifact 296 Divine Artifact ¡°What do you mean by prison?¡± Lin Ran asked Ye Shixiao directly. Since he called the Iron City prison, he must know something. ¡°Literally, the Iron City is a prison! Here¡­¡± Ye Shixiao said excitedly in a low voice, but halfway through, he suddenly stopped. He turned to look at the charcoal fire in the furnace with a cold expression. Seeing that Ye Shixiao had suddenly changed his attitude, Lin Ran was stunned for a moment and was about to ask when he suddenly thought of something. He turned around and saw Ye Jin walking over with a basin of water. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Ye Jin frowned and met Lin Ran¡¯s gaze. ¡°Are you not done talking yet? Do you want me to leave for a while more?¡± Lin Ran subconsciously wanted to nod, but before he could do it, Ye Shixiao said impatiently, ¡°No need. I have nothing to say to him!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Lin Ran looked at Ye Shixiao with confusion, wondering if this old man had two personalities. However, Lin Ran knew that Ye Shixiao just didn¡¯t want Ye Jin to worry, so he continued, ¡°Ye Jin, persuade your father if you can. He¡¯s too stubborn.¡± Ye Jin looked at Lin Ran and his father. Her intuition told her that the two of them were definitely hiding something from her, but it didn¡¯t look like they were going to tell her about it. She could only nod in confusion and put the basin on the forging table. Lin Ran walked over to wash his hands. On the stairs, Ye Shixiao said, ¡°Clean this place up later and put out the fire in the furnace!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Lin Ran quickly turned to look at Ye Shixiao. ¡°You already agreed to help me reforge the sword. Are you going back on your word?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I have always kept my word!¡± Ye Shixiao said sternly, ¡°But you didn¡¯t bring back the Heavenly Iron. How can I reforge your sword without it?¡± With that, Ye Shixiao was about to go upstairs when Lin Ran hurriedly shouted, ¡°Wait!¡± Ye Shixiao stopped in his tracks. Lin Ran shook the water off his hand. ¡°You want the Heavenly Iron, right? Wait, I¡¯ll get it back for you in fifteen minutes!¡± ¡°Fifteen minutes?¡± Ye Shixiao looked suspicious. He had never seen Lin Ran¡¯s speed before. He only knew that Mount Xianyong was 20 to 30 miles away from the Iron City. Even the strongest martial artist in the city would take at least two hours to make a round trip. Lin Ran smiled and didn¡¯t explain. He narrowed his eyes as if he was sensing something. After a moment, he raised his hand and clenched it gently in the air, and a black and white sword appeared in his hand. When Ye Shixiao saw the Yin-Yang Sword, a surprised expression appeared on his face. ¡°Good sword!¡± Lin Ran frowned. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that this is a good sword¡ª¡± As Ye Shixiao spoke, he ran down the stairs and wiped his hands on his leather apron. He looked at Lin Ran expectantly. ¡°Can I touch it?¡± Lin Ran handed the Yin-Yang Sword over. Ye Shixiao took it with both hands. As soon as his fingertips touched the smooth blade, he immediately looked intoxicated. ¡°It¡¯s a divine artifact! It¡¯s a divine artifact!¡± Ye Shixiao shouted excitedly and stared fixedly at the black and white sword with his eyes lit up. He looked like he was about to eat the Yin Yang Sword! Just as Lin Ran was about to say something, Ye Shixiao suddenly said, ¡°Huh?¡± He raised the Yin-Yang Sword and pointed at a small crack on the blade. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh, it was damaged when I fought with someone.¡± Lin Ran took a look and replied casually, ¡°The sword the other party used is made of the same material as my broken sword. It¡¯s much tougher than the Yin-Yang sword.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Ye Shixiao suddenly became excited and glared at Lin Ran. ¡°You actually said that this sword is inferior to your broken sword. Are you really a Heavenly Saint martial artist? Do you know anything about swords?!¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know swords?¡± Lin Ran was at a loss and almost couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He had stayed in Mount Sword for six years and had comprehended the sword intent of the Ten Miles Sword God. It was no exaggeration to say that in the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty, as long as Lin Ran claimed to be second in terms of understanding of swords, no one would dare to claim to be first! But now, Ye Shixiao actually said that he didn¡¯t know anything about swords. Wasn¡¯t this the biggest joke in the world? Seeing that Lin Ran was unconvinced, the anger on Ye Shixiao¡¯s face intensified. After some thought, he said in a low voice, ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you? Take out your broken sword!¡± Lin Ran frowned. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prove it to you.¡± Ye Shixiao held the Yin-Yang Sword and twirled it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that this sword is not as tough? Let¡¯s spar. I¡¯ll show you which sword is weaker!¡± ¡°¡­Is that necessary?¡± Lin Ran looked troubled. It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid of being wrong, but he was afraid that he would hurt Ye Shixiao when they fought. ¡°There¡¯s no need to prove it. I believe you, okay?¡± ¡°No!¡± Ye Shixiao waved the sword in his hand. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you look down on such a divine artifact. I have to show you what it¡¯s made of today!¡± Seeing that Ye Shixiao was stubborn, Lin Ran could only look at Ye Jin. ¡°You know my strength. Say something. What if I accidentally injure him?¡± Ye Jin looked at Ye Shixiao, who was wearing a serious expression, and finally shook her head at Lin Ran. ¡°Just unsheathe your sword. You don¡¯t need to activate your internal energy. Just use the most basic sword technique. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°¡­Alright then.¡± Lin Ran nodded helplessly. He took out the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. After hesitating for a moment, he grabbed the hilt of his sword and unsheathed it. Clang¡ª With a dragon roar, countless majestic sword intent surged out, and the air was instantly filled with a sharp killing intent. This was the sword of the Ten Miles Sword God back then. Even without the aid of internal energy, the sword intent of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar alone was enough to outshine all the other divine swords. Fortunately, Lin Ran had expected this and retracted the sword intent in time, so he did not alarm the men in black who were monitoring outside. Looking at the Yin-Yang Sword in Ye Shixiao¡¯s hand, although it was also filled with sword intent, it was on a completely different level. If the Ten Miles Dragon Roar was a huge dragon soaring in the sky, the Yin-Yang Sword would at most be considered a newborn beast. Even if it roared with all its might, the roar was still too weak in the face of the dragon roar. ¡°Do you want to reconsider?¡± Lin Ran turned his body slightly and hid the Ten Miles Dragon Roar behind his back. ¡°Your cultivation level is too low. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be injured by the sword intent.¡± ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Ye Shixiao shouted angrily. He held his sword and made an attacking pose. ¡°Come on!¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and gestured for Ye Jin to stand further away. Then, he slashed out. Lin Ran was regretting having used too much strength when he heard a crisp clang. The Ten Miles Dragon Roar actually flew out of his hand! Chapter 297 - 297 Humble Attitude 297 Humble Attitude Clang¡ª With a shrill cry, a cold glint flashed across the corners of Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, and a strand of hair on his temples was cut off. The Ten Miles Dragon Roar was knocked away and shot into the thick metal wall. Lin Ran looked at his empty hand in shock, his mind blank. Ye Shixiao actually knocked the Ten Miles Dragon Roar away with one strike. This had never happened even when Lin Ran fought Liu Hongshan! ¡°Has he been hiding his realm?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Then, he scanned Ye Shixiao with his divine sense. He was at the seventh level of the Martial Master Realm, which was by no means high given his age. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t believe this outcome, but if Ye Shixiao wanted to hide his realm in front of him, he had to at least be on par with him. This was clearly impossible. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Lin Ran raised his hand and called back the Ten Miles Dragon Roar. With a straight face, he pretended to be calm and said, ¡°I was careless just now. Again!¡± Ye Shixiao nodded silently and made an attacking pose again. However, with the previous lesson, Lin Ran did not underestimate his enemy this time. ¡°Get ready, I¡¯m coming!¡± Lin Ran reminded and waved his arm to attack, but this time, before he could even slash out with the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, a cold light flashed in front of him. Clang! Swish¡ª Whoosh! Touching his sideburns, which had clearly become much thinner, Lin Ran became serious. ¡°Again!¡± Clang! Swish¡ª Whoosh! Clang! Swish¡ª Whoosh! Clang! Swish¡ª Whoosh! ¡­ After an unknown period of time, Ye Jin, who was watching them spar, yawned, feeling sleepy. Lin Ran finally rubbed his neck tiredly and waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m done! You must have cheated!¡± Ye Shixiao frowned. ¡°What right do you have to say that I cheated?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and said angrily, ¡°We agreed to only use sword technique, but you secretly used your internal energy!¡± ¡°You saw it?¡± Lin Ran was speechless. After a few seconds, he said stubbornly, ¡°You¡¯re only at the seventh level of the Martial Master Realm. If you didn¡¯t activate your internal energy, how could you slash out so quickly?¡± ¡°I told you you don¡¯t know anything about swords!¡± Ye Shixiao snorted and turned his body to face the air. ¡°Watch carefully. I¡¯ll only demonstrate it once.¡± With that, Ye Shixiao assumed that attacking posture again. This time, Lin Ran saw it from the side and almost immediately noticed something. When the two of them were sparring, he tried almost every angle of attack. Although the speed of Ye Shixiao¡¯s sword was sometimes fast and sometimes slow, Lin Ran was never able to get close to him. Just as Lin Ran was thinking about it, Ye Shixiao suddenly attacked. Lin Ran originally thought that Ye Shixiao must have secretly used his internal energy to cheat, but after seeing his sword move, Lin Ran immediately realized that it was not the case. When ordinary martial artists drew their swords, be it slashing or stabbing, their movements were basically straightforward. However, Ye Shixiao was different. The moment he attacked, Ye Shixiao would gently raise the sword and use his finger to make the sword spin in his hand. At the same time, Ye Shixiao¡¯s arm would swing forward like a whip. Even without using any internal energy, he could still slash out a cold light! Clang¡ª The sword blade tore through the air with a light sound. Although there was no sword energy, it gave Lin Ran a feeling that was even more shocking than the first time he saw the sword mark of the Ten Miles Sword God! ¡°What a fast sword move!¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. He hurriedly went to Ye Shixiao¡¯s side and asked humbly, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this saber move. Is this the saber move used by the martial artists of the Great Yong Dynasty?¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± Ye Shixiao nodded and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing. This is indeed not a sword move, but this is also not a saber move used by the martial artists of the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Lin Ran frowned to show that he didn¡¯t understand, but Ye Shixiao didn¡¯t continue to explain. After putting down the Yin-Yang Sword, he picked up a small hammer and swung it at the forging anvil in the same posture as before. With a clang, sparks flew everywhere. Lin Ran suddenly didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. He had been practicing sword moves for so long, but in the end, they were not as comparable to a hammer strike. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this move.¡± As if knowing what Lin Ran was thinking, Ye Shixiao said seriously, ¡°This is the wisdom of craftsmen for thousands of years. Forging iron is a hard job. If one doesn¡¯t have skills and only rely on brute force, one will be crippled in less than a day.¡± Lin Ran nodded repeatedly. On this point, he agreed with Ye Shixiao. ¡°Therefore, the craftsmen created this posture, so that they can use the least strength to swing the heaviest hammer.¡± As Ye Shixiao spoke, he swung the hammer a few more times. The angle and speed of the hammer landing on the anvil were different, but each swing caused a lot of sparks. Lin Ran praised, ¡°Impressive.¡± Then, he frowned and said in confusion, ¡°But what does this have to do with your sword move? The situation when we fight is unpredictable. Your reaction speed is a little too fast.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s related.¡± Ye Shixiao shook his head and said seriously as if he was teaching a disciple, ¡°An iron blank is quite impure.¡± ¡°The parts with more impurities need to be hammered heavily, and the parts with less impurities need to be hammered lightly. It¡¯s even more so when adjusting the shape of the saber. The speed at which the hammer falls is very fast. You have to use the strength of your wrist to adjust the angle.¡± ¡°As for the reaction speed you mentioned¡­¡± At this point, Ye Shixiao suddenly paused, as if he did not know how to explain. After a few seconds, he continued, ¡°After the iron blank is pulled out of the furnace, it will quickly cool down, so you have to observe and hammer it at an extremely fast speed.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Lin Ran nodded thoughtfully. Recalling his habit of drawing swords in the past, Lin Ran seemed to understand something. Just as he was thinking seriously, he heard a faint cracking sound. Then, Lin Ran clearly felt something in his body begin to move restlessly! Chapter 298 - 298 Breakthrough! Seventh Level Half 298 Breakthrough! Seventh Level Half-Saint Realm! Lin Ran¡¯s originally silent internal energy suddenly became restless. He realized something and his expression changed. He turned around and ran into the room he had stayed in last night! ¡°Lin Ran.¡± Ye Jin did not know what had happened. She shouted and was about to chase after Lin Ran when Ye Shixiao stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb him.¡± Ye Shixiao said in a low voice. His left eye narrowed. ¡°He¡¯s about to break through.¡± ¡°Breaking through?¡± Ye Jin was stunned when she heard that. Her father didn¡¯t know Lin Ran¡¯s background, but she knew that Lin Ran was at the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm. It was said that after entering the Grandmaster Realm, breaking through to another level was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. But how did Lin Ran break through so quickly? Just as she was about to ask Ye Shixiao if he was mistaken, a faint but extremely pure aura slowly came from Lin Ran¡¯s room. The two of them could clearly feel that Lin Ran was deliberately controlling it, but the wisp of aura that was emitted still made them feel terrified. At the same time, on the street outside. With the crisp sound of horse hooves, a gorgeous carriage slowly drove over from the end of the street. The riveted wheels pressed against the metal ground, making a rumbling sound. Sun Ge led the horse in front. When he reached the Ye family, he gently reined in and stopped the horse. ¡°Senior.¡± Sun Ge turned to the carriage and cupped his hands. ¡°The thief who stole the saber is here. I¡¯ve already arranged for people to monitor the house, but they haven¡¯t found anything for the time being.¡± However, there was no response. Sun Ge knew that this senior¡¯s personality was a little strange, so he did not dare to rush him. He maintained the posture of cupping his hands and lowering his head as he waited patiently. In the blink of an eye, five minutes passed. The carriage was still quiet. Sun Ge gradually lost patience. He looked behind the carriage with a strange expression and wondered if he had driven the carriage too quickly and left the senior on the road behind. Just as Sun Ge was wondering if he should go back to look for the senior, a hoarse voice finally sounded from inside the carriage. ¡°Return.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sun Ge was stunned. He mustered his courage and probed, ¡°Senior, I was a little distracted just now and didn¡¯t hear what you said clearly.¡± ¡°Return.¡± The hoarse voice repeated, and Sun Ge¡¯s expression immediately became strange. ¡°Senior, the thief who stole the saber is inside. Isn¡¯t it¡­ inappropriate for us to go back now?¡± Sun Ge persuaded in a low voice, ¡°His Majesty specially asked you to escort Black Shadow to the Iron City to exhibit it to the craftsmen. However, on the first day you arrived, Black Shadow was stolen by a thief. If we can¡¯t find it and His Majesty blames us¡­¡± ¡°Are you teaching me how to do things?¡± The person in the carriage asked coldly, his hoarse voice clearly filled with displeasure. Sun Ge¡¯s face turned pale. He hurriedly knelt on the ground and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± The person in the carriage snorted and continued, ¡°I used my divine sense to check just now. The other party has hidden his aura to the extreme and can¡¯t be detected. However, that special internal energy fluctuation means that he¡¯s at the critical stage of breaking through.¡± ¡°Breaking through?¡± When Sun Ge heard this, his expression changed slightly, and his tone clearly became more urgent. ¡°Then we have to act as soon as possible. Otherwise, when his strength increases, it will probably be very troublesome!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± The person in the carriage sneered, his tone filled with confidence. ¡°Last night, I already broke through to the seventh level of the Grandmaster Realm. Even if he¡¯s given some time, dealing with him will still be a piece of cake!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sun Ge was overjoyed. ¡°Senior, congratulations on your advancement!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small advancement. There¡¯s nothing to shout about.¡± The person in the carriage said in a calm tone. Then, he changed the topic and asked in a low voice, ¡°The problem now is, are you sure that person is the thief who stole the Black Shadow Saber?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Sun Ge immediately became hesitant. Although he had a strong intuition that he was right, he did not have any concrete evidence. After being silent for a while, Sun Ge replied in a low voice, ¡°Senior, although I don¡¯t have any evidence, he¡¯s the only outsider in the city, so I believe he must have stolen the Black Shadow Saber!¡± ¡°Then that means you¡¯re not sure.¡± The person in the carriage sneered. After a pause, he asked, ¡°Then do you know this person¡¯s identity?¡± At the mention of this, Sun Ge immediately perked up. ¡°Senior! I¡¯ve already asked someone to investigate. That person claims to be a businessman. His name is Huo Qiyun!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the originally calm carriage shook, and a suffocating killing intent swept out like a hurricane! Sun Ge¡¯s face instantly turned pale. However, before he could react, the strong killing intent suddenly disappeared without warning. ¡°What a coincidence! It saves me quite a lot of time looking for him¡± The person in the carriage sneered. His hoarse voice was like two pieces of rusty metal rubbing against each other. Just listening to his voice made Sun Ge feel a chill run down his spine. Sun Ge mustered his courage and probed, ¡°From what you said¡­ you seem to know Huo Qiyun?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± The person in the carriage denied, but the killing intent in his voice was stronger than before. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two hours to evacuate all the residents in this area¡­ Your people are no exception!¡± Sun Ge looked hesitant. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Go quickly!¡± Sun Dao was so frightened that he shrunk his neck and nodded before leaving dejectedly. There was only a gorgeous carriage left on the street. Amidst the howling wind, one could vaguely hear a hoarse voice laughing sinisterly¡­ ¡­ In a small room in the corner of the Ye family. The surging sword intent rampaged in the room. When it scraped past the metal wall, it let out jarring sounds that made one¡¯s scalp tingle. Lin Ran sat cross-legged on the ground. His originally fair skin was red, and wisps of white fog rose from his head. However, this scene only lasted for more than ten minutes before Lin Ran¡¯s skin slowly returned to normal. Then, he slowly exhaled and opened his eyes. A dazzling cold light flashed across the depths of his eyes. Lin Ran let out a low roar from his chest. Endless internal energy instantly surged out, and an incomparably powerful aura seeped out of his body. It was the seventh level of the Half-Saint Realm! Feeling the majestic power in his body that was about to explode, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but reveal a look of joy. He had been stuck at the sixth level of the Half-Saint Realm for a few months and had finally broken through! If other martial artists heard this, they would be envious. After all, Lin Ran had only used more than six years to reach the seventh level of the Half-Saint Realm. Chapter 299 - 299 Everyone Has Their Specialties 299 Everyone Has Their Specialties After adapting to this sudden increase in strength, Lin Ran took a deep breath to calm his restless internal energy. Now that he had just broken through and his realm had yet to stabilize, if he continued to let his internal energy wreak havoc in his body, he might suffer a backfire. Although the probability of this happening was very low, Lin Ran had worked hard to get to where he was today. Naturally, he had to be careful. After adjusting his breathing, Lin Ran released his divine sense to investigate the surroundings. He wanted to see if the men in black were alarmed by his breakthrough, but he did not expect to find that the people monitoring him had all left! Lin Ran was puzzled, but he didn¡¯t think too much about it. He stood up and went to the main hall to see Ye Shixiao and Ye Jin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lin Ran smiled at the two of them. ¡°There was something urgent just now. Did I scare you?¡± Ye Jin shook her head with a strange expression. Ye Shixiao waved his hand and gestured for Lin Ran to come over. Lin Ran quickly walked forward and saw the Yin-Yang Sword and the Ten Miles Dragon Roar on the forging table. Ye Shixiao pointed at the two swords. ¡°Come and take a look to see if you can tell any difference.¡± Lin Ran leaned closer and first sized up the Yin-Yang Sword, but he did not find anything different. However, when he turned to look at the Ten Miles Dragon Roar, his expression changed¡ª At some point, more than ten holes had appeared on the smooth and sharp blade of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar! These holes were extremely small. Even if more than ten of them were added together, it was not as big as the crack on the Yin-Yang Sword. Only when one looked at it carelly could one see the holes. But even so, it was enough to make Lin Ran¡¯s jaw drop! This was because before this¡ªto be precise, before he ¡°sparred¡± with Ye Shixiao¡ªhe was very sure that the blade of the Ten Miles Dragon Roar was flawless. In other words, these dozen or so small holes were all caused by the Yin-Yang Sword! Thinking of this, Lin Ran hurriedly looked at the Yin-Yang Sword and even raised it to his eyes to take a closer look. Apart from the crack made by Liu Hongshan¡¯s Dragon Roar Dagger, the blades on both sides of the Yin-Yang Sword were intact. Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s reaction, Ye Shixiao knew that he had discovered it. He crossed his arms and said faintly, ¡°I told you that your dual-colored sword is stronger than that broken sword.¡± ¡°But¡­ how is this possible?¡± That was the sword of the Ten Miles Sword God back then! How could it be weaker than the Yin-Yang Sword he had accidentally found? ¡°If it were back then, the strength of this sword would definitely be inferior to the broken sword.¡± Ye Shixiao pointed at the Yin-Yang Sword and suddenly sighed. ¡°However, over the years, it has been immersed in two powerful forces.¡± ¡°Originally, these two forces were enough to destroy it, but they reached a delicate balance. Not only did they not destroy it, but they also caused its material to change. ¡°This is a process that can¡¯t be replicated. That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s a divine artifact and¡­¡± When it came to swords and sabers, Ye Shixiao could talk non-stop. Lin Ran looked at Ye Shixiao, who was talking with relish. Apart from feeling amused, he couldn¡¯t help but admire this person. To be able to explain in such detail, it was enough to prove how accomplished Ye Shixiao was in this aspect. Ye Shixiao suddenly stopped and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°I understand, I understand!¡± Lin Ran came back to his senses and nodded repeatedly. He already knew what Ye Shixiao said about the Yin-Yang Sword. He had been through thick and thin with it after all. Ye Shixiao snorted in disdain and said seriously, ¡°I told you that you don¡¯t know anything about swords!¡± This was not the first time Ye Shixiao said that Lin Ran didn¡¯t know anything about swords. This time, instead of feeling displeased, Lin Ran nodded sincerely. ¡°You¡¯re right. I still have a few quick questions. Can I ask you alone?¡± Ye Shixiao glanced at Lin Ran and knew that the so-called ¡°quick question¡± was most likely a lie, but he still nodded. ¡°Follow me!¡± With that, Ye Shixiao turned around and went upstairs. Just as Ye Jin was about to follow him, he turned around and instructed, ¡°Jin, stay and watch over the furnace.¡± Ye Jin was clearly a little unhappy when she heard that, but she still stayed downstairs obediently. Lin Ran followed Ye Shixiao upstairs and entered the room in the middle of the second floor. This room was not small, but in order to treat Ye Shixiao, Ye Jin had sold everything she could sell at home, so the room was empty. No one could tell what it was used for. As soon as Ye Shixiao entered, he sat on the ground. Then, he looked at Lin Ran and said in a low voice, ¡°Ask.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that room for?¡± Lin Ran pointed at the room at the end of the corridor and asked. Previously, he thought that the house was on fire and wanted to barge into that room to save him, but he realized that the door of that room was not only locked, but even his divine sense could not enter. Moreover, before Lin Ran met Ye Jin, he noticed that many families in the Iron City had such a room. It was hard not to be interested in such a phenomenon. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just a room for storing materials.¡± Ye Shixiao replied casually, clearly not wanting to talk about this topic. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business. Are you willing to take Jin away from here?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know where to start. Seeing that he had taken the initiative to mention it, Lin Ran continued, ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with it, but you should at least tell me the reason, right? You said that this is a prison. Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Ye Shixiao replied coldly, ¡°Take Jin away. I¡¯ll help you reforge the sword. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything else.¡± Lin Ran crossed his arms and said nonchalantly, ¡°Then I refuse.¡± Ye Shixiao¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What did you say?!¡± ¡°I said, I refuse.¡± Lin Ran repeated himself and looked around. ¡°I think this city is not bad. Although you¡¯re poor, your skills are superb. As long as you work hard, your life will definitely get better and better.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Ye Shixiao suddenly became excited and glared at Lin Ran. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything!¡± ¡°Then let me know!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression turned serious as he looked at Ye Shixiao with bright eyes. ¡°You said this is a prison. Why?¡± Chapter 300 - 300 You Deserve To Be Unlucky 300 You Deserve To Be Unlucky In the Ye family¡¯s house in the Iron City. Ye Jin rested her chin on her elbow on the forging table and looked at the charcoal fire in the furnace, but her ears perked up as she listened to what was going on upstairs. Unfortunately, the soundproofing of the metal wall was too good. No matter how hard she tried, she could not hear anything. Just as Ye Jin was wondering if she should go upstairs to eavesdrop, she suddenly heard a rumbling sound outside. She turned around and saw a gorgeous carriage slowly stopping in front of the house. Seeing this, Ye Jin frowned slightly. She didn¡¯t recognize this carriage, so it shouldn¡¯t be from the city. After waiting for a while and seeing that no one came down, Ye Jin hesitated for a moment before walking to the door and asking tentatively, ¡°Is there anyone inside?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, a hoarse voice replied, ¡°Is Huo Qiyun here?¡± ¡°Huo Qiyun?¡± Ye Jin was stunned for a moment before she reacted. She quickly nodded and admitted, ¡°He¡¯s talking to my father upstairs. Are you his friend? Why are you looking for him?¡± ¡°Call him out, please.¡± The person in the carriage replied in a low voice. Then, no matter what Ye Jin asked, he stopped replying. Ye Jin turned to walk upstairs. In order not to let Lin Ran and his father misunderstand that she was eavesdropping, she even stomped her feet hard as she went upstairs. Halfway up, the sound of a door opening and closing came from the second floor. Then, Lin Ran appeared at the stairs and looked at Ye Jin with a complicated expression. ¡°Why did you come up? Why aren¡¯t you watching over the furnace?¡± ¡°Someone is looking for you.¡± Ye Jin quickly pointed outside the door. ¡°I don¡¯t know who it is, but he said he¡¯s looking for Huo Qiyun.¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows. ¡°He didn¡¯t say what was the matter?¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he looked out, but the carriage was parked outside the door. From his angle, he could only see half of the wheel. Ye Jin shook her head. ¡°I asked, but he only said that he was looking for Huo Qiyun. He didn¡¯t say anything else.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Lin Ran nodded helplessly, tidied up his clothes, and walked down the stairs. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran had already arrived at the door. He could tell that the gorgeous carriage was in the typical style of the Great Yong Dynasty. He immediately felt even more puzzled. There were only a few people he knew in the Great Yong Dynasty, but none of them rode a carriage. Puzzled, Lin Ran sent out a divine sense to scan the carriage and realized that there was only one person in it. Although he deliberately hid his aura, Lin Ran still found out about him. ¡°It was a seventh level Grandmaster¡­ Is he sent by Liu Ruxi?¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. He suppressed his realm to the second level of the Grandmaster Realm. When he did not know the situation, it was not wrong to hide his strength appropriately. After he was ready, Lin Ran stepped out of the door. Just as he opened his mouth, he heard a hoarse voice say, ¡°Get in.¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly. ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± ¡°Get in!¡± The person in the carriage repeated, sounding clearly impatient. Lin Ran came to the carriage and lifted the curtain. He saw a thin middle-aged man in a white robe sitting inside. The middle-aged man¡¯s sinister expression was somewhat similar to Xuan Wushang¡¯s. However, compared to Xuan Wushang¡¯s gentleman-like face, this person¡¯s face was a little strange. He had a hooked nose, a sharp face, a thin mouth, and triangular eyes. If not for the fact that he had a sage-like aura, he would really look like a villain no matter how one looked at him. Lin Ran realized that he had no impression of this person. He asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± While Lin Ran was sizing him up, the middle-aged man was also sizing him up. When he heard this, he frowned slightly and probed, ¡°You¡¯re Huo Qiyun?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Lin Ran asked calmly, already on guard. From this person¡¯s words, it was not difficult to tell that although he was here to look for Huo Qiyun, he didn¡¯t seem to know him. ¡°Get in.¡± The middle-aged man repeated it one last time before closing his eyes and falling silent. Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this person was here for the Black Shadow Saber. As soon as all the men in black left, a seventh level Grandmaster came. Lin Ran didn¡¯t believe that these two things were unrelated. Most importantly, when he and Ye Jin left the city this morning, he introduced himself to the men in black as ¡°Huo Qiyun¡±. This middle-aged man was most likely with the men in black! The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it made sense. Lin Ran was not worried. In any case, he had already hidden the Black Shadow Saber outside the city. So what if he went with this person? Thinking of this, Lin Ran no longer hesitated. He lifted the curtain and jumped into the carriage. However, before he could stand still, the two horses neighed and pulled the carriage away. Just as Lin Ran stabilized himself, the middle-aged man said, ¡°My name is Guyue Dao.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Lin Ran nodded with a strange expression. ¡°My name is Huo Qiyun.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Guyue Dao asked, ¡°Do you know why I came to look for you?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Lin Ran nodded again. Before Guyue Dao could speak, he continued, ¡°But I don¡¯t think you should keep pestering me just because I¡¯m not a local. Are you so sure that it¡¯s not your people who stole it?¡± Hearing this, Guyue Dao suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Lin Ran with a sharp gaze. ¡°Do you think I came to look for you because of the Black Shadow Saber?¡± Lin Ran was puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± ¡°¡­ Not exactly. I¡¯m here for my disciple. His name is Wu Yun.¡± Guyue Dao shook his head and began to look at Lin Ran with a complicated expression, as if he was looking forward to something, but also seemed to be filled with hatred. However, when he saw that Lin Ran didn¡¯t seem to remember, Guyue Dao¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You don¡¯t remember Wu Yun?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and nodded honestly. He had never heard of this name before, so how could he remember? ¡°Good, good! Good!¡± Guyue Dao said ¡°good¡± three times in a row, his expression suddenly became ferocious. ¡°In that case, I don¡¯t have to show you mercy!¡± Chapter 301 - 301 Blood Debt 301 Blood Debt Lin Ran was wondering what Guyue Dao meant when he saw Guyue Dao flick his finger and instantly, a cold light shot towards him! ¡°Old thing, you sneak attacked me!¡± Lin Ran exclaimed and hurriedly turned his body. The cold light brushed past him and shot through the curtain. Then, Guyue Dao flicked his finger a few more times, and a few more cold lights appeared out of thin air! Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel troubled. If it were anywhere else, he would be able to dodge these cold lights easily. However, the space in the carriage was narrow. When he dodged the first cold light, he had already retreated to the edge. There was no room for him to dodge. Without hesitation, Lin Ran activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique and instantly flashed out of the carriage. Lin Ran landed on the ground and heaved a sigh of relief. He wanted to go to the Ye family to get his sword before dealing with this old thing, but when he looked around, he was dumbfounded. In the few minutes the two of them were talking, they had already arrived outside the city! Under the cold moonlight, there was only a dark silhouette of the Iron City in the distance, which was at least a few kilometers away. Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately turned ugly. He did not know if Guyue Dao did it on purpose, but this distance was indeed a little awkward for him. Even if he activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique with all his might, it would take him at least two to three flashes to reach the Ye family. The most important thing was that every time he flashed, he would be at risk of being sneak attacked by the other party. Just as Lin Ran was thinking about what to do, he suddenly heard horses neighing behind him. He turned around and saw the two horses pulling the carriage and running towards him crazily! Seeing that the carriage was approaching menacingly, Lin Ran lost his temper. He turned to face the carriage and clenched his right hand behind his back. Star Splitter, which had four blades, appeared in his hand. With a flash of cold light, thousands of sword energy surged out! With a loud bang, the gorgeous carriage was instantly demolished. Under Lin Ran¡¯s meticulous control, the two horses were not injured at all. The horses were startled and soon ran into the distance and disappeared. At the same time, a phantom flew out of the carriage. When the figure landed, he turned around and rushed at Lin Ran. ¡°You killed my beloved disciple. Today, I¡¯ll make you pay with your life!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of cold lights surged over, but Lin Ran stood rooted to the ground in a daze, as if he was scared silly by this scene. Lin Ran frowned slightly and pondered. ¡°When did I kill his beloved disciple?¡± The ¡°beloved disciple¡± Guyue Dao was talking about should be Wu Yun, but the problem was that Lin Ran didn¡¯t know this person at all! After thinking about it carefully, Lin Ran finally realized what was going on. This was most likely a blood debt incurred by Huo Qiyun. It was true that Huo Qiyun was from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, but when he was wandering the martial world in the early years, whenever he heard someone slander the Ten Miles Sword God, he would fight them to the death. In the past sixty years, Huo Qiyun had fought countless people. It didn¡¯t seem strange that there were a few martial artists from the Great Yong Dynasty among them. After Lin Ran figured this out, the cold light that filled the sky approached. Guyue Dao¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile, confident that the cold lights could mince his opponent. However, just as the cold lights were about to hit Lin Ran, Lin Ran disappeared under his nose! Dozens of cold lights pierced through the air and hit the ground, instantly causing a large amount of dust. Guyue Dao was shocked. Just as she was wondering where Lin Ran had gone, he heard a voice behind him say, ¡°This is a misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± Guyue Dao panicked and quickly flew more than a hundred feet forward. However, when he stabilized himself and turned around, the place he was just now at was empty. Before Guyue Dao could react, the voice sounded behind him again. ¡°Actually, my name is not Huo Qiyun¡­¡± ¡°What speed!¡± Guyue Dao jumped up again in shock, but no matter how he changed directions and sped up, Lin Ran¡¯s voice was like a ghost that always sounded behind him. After a few times, Guyue Dao gave up. At the same time, he vaguely realized that he might have underestimated his enemy. Guyue Dao turned to look at Lin Ran. ¡°What realm are you in?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Second level of the Grandmaster realm?¡± Of course, Lin Ran wouldn¡¯t tell the truth. After all, Guyue Dao looked like someone with high status. Once his identity was exposed, it might cause trouble. Guyue Dao snorted in disbelief. However, when he used his divine sense to investigate, he realized that Lin Ran was indeed at the second level of the Grandmaster Realm. Knowing that Lin Ran must have used a method to hide his realm, Guyue Dao didn¡¯t dwell on this matter. He frowned and asked coldly, ¡°You just said that you¡¯re not Huo Qiyun. Who exactly are you?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and sized up Guyue Dao. He asked, ¡°What matters is who you are.¡± Guyue Dao was stunned: ¡°What does it have to do with you who I am?¡± ¡°It was originally none of my business, but you attacked me.¡± Lin Ran shrugged helplessly and waved the Star Splitter Sword. ¡°Now you should know that I¡¯m a Heavenly Saint martial artist. If you¡¯re a nobody, I¡¯ll pretend nothing happens, but if you¡¯re not¡­¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say the rest, but he believed that Guyue Dao could understand what he meant. The Heavenly Saint Dynasty and the Great Yong Dynasty had a long-standing grudge. Now that the martial artist of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty had infiltrated the Great Yong Dynasty in disguise, if anyone made a mountain out of a molehill, the flames of war would definitely flare up again! Guyue Dao naturally understood this. After a moment of silence with a hesitant expression, he finally replied honestly, ¡°My name is Guyue Dao. I was originally a wandering cultivator in the martial world. After I entered the realm of Grandmaster by chance, I was valued by His Majesty and entered the palace to become his advisor.¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief. Although the advisor of the emperor had some status, he was not considered an official. This matter would not be resolved easily tonight, but it would probably not be blown up either. Chapter 302 - 302 Too Many Coincidences 302 Too Many Coincidences After confirming that the matter was not serious, the atmosphere between the two of them was not so tense. Lin Ran put Star Splitter behind him and sized up Guyue Dao. He probed, ¡°Since you¡¯re Xuan Wushang¡¯s advisor, why didn¡¯t you stay in the palace? Why did you come to such a place?¡± ¡°This is His Majesty¡¯s order.¡± Guyue Dao said with a helpless expression, ¡°A while ago, a craftsman in the city forged three hundred famous sabers in three days. His Majesty was overjoyed and sent me to send a famous saber from the palace for the craftsmen to study.¡± ¡°Just one saber? Xuan Wushang is really stingy!¡± Lin Ran sneered. Suddenly, his expression changed slightly as he thought of something. ¡°You just said that¡­ Xuan Wushang asked you to send a famous saber over?¡± Guyue Dao nodded slightly. Lin Ran asked, ¡°What¡¯s the name of that saber?¡± ¡°Black Shadow.¡± Guyue Dao said without thinking, ¡°Sixteenth in the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s famous saber rank.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately changed. After a few seconds, he continued to ask, ¡°When did you arrive at the Iron City?¡± ¡°Does it have anything to do with you?¡± Guyue Dao frowned with displeasure. ¡°Not only are you hiding and pretending to be someone else, but now you even start interrogating me.¡± ¡°Cut the crap! Answer me!¡± Lin Ran shouted anxiously, his expression solemn. ¡°When did you arrive? This is very important!¡± Guyue Dao looked at Lin Ran suspiciously, not knowing why this was important, but he still replied, ¡°I received an imperial edict the night before yesterday and arrived at Golden Tang City yesterday morning.¡± ¡°Yesterday morning?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes flickered as a bold idea popped up in his mind¡ª If the Black Shadow Saber had been stored in the Iron City all this time, there would be nothing suspicious about this matter. However, the truth was that the Black Shadow Saber had only been delivered here yesterday morning. Almost immediately after that, Liu Hongshan brought Lin Ran here to get the saber. The two things were so closely connected that Lin Ran would never believe that there was no conspiracy. Thinking of this, Lin Ran recalled that Liu Hongshan also looked strange in the forest. At that time, Lin Ran only asked Liu Hongshan for a famous saber because he wanted to fleece him. In the end, Liu Hongshan agreed so readily that Lin Ran found it unbelievable. Even though the Black Shadow Saber was already in his hands, when Lin Ran thought about it again, he still felt like it was strange. Lin Ran took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Then, he went through everything that had happened in the past few days in chronological order. A deduction that he couldn¡¯t understand but was highly likely appeared¡ª Xuan Wushang seemed to have gone to such an extent to just hand the Black Shadow Saber to him. Even Lin Ran himself felt that this deduction was impossible. Firstly, there was no need for Xuan Wushang to give him anything. Secondly, even if he had to give it to him, he could just ask Liu Hongshan to give it to him. Why did he have to lure him to the Iron City in such a roundabout way? ¡°It seems that I have to look for Liu Hongshan again.¡± Lin Ran put away Star Splitter and prepared to return to the city. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Guyue Dao shouted and frowned at Lin Ran. ¡°You¡¯ve asked me so many questions and now you want to leave without saying a word?¡± Lin Ran glanced at Guyue Dao and sighed helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t ask. I won¡¯t tell you even if you ask, and we¡¯ll eventually fight.¡± Guyue Dao¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°So what if we fight? I know you¡¯re hiding your realm, but I¡¯m a seventh level grandmaster. If I attack with all my might, who will win¡­¡± Before he could say the words ¡°is uncertain¡±, Guyue Dao felt a powerful aura from Lin Ran. That aura was so much stronger than his that he couldn¡¯t tell what realm Lin Ran was in! Guyue Dao¡¯s face turned pale. Lin Ran retracted his aura and said calmly, ¡°If you continue to pester me, you will definitely die in my hands.¡± With that, Lin Ran disappeared into the distance with a few flashes. Guyue Dao looked in the direction he left in a daze. For a long time, he was still in a state of shock. In the city, near the Ye family. Sun Ge hid in the shadows in the corner with a few men in black. The surroundings were quiet, as if even the wind did not dare to make a sound. Looking at the empty street and the Ye family in the distance, a man in black couldn¡¯t help but ask softly, ¡°Brother Sun, it¡¯s been fifteen minutes. Did that Senior win?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Sun Ge patted the man. ¡°Senior Guyue is a grandmaster. He can flatten the Iron City with a wave of his hand. How can he lose?¡± That person rubbed his head and said aggrievedly, ¡°But it¡¯s been so long. Why isn¡¯t there any movement?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Sun Ge did not know how to answer because it had indeed taken too long. He naturally believed in Guyue Dao, but the situation was a little too strange. ¡°Brother Sun, there is something I¡¯ve been hesitating to say¡­¡± The man in black who had been scolded just now said, ¡°The more I think about it, the more I feel that something is wrong. Do you think the two of them are in cahoots?¡± Sun Ge frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± That man hesitated for a moment and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Huo Qiyun got into that carriage and the two of them disappeared. I was wondering¡­ if they worked together to steal the Black Shadow Saber and wanted to pin the blame on us.¡± Sun Ge¡¯s expression changed when he heard this. If it were any other time, he would definitely not believe such nonsense, but now that Guyue Dao and Lin Ran were both gone, he found what his subordinate said made sense. ¡°Oh no!¡± Sun Ge slapped his thigh and jumped out of the shadows. ¡°We¡¯ve been tricked! Don¡¯t just stand there. Follow me!¡± With that, Sun Ge unsheathed his saber and was about to leave when he turned around and saw a familiar figure slowly walking over from the street. It was ¡°Huo Qiyun¡±, whom he suspected of stealing the Black Shadow Saber! Chapter 303 - 303 Preparing to Take Her Away 303 Preparing to Take Her Away On the empty street in the Iron City. Lin Ran walked slowly with his hands behind his back. He saw Sun Ge¡¯s team from afar, but he was not flustered because he hid the Black Shadow Saber well. On the other hand, Sun Ge and the others did not look so good. In their previous plan, Guyue Dao was going to bring Lin Ran out of the city to get rid of him. But now that Lin Ran was back alone and Guyue Dao was nowhere to be seen, it was hard for Sun Ge not to suspect that something might have happened to Guyue Dao¡­ Slowly, the distance between the two of them gradually closed. When they were two to three steps away, Lin Ran stopped and smiled calmly. ¡°It¡¯s already so late. Why are you still patrolling?¡± Sun Ge smiled awkwardly. ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s late. Why are you out so late?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know why?¡± Lin Ran asked with a faint smile. He slowly glanced at the men in black behind Sun Ge. ¡°These people have been monitoring the Ye family. Did they not see anything?¡± The men in black who were stared at by Lin Ran lowered their heads. Sun Ge looked embarrassed, but he still braced himself and explained, ¡°You misunderstood. We¡¯re just looking for¡­¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and interrupted him. Then, he took off the wooden box on his back and handed it over. ¡°I know you suspect me, so I¡¯ll give you a chance to search now, but if you don¡¯t find anything, don¡¯t bother me again.¡± Looking at the wooden box Lin Ran handed him, Sun Ge hesitated. On one hand, he suspected that Lin Ran might be bluffing, but on second thought, he felt that it didn¡¯t seem like it. After all, Lin Ran was too composed. Seeing that Sun Ge had no intention of reaching out, Lin Ran opened the wooden box himself. ¡°Did you see it clearly? Or do you want me to bring you to the Ye family to search again?¡± When the men in black heard that they were allowed to search the Ye family, they immediately looked up. Sun Ge smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. We were rude just now. Shopkeeper Huo, please don¡¯t take offense.¡± With that, Sun Ge turned around and made way. Seeing this, the remaining men in black silently retreated to the side. This confused Lin Ran. Ever since the two of them had a conflict at the city gate in the morning, Sun Ge had been targeting Lin Ran and believed wholeheartedly that Lin Ran was the thief. Now that his attitude had changed drastically, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but wonder what this guy was up to. However, with the difference in strength between the two of them, Lin Ran was not very worried. After all, in the face of absolute strength, all schemes were useless. After taking one last look at Sun Ge, Lin Ran walked through the crowd towards the Ye family. When he entered, he saw Ye Shixiao and Ye Jin pacing back and forth on the first floor with anxious expressions on their faces. Lin Ran looked puzzled. Before he could ask, Ye Jin turned around and saw him. She was stunned for a moment before looking happy. ¡°You¡¯re finally back!¡± Ye Jin shouted happily and punched Lin Ran. ¡°Where did you go? Even if you want to leave, you should at least tell us!¡± ¡°Who said I want to leave?¡± Lin Ran said in a casual tone, ¡°I just went to see a friend.¡± ¡°Is the person in that carriage your friend?¡± When Ye Jin heard this, she revealed a suspicious expression. ¡°You¡¯re a Heavenly Saint martial artist, but you actually have friends in the Great Yong Dynasty?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Lin Ran pretended to be angry and said, ¡°I have friends all over the world!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Before Ye Jin could say anything else, Lin Ran interrupted, ¡°No buts. Go pack up first. I¡¯ll take you to Mount Xianyong later.¡± Hearing this, Ye Shixiao, who had been standing at the side, suddenly walked over. He didn¡¯t say anything and just looked at Lin Ran with a complicated gaze. Ye Jin didn¡¯t notice his father¡¯s abnormality. She just looked at Lin Ran suspiciously. ¡°Are you going to get the materials to reforge the sword? Then can¡¯t you go yourself?¡± Ye Shixiao said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know the way. Take him there.¡± Ye Jin glanced at her father, and an awkward expression appeared on her pretty face. ¡°Father, actually, I can¡¯t understand the map¡­ If not for him today, I might not have been able to find Mount Xianyong.¡± Ye Shixiao¡¯s expression froze. Suddenly, he slapped the table without warning. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You go out when you¡¯re not allowed to go out. Now that I allow you to go out, you don¡¯t want to go out.¡± Seeing that her father was angry, Ye Jin hurriedly explained, ¡°Father, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­ I¡¯ll go and get ready.¡± Ye Shixiao shouted coldly with a dark expression, ¡°Hurry up!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Ye Jin agreed and quickly ran upstairs. However, she did not notice that when she went upstairs, the anger on Ye Shixiao¡¯s face quietly turned into a smile, and his eyes were filled with reluctance. Only when Ye Jin disappeared from sight did Ye Shixiao retract his gaze. He rubbed the corners of his eyes and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°You¡¯re not taking her to Mount Xianyong, are you?¡± ¡°It just so happens that I need to return to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, so I thought I might as well take her with me.¡± Ye Shixiao took a deep breath and smiled dejectedly. ¡°Heavenly Saint Dynasty is a good place. In fact, as long as it¡¯s not the Iron City, it¡¯s a good place.¡± Seeing Ye Shixiao¡¯s dejected expression, Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°We¡¯re leaving soon. Can you tell me the truth now?¡± Ye Shixiao thought for a moment and nodded. Lin Ran asked seriously, ¡°How much of what you told me upstairs is true?¡± ¡°Hard to say.¡± Ye Shixiao gave a vague answer. Before Lin Ran could speak, he explained, ¡°You have to know that this conspiracy in the Iron City needs generations of people to set up and operate.¡± ¡°It was a coincidence that I discovered this scheme. I believe someone else must have discovered this scheme in the past too. However, the fact that the Iron City is still around shows how difficult it is to expose this scheme.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been investigating in secret for more than ten years, but I barely found out anything. Sometimes, I really feel that it¡¯s good to live the rest of my life in ignorance, but when I think of Jin¡¯s mother, I¡­ I¡­¡± At the mention of his deceased wife, Ye Shixiao couldn¡¯t continue. ¡°Don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself. Some things can¡¯t be done alone.¡± Lin Ran sighed and patted Ye Shixiao¡¯s shoulder. ¡°When I come back, let¡¯s expose this scheme together!¡± Chapter 304 - 304 Going Back on His Word? Theres a Reason 304 Going Back on His Word? There¡¯s a Reason Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s words, Ye Shixiao was moved. Then, he suddenly thought of something and untied the strap of his leather apron. He took out an old yellowed booklet from his inner pocket. After flipping through a few pages with nostalgia in his eyes, Ye Shixiao casually handed the booklet to Lin Ran. He looked away and said casually, ¡°This is some of my insights and experience in forging weapons over the years.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes lit up. Although he had no intention of becoming a blacksmith, this booklet was still quite precious to him. Now, Lin Ran could tell that Ye Shixiao was a true master of forging. Moreover, his ability was not only in forging sabers, but also in understanding and using all kinds of forging materials. As the saying went, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. If Lin Ran could learn from Ye Shixiao, no matter what weapon his opponent used, he could quickly summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the weapon and even analyze his opponent¡¯s combat style! When facing an opponent like Liu Hongshan, this little help could greatly increase his chances of winning. Of course, what excited Lin Ran the most was that he finally had the chance to forge his own divine sword! Thinking of this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but feel a little excited. However, after hesitating for a while, he waved his hand and refused. ¡°I appreciate your kindness, but I can¡¯t take this thing. You should pass it to Ye Jin.¡± ¡°What are you thinking? Did I say I was giving it to you?¡± Ye Shixiao looked at Lin Ran. ¡°If I give it to Jin now, she will definitely be suspicious. That¡¯s why I asked you to keep it for me for a while. When the time is right, pass it to her for me.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Lin Ran looked embarrassed. He smiled awkwardly and carefully took the booklet. Only then did he realize that the material used to make the booklet was not paper or cloth, but something that looked like animal skin. Although it looked as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing and yellowed with age, it was much sturdier than Lin Ran had imagined. At least, flipping through it wouldn¡¯t cause it any damage. Just as Lin Ran was studying what material this was, Ye Shixiao added, ¡°In return for your help, before you give it to Jin, you are allowed to take a look.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Thank you in advance, then.¡± Lin Ran put away the booklet and asked after a pause, ¡°I won¡¯t be back in a few days this time. Do you want me to bring back the Heavenly Iron first?¡± Ye Shixiao thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Can you leave that broken sword behind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not¡­¡± Lin Ran said awkwardly, ¡°When I go back this time, I might need it for something.¡± Ye Shixiao didn¡¯t ask what it was about and just nodded. Lin Ran took out some money and said with a serious expression, ¡°Then wait for me to come back. Rest well for the next few days.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Ye Shixiao nodded, but he did not even look at the money. He only stared blankly at the charcoal fire in the furnace, as if he was deep in thought. Just as Lin Ran was about to ask what was on his mind, he suddenly heard footsteps coming down. Ye Jin, who had gone upstairs to change her clothes, came down. Lin Ran subconsciously looked up. Ye Jin was still wearing the outfit she wore during the day, but there was a palm-sized satchel at her waist. It looked bulging, but Lin Ran didn¡¯t know what was inside. Ye Jin came down the stairs and said, ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Oh! Okay!¡± Lin Ran agreed and turned to walk out. Suddenly, he thought of something and looked at Ye Jin. ¡°Go and bid farewell to your father.¡± ¡°Farewell?¡± Ye Jin looked puzzled. ¡°Is that necessary? Aren¡¯t we coming back soon?¡± Lin Ran smiled. Seeing Ye Shixiao shaking his head with red eyes, he added, ¡°Isn¡¯t this your family custom that everytime you go out, you have to tell your father?¡± Ye Jin looked even more puzzled. ¡°That¡¯s true, but why do I feel that you are behaving very strangely?¡± Lin Ran chuckled. ¡°When have I ever been normal?¡± Ye Jin frowned and stared at Lin Ran for a while. Then, she turned around and walked up to Ye Shixiao. ¡°Father, we¡¯re going out.¡± Ye Shixiao nodded. After a pause, he said, ¡°Be careful on the way. Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Ye Jin nodded obediently, but the expression on her face was still strange. A round trip between the Iron City and Mount Xianyong would not take more than an hour, but why did her father act as if she was not coming back? Although she was suspicious, Ye Jin did not ask further. After bowing to Ye Shixiao, she walked up to Lin Ran. ¡°Can we set off now?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lin Ran smiled and took a deep look at Ye Shixiao. He sighed and was about to set off when he suddenly sensed some movements. Then, Sun Ge rushed in with more than ten men in black! ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± After Sun Ge entered, he unsheathed the saber at his waist and pressed it against Lin Ran¡¯s throat. At the same time, the other men in black also unsheathed their sabers and surrounded Lin Ran. ¡°Sun Ge! What are you doing?!¡± Ye Shixiao shouted angrily, but just like Ye Jin, his face was filled with confusion. Although Lin Ran was prepared, he couldn¡¯t help but frown when he felt the bone-chilling coldness coming from his neck. He looked at Sun Ge and said unhappily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You didn¡¯t investigate when I asked you to investigate. Now, you barged into the house to make a scene.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different this time¡± Sun Ge replied coldly with a dark expression, ¡°As long as you cooperate, I guarantee that no one will be harmed here.¡± Lin Ran sneered and tilted his head to look at Sun Ge with interest. A faint sword intent appeared in his eyes. ¡°Do you believe that even if I don¡¯t cooperate, you won¡¯t be able to harm anyone in the Ye family.¡± Hearing that, Sun Ge¡¯s expression stiffened. After a moment of silence, Sun Ge finally put down the saber. Although his expression was still gloomy, his tone had already softened. ¡°Shopkeeper Huo, I¡¯m not here for the Black Shadow Saber this time. Please come with me.¡± ¡°Not for the Black Shadow Saber?¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes. ¡°Then what for?¡± Sun Ge gritted his teeth and hesitated. Then, he suddenly sighed heavily and looked at Lin Ran with a complicated expression. ¡°Senior Guyue Dao is dead.¡± Chapter 305 - 305 An Unexpected Disciple 305 An Unexpected Disciple ¡°What did you say?¡± Lin Ran frowned in confusion because he had seen Guyue Dao just a few minutes ago. Although the two of them had fought for a short time, Lin Ran did not use any lethal moves. After subduing the other party, he returned after asking a few questions. After that, he did not hear anything. How did Guyue Dao suddenly die? ¡°Senior Guyue Dao is dead.¡± Sun ge repeated, his tone clearly becoming much more solemn. At the same time, the other men in black also took a step forward. Although they didn¡¯t say anything, they pointed their sabers at Lin Ran to show their attitude. The snow-white tip of the saber reflected the flickering flames in the furnace, as if the saber was stained with dark red magma. Ye Jin and Ye Shixiao looked at each other with nervous expressions on their faces, but Lin Ran didn¡¯t seem to notice it at all. He didn¡¯t even look at the dozen or so sabers in front of him and only frowned at Sun Ge in confusion. Until now, Lin Ran still didn¡¯t believe that Guyue Dao was dead because he was a seventh level Grandmaster! Even if the killer¡¯s cultivation was far higher than Guyue Dao¡¯s, there should be a chance for him to call for help, right? However, ever since Lin Ran returned to the city, there was nothing abnormal. There was not even a trace of internal energy fluctuation. ¡°Did I get careless?¡± However, as soon as this thought appeared, he rejected it because it was impossible. If it were any other time, Lin Ran might be careless. But now, he was alone in a foreign country. He had yet to figure out Ye Shixiao¡¯s secret, and Sun Ge and Guyue Dao were watching him closely. Under such circumstances, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t afford to be negligent. Puzzled, Lin Ran quickly recalled the situation on the way back and was even more certain that after he and Guyue Dao separated, no one fought in or outside the city. Unless the killer¡¯s cultivation was high enough to crush Guyue Dao with a strike, and the killer was ambushing him in secret, it was impossible for him to kill a seventh level Grandmaster without making a sound! Thinking of this, Lin Ran looked at Sun Ge with an unfriendly gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about whether I killed him or not. Why should I believe you when you say that he¡¯s dead?¡± Sun Ge was stunned when he heard this, as if he did not expect Lin Ran to ask this. After a few seconds, Sun Ge said with a complicated expression, ¡°Someone has already gone to fetch Senior Guyue¡¯s body. I¡¯m ordered to bring you back to the magistrate¡¯s office. You¡¯ll know if it¡¯s true or not when you go.¡± Lin Ran nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°No!¡± Before Sun Dao could speak, Ye Jin immediately rushed up and pushed away a few men in black to stand in front of Lin Ran. ¡°You¡¯ve been targeting Lin¡­ Shopkeeper Huo since this morning. Who knows if you made up an excuse to bring him away to silence him?¡± ¡°Jin is right!¡± Ye Shixiao also took a few steps forward and stared at Sun Dao with his left eye. His tone was clearly filled with displeasure. ¡°I know Shopkeeper Huo very well. He will never kill anyone!¡± Seeing that the Ye family was so supportive of him, Lin Ran was surprised and a little touched. He didn¡¯t expect the two of them to treat him as one of their own. ¡°Senior Ye, Ye Jin.¡± Lin Ran shouted with a gratified expression. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful to you for speaking up for me, but this has nothing to do with you. Let me handle it myself.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re staying at my house, your business is my business!¡± Ye Shixiao rejected him domineeringly. He stared at Sun Ge and said coldly, ¡°Sun Ge, I¡¯ll say it one last time. Shopkeeper Huo will never kill anyone. Please leave!¡± Lin Ran was speechless. It was obvious that Sun Ge was working for the government. If he was really angered, he would arrest the father and daughter of the Ye family too. He and Ye Shixiao were fine with it, but how could a little girl like Ye Jin endure staying in jail? Thinking of this, Lin Ran hurriedly took a half-step forward to smooth things over, but he realized that Sun Ge was not angry at all. Instead, his arrogance had weakened a lot. At this moment, Sun Ge looked embarrassed. Perhaps because Ye Shixiao was staring at him at a close distance, he pursed his lips and hesitated for a long time before calling out helplessly, ¡°Shifu, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me, okay?¡± ¡°Shifu?!¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. Even Ye Jin, who was beside him, was surprised. She clearly didn¡¯t expect her father to have such a disciple. Just as Lin Ran was puzzled, Ye Shixiao said, ¡°You asked for it! Take your men out of my house immediately. I promise I won¡¯t make things difficult for you!¡± ¡°Shifu, you¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± Sun Ge looked troubled. ¡°Senior Guyue is His Majesty¡¯s advisor, and Huo Qiyun is the last person who saw him. Logically speaking, I should bring him back to the government office for interrogation. I can¡¯t let him go just because of what you said!¡± Ye Shixiao did not say anything. He just looked at Sun Ge with a dark expression, but his attitude of not giving in at all was obvious. When the men in black saw this, they looked at each other. A few of them immediately pointed their sabers at Ye Shixiao, looking like they would attack if he disagreed. Seeing this, Lin Ran was about to make a move when he saw Sun Ge wave at them. Then, he leaned in front of Ye Shixiao and said softly, ¡°Shifu, how about this? I promise you that I¡¯ll just take him away to ask a few questions. As long as he explains it clearly, no one will make things difficult for him!¡± Ye Shixiao still did not speak. Sun Ge continued, ¡°You don¡¯t think he can be the killer, right? Then why are you stopping us to take him away? Or are you¡­¡± Sun Ge deliberately did not finish his sentence, but his meaning was obvious. Anyone with a clear conscience would not be afraid of interrogation. Chapter 306 - 306 Returning Good for Evil? 306 Returning Good for Evil? Ye Shixiao hesitated for a moment with a dark expression. In the end, he took a few steps back and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°Shopkeeper Huo, just go with them. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s my disciple. With me around, no one will wrong you!¡± ¡°I was already planning to leave with them!¡± Lin Ran thought to himself, but he didn¡¯t really say it out loud. He just nodded gratefully. Lin Ran could roughly guess what Ye Shixiao was thinking. Ye Jin was about to follow Lin Ran to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, and he had never treated Lin Ran nicely before. In order to let Lin Ran take good care of his daughter, Ye Shixiao seized every opportunity to express his goodwill. Regardless of whether he helped Lin Ran in the end, at least his intention was good. At this moment, Sun Ge had already walked over. Just as he was about to speak with a straight face, he suddenly thought of something and stretched out his right hand. He said, ¡°In order to avoid unnecessary conflict, please hand over your saber.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a saber. There¡¯s a broken sword in here.¡± Lin Ran patted the wooden box on his back and said, ¡°You¡¯ve seen it before. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask your Shifu.¡± Sun Ge turned to look at Ye Shixiao. Perhaps it was because time was tight or because he was afraid that Ye Shixiao would flare up again, he did not make things difficult for Lin Ran. He only waved his hand to instruct his subordinates to leave quickly. Then, the two men in black put away their sabers and grabbed Lin Ran¡¯s arms from both sides. The other men in black still held their sabers and surrounded Lin Ran. Seeing this, Ye Jin panicked. ¡°Shopkeeper Huo! You can¡¯t go with them! Leave quickly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Wait for me at home.¡± Lin Ran smiled. These people were no match for him, but the current situation made him unable to attack. Firstly, he did not kill Guyue Dao. Once he ran away, it would be equivalent to admitting he had done it. Secondly, Lin Ran had already hidden the Black Shadow Saber in Mount Xianyong. He didn¡¯t think there would be any hard evidence against him. At most, he would just have to waste some time playing with these people. Why did he have to run away to be accused of something he didn¡¯t do? As he thought this, Lin Ran had already arrived outside the door with the men in black. Almost at the same time, he heard a rumbling sound coming from the direction of the city gate. Even the ground under his feet was trembling! ¡°It¡¯s the person who went out of the city to pick up Senior Guyue.¡± Sun Ge came out to explain. After saying that, he suddenly looked at Lin Ran questioningly. ¡°Did you really not kill Senior Guyue?¡± Lin Ran sneered. ¡°Even if my cultivation is much higher than yours, I can¡¯t possibly kill a seventh level Grandmaster without anyone knowing, right?¡± Sun Ge narrowed his eyes at Lin Ran. ¡°After you and Senior Guyue left, there was a very strong internal energy fluctuation outside the city.¡± ¡°Yes, we engaged in a small skirmish.¡± Lin Ran admitted honestly. Before Sun Ge could speak, Lin Ran continued, ¡°But I didn¡¯t kill him. Since you can sense the internal energy fluctuation, you should know that it was just a harmless skirmish.¡± Sun Ge didn¡¯t say anything. He just raised his chin at his subordinate and walked to the front with his hand on the hilt. Seeing this, Lin Ran didn¡¯t mind. Just as he was about to follow, Sun Ge suddenly turned around and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°I believe you didn¡¯t kill Senior Guyue, but the others might not think so.¡± Lin Ran was slightly stunned. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°Nothing. Just take it as a reminder.¡± Sun Ge looked at Lin Ran strangely and rubbed the hilt of his saber with his thumb. ¡°I promised my Shifu that I wouldn¡¯t let anyone make things difficult for you. I¡¯ll keep my word.¡± Lin Ran nodded dubiously. Sun Ge continued, ¡°In short, without me around, don¡¯t say a word. Otherwise, if anything happens, even I won¡¯t be able to protect you. Do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­Got it.¡± Lin Ran nodded again, but the suspicion on his face deepened. If Sun Ge threatened him with words like ¡°don¡¯t play tricks¡± or ¡°follow me obediently¡±, although Lin Ran didn¡¯t care, he could at least understand. However, Sun Ge seemed to want to help him, which made him confused. Logically speaking, the two of them did not have much of a relationship. Sun Ge was already magnanimous enough not to use his position to take revenge on him. Why would he help Lin Ran? ¡°Could it be because of Ye Shixiao?¡± Lin Ran guessed, but he knew that it was impossible. From what happened just now, he could tell that Sun Ge was someone with principles. Therefore, being threatened by Ye Shixiao, he didn¡¯t back down and persuaded Ye Shixiao to stay out of this matter. This kind of person usually looked cynical, but he actually knew very well what he wanted. It was impossible for him to change his mind about Lin Ran just because of Ye Shixiao¡¯s words. At this moment, Lin Ran could feel that Sun Ge really wanted to protect him and catch the real murderer¡ªif Guyue Dao was really dead. There seemed to be a contradiction between ¡°Protecting Lin Ran¡± and ¡°Catching the killer¡±, but it actually made sense. Lin Ran instantly understood what Sun Ge was thinking. Even if Sun Ge was ordered to arrest the killer, he didn¡¯t think Lin Ran was the killer. He didn¡¯t know who the real killer was, but he knew that it was someone else who killed Guyue Dao! Actually, Lin Ran was overthinking this time. The reason why Sun Ge was uncertain was that he had yet to see Guyue Dao¡¯s corpse with his own eyes. He was only told that Guyue Dao was dead and was asked to bring the killer back to the government office. However, from the bottom of his heart, he did not believe that Guyue Dao would be killed. At the moment. After Lin Ran ¡°guessed¡± Sun Ge¡¯s thoughts, his impression of this person changed drastically. Although the two of them stood on different sides, Lin Ran still admired Sun Ge¡¯s principled personality. Chapter 307 - 307 If Youre Not Present, Dont Speak 307 If You¡¯re Not Present, Don¡¯t Speak With so many people around, it was inconvenient for Lin Ran to praise Sun Ge. After all, he didn¡¯t know how loyal the men in black were to Sun Ge. He was still a suspect. It wouldn¡¯t be good if he got too close to him. Sun Ge, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped. Lin Ran stood still and was about to ask what was going on when he looked up and saw more than ten figures standing in the shadows not far ahead. Sun Ge instructed his subordinates to stay put and walked forward without saying a word. After taking a few steps, he entered the shadows and started talking to those people in a low voice. ¡°Are those your people?¡± Lin Ran tilted his head and asked the man in black. In order to show his cooperation just now, he even stopped circulating his most basic internal energy. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have only realized that there were some people in the shadows now. ¡°It¡¯s too far away for me to see clearly, but it seems to be Chen Tianqi and the others¡­¡± The man in black replied in a low voice. Halfway through, he suddenly realized something and glared at Lin Ran. ¡°Behave yourself! You¡¯re a suspect. Why are you asking?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t mind. He stood still and leaned towards the person, asking again, ¡°Among these people, you seem to be the easiest to talk to. Who is this Chen Tianqi? Even if you want me to die, you have to let me know who wants me to die, right?¡± ¡°Shut up! If you keep asking, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± The man in black cursed in a low voice, but Lin Ran pretended not to hear him and continued to pester him. After a while, the man in black couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He widened his eyes and raised his hand to hit Lin Ran, but when he thought of Lin Ran¡¯s strength, he put his hand back resentfully. ¡°Behave yourself and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Lin Ran snapped to attention, looking as cooperative as possible. cThe man in black sighed and said in a low voice, ¡°Chen Tianqi is also from the Iron City. He was talented and started cultivating in his teens. Later, the governor took a fancy to him and recommended him to join the Heavenly Secrets Battalion¡­¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the Heavenly Secrets Battalion?¡± ¡°The Heaven¡¯s Fortune Battalion is¡­¡± The man in black was about to answer when he was suddenly patted by his companion. He immediately reacted and looked at Lin Ran warily. ¡°Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask! Do you want to hear it or not?¡± ¡°I want to, I want to! Please continue!¡± Lin Ran nodded with a smile, but from the corner of his eye, he glanced at the person who reminded the man in black to shut up just now. He thought to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t be a busybody. When I figure out what¡¯s going on here, I¡¯ll deal with you first.¡± The man in black didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking. Seeing that his attitude was not bad, he didn¡¯t take it to heart. He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°After Chen Tianqi came out of the Heavenly Secrets Battalion, he first served as a guard in the palace for a few years. Later, because he saved the emperor, he was transferred to the army to be a centurion.¡± ¡°However, although this guy is very talented, he¡¯s not lucky. Perhaps it¡¯s because his life has been smooth-sailing since he was young. On the second day he arrived at the army, he contradicted the general and ruined his career.¡± ¡°It seems that this Heavenly Secrets Battalion is a sect-like training institution,¡± Lin Ran thought to himself. He pretended to be confused and asked, ¡°What happened to him after that?¡± ¡°What else can happen? He can¡¯t climb up the ranks anymore and can only go back to being a centurion.¡± Hearing, the surrounding men in black chuckled. Although they did not speak just now, they had clearly been listening to the conversation. Lin Ran looked at the surrounding people and probed, ¡°From your reactions¡­ it seems that you don¡¯t like Chen Tianqi very much?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding people fell silent. After two to three seconds, the easy-going man in black said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s really not that we have a problem with him, but that guy is too good at pretending! He¡¯s just a small centurion, but he¡¯s bossing people around.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Everyone knows that he used to be from Iron City.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t keep the Black Shadow Saber safe and can¡¯t catch the killer either. What a useless centurion.¡± ¡­ The people around Lin Ran started to make fun of Chen TIanqi. Although their voices were not loud, even the deaf could hear the resentment in their voices. Lin Ran didn¡¯t expect his casual words to resonate so much. However, just as he was about to ask to get more information, he saw everyone¡¯s expressions suddenly change. When he turned around, he realized that Sun Ge had indeed returned. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Sun Ge approached and asked in a low voice. He glanced at everyone in confusion and clearly saw them chatting with Lin Ran just now. The men in black who were chatting and laughing just now lowered their heads like quails and remained silent. Lin Ran sighed helplessly and looked at Sun Ge. ¡°Nothing much. I just want to ask who those people are.¡± Sun Ge glanced at the men in black. ¡°Did they tell you?¡± Lin Ran shook his head and said, ¡°No, they told me not to ask what I shouldn¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°So who are those people?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask!¡± Sun Ge rolled his eyes. There was displeasure written all across his face and his attitude was completely different from before. Lin Ran was stunned for a moment, but he quickly realized that it had nothing to do with him. Sun Ge only became like this after chatting with Chen Tianqi. It was obvious that the conversation between them was not pleasant. After figuring this out, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to anger Sun Ge. Lin Ran shrugged, indicating that he didn¡¯t mind. Sun Ge suddenly said, ¡°Do you remember what I told you before?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not present, don¡¯t speak,¡± Lin Ran said without thinking. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Sun Ge nodded, and a solemn expression suddenly appeared on his face. ¡°You must remember this. Otherwise, no one can help you!¡± Chapter 308 - 308 Upholding Principles 308 Upholding Principles Facing Sun Ge¡¯s warning again, Lin Ran¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. For some reason, he felt that this matter was not that simple. According to the men in black, Chen Tianqi and the others were Guyue Dao¡¯s accompanying guards. Logically speaking, a master at the seventh level of the Grandmaster Realm did not need guards, but he was representing the emperor after all, so he had to show his status. Now that something had happened to Guyue Dao, they were supposed to go to the scene to investigate. Secondly, when Sun Ge warned him again, his tone was clearly filled with helplessness and anger. This was not the emotion he should be feeling at this moment unless someone stopped him from doing what he wanted to do¡ªlike finding out the truth. Thinking of this, Lin Ran looked at Sun Ge and asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Someone doesn¡¯t want you to investigate?¡± Sun Ge¡¯s expression changed slightly when he heard this. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Lin Ran for a long time, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He held the hilt of his saber and walked forward silently. Seeing this, Lin Ran did not ask further and follow suit. Soon, the group arrived near the shadow where Chen Tianqi and the others were standing. Strangely, even at this distance, Lin Ran still couldn¡¯t see the faces of those people clearly. He could only see a dozen blurry figures. ¡°Is it necessary for the guards of the emperor¡¯s advisor to hide in the city like this?¡± Lin Ran was suspicious. He silently spread out a wisp of divine sense, but he didn¡¯t find anything. If it were in the past, this outcome would have been enough to surprise Lin Ran. However, now that he knew that it was most likely because of the Heavenly Iron, he was not surprised. He was just curious why these people had the Heavenly Iron on them. While he was thinking, Lin Ran had already followed Sun Ge and the others far away. When he came back to his senses and turned around, there was nothing there. ¡°Stop looking. They¡¯ve already left.¡± Sun Ge walked over and spoke softly. Lin Ran turned around and realized that Sun Ge was staring at the spot where Chen Tianqi and the others had appeared just now with a hint of hostility in his eyes. Lin Ran found it strange, but he knew that now was not the time to ask questions. He pretended not to notice anything and teased, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to be quiet just now? Why did you take the initiative to talk to me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I wanted you to be quiet. It¡¯s inconvenient for me to talk just now.¡± Sun Ge replied casually and raised his chin in that direction. ¡°Do you want to know what we just said?¡± Lin Ran was about to nod when he suddenly thought of something and chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t try to test me. I know. Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°But this has something to do with you.¡± As Sun Ge spoke, he turned his head slightly and looked at Lin Ran with a complicated gaze. ¡°He asked me to kill you and bring your head back to report.¡± ¡°Then you should listen to him.¡± Lin Ran sneered casually, but he realized that Sun Ge had no intention of laughing at all. After hesitating for a moment, he probed, ¡°You weren¡¯t joking just now¡­ right?¡± Sun Ge shook his head silently, and Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly became strange. Then, he pulled out a black rope from his waist and handed it to his subordinate. ¡°Tie him up. Then you can all go back.¡± ¡°Brother Sun, we¡¯re about to reach the government office. Don¡¯t you want us to help you take him there?¡± That person looked at the rope with a puzzled expression. The others nodded in agreement. Sun Ge frowned. ¡°Why? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll steal your credit?¡± Hearing this, everyone hurriedly shook their heads. Sun Ge threw the rope over and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! When I see His Excellency, I¡¯ll definitely mention your contributions. Everyone has worked hard these past few days. Anyway, the rest of the journey is not far. Go home and rest first.¡± The men in black looked at each other and could only nod helplessly in agreement. Although Lin Ran didn¡¯t know why, he could tell that Sun Ge was trying to create a chance to be alone with him. Then, he obediently reached out and let them tie him up with the black rope. After making sure that it would not loosen, the men in black bade left. It wasn¡¯t until those people disappeared around the corner that Sun Ge looked at Lin Ran with a puzzled frown. ¡°Who are you?¡± Lin Ran hesitated for a moment. ¡°My name is Huo Qiyun. I do business at the border¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Sun Ge stared at Lin Ran as he shouted in a low voice, ¡°Do you know what Chen Tianqi told me? He asked me to bring your head back and said that this was His Majesty¡¯s order!¡± ¡°His Majesty? Xuan Wushang?!¡± Lin Ran was stunned. It was not strange for Xuan Wushang to want to kill him, but how did he know that he was here? Sun Ge didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking. He unsheathed his saber and pressed it against Lin Ran¡¯s neck. ¡°His Majesty is waiting in the government office. If you don¡¯t tell me the truth, I¡¯ll kill you now and bring your head back to report!¡± Feeling the chill on his neck, Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before insisting, ¡°My name is Huo Qiyun. I do business at the border.¡± Sun Ge¡¯s expression instantly darkened as he squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool? If you¡¯re just a businessman, why would His Majesty go to such an extent to kill you?¡± Lin Ran asked in surprise, ¡°You mean that all of this is set up by Xuan¡­ Ah, no, His Majesty just to frame me?¡± Sun Ge nodded. ¡°Most likely.¡± Then, Sun Ge repeated his conversation with Chen Tianqi. The gist of it was that His Majesty came to the Iron City in person and confirmed that Lin Ran was the murderer of Guyue Dao. His Majesty asked him to kill Lin Ran on the spot and bring Lin Ran¡¯s head back to report. Of course, Chen Tianqi didn¡¯t say the name ¡°Lin Ran¡± directly, and there was no need for him to fake an imperial edict. However, Sun Ge still found all this questionable. For example, why did His Majesty suddenly come to the Iron City? Why did he investigate the murder that happened a few minutes ago as soon as he entered the city? Moreover, Chen Tianqi kept saying that Lin Ran was the murderer of Guyue Dao. Why didn¡¯t he mention Guyue Dao¡¯s situation at all? Sun Ge knew that his statue was not high, so there was indeed no need for Chen Tianqi to explain to him in detail. However, since His Majesty had entrusted him with this important task, he should at least show some evidence or explain the whole story. However, the reality was that Sun Ge did not see any evidence. All the explanations from Chen TIanqi were ambiguous, so it was difficult for him not to suspect. Chapter 309 - 309 A Strategy to Stall for Time 309 A Strategy to Stall for Time After hearing Sun Ge¡¯s explanation, Lin Ran understood what he meant, but he still felt a little strange. ¡°You are lying!¡± Lin Ran looked at Sun Ge and said in a low voice, ¡°Since it¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s order, it¡¯s treacherous of you to question the validity of it.¡± Hearing this, Sun Ge raised his eyebrows, as if his thoughts had been exposed. However, before Lin Ran could continue questioning, Sun Ge smiled as if he had thought of something. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you so many times today that I forgot that you¡¯re an outsider!¡± Lin Ran was stunned. ¡°What do you mean? What does this have to do with me being an outsider?¡± Sun Ge smacked his lips and didn¡¯t say anything, as if he didn¡¯t know how to explain. After a while, he casually said, ¡°You won¡¯t understand even if I tell you. In short, you just have to know that in the Iron City, it¡¯s very normal to question His Majesty.¡± Lin Ran blinked in confusion. Before Lin Ran could continue asking, Sun Ge suddenly turned around and walked forward. Lin Ran didn¡¯t know what was going on and could only follow. He thought that Sun Ge wanted to bring him to a place to talk, but as he walked, he realized that something was wrong. Sun Ge actually brought him to the government office. Unlike the other buildings around, the government office was clearly much more imposing. The metal gate was dark and shiny even in the night. The two ten-foot-tall doors were closed tightly. No one was guarding them. There was not even any light coming out from the crack in the door, as if the entire government office was empty. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± Lin Ran frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that there are many suspicious things? Are you not going to investigate anymore?¡± ¡°I will investigate, but not here.¡± As Sun Ge spoke, he walked to the door and knocked on the closed metal door a few times with a special frequency. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to the dungeon later. Don¡¯t worry, the dungeon is filled with people from the Iron City. You¡¯ll be very safe inside.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the metal door quietly opened. A hunched figure stuck his head out. His entire body was covered by a tattered cloak, and he didn¡¯t look young. ¡°Elder Ge.¡± Sun Ge bowed respectfully to the person and pointed at Lin Ran. ¡°This is the suspect we just brought back. Please take him to the dungeon.¡± Elder Ge nodded. Sun Ge continued, ¡°By the way, Elder Ge, this person hasn¡¯t been convicted yet. He¡¯s only staying in the dungeon for the time being. Please take care of him and don¡¯t let anyone bully him.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Elder Ge replied in a hoarse voice. He reached out a withered and thin hand from under his cloak. ¡°Young man, follow me.¡± Lin Ran glanced at the hand. It was yellow and skinny, not like the hand of a living person. However, since Sun Ge respected this old man so much, it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem. As he thought about this, Lin Ran reached out his tied hands. Elder Ge placed his hand on the black rope. Lin Ran suddenly felt dizzy, and then all his strength seemed to have been sucked away! ¡°Sun Ge! You set me up?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed and he subconsciously called out. However, even though he felt that he had used a lot of strength, his voice was only as loud as a mosquito. At the same time, the sudden dizziness became stronger. Lin Ran felt as if his mind went black. His vision was blurry and dazzling. When he woke up again, he was already sitting in the dark cell. Lin Ran sized up his surroundings suspiciously and realized that although this was a prison cell, apart from the dim light, the conditions were actually not bad. The area was about ten square meters. It was not big, but it was not small for a person. The soft hay was spread on the ground, and with a slight movement, it made a rustling sound, as if it carried some kind of hypnotic magic. There was no smell of dampness and rot in the air, and there was even a hint of sweetness. If not for the fact that the metal fence in front of him was too eye-catching, Lin Ran wouldn¡¯t even think that this was a cell. ¡°It¡¯s quite a good place¡­ But how did I get here?¡± Lin Ran frowned and muttered in confusion. Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound not far away. Then, a deep male voice said, ¡°Newcomer? What did you do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not convicted yet.¡± Lin Ran replied casually. As he spoke, he turned to look in the direction of the voice and realized that it was a cell on the left opposite him. However, that person happened to be in the shadows. One could only vaguely see a thin outline. From the voice, this person must be very old. As Lin Ran sized up the man, the man turned over in the shadows. ¡°Not convicted? That¡¯s rare¡­ Aren¡¯t they afraid that you¡¯ll die here?¡± ¡°Die here?¡± Lin Ran frowned and smiled. ¡°Firstly, I won¡¯t commit suicide. Secondly, there¡¯s no one else in this cell. How can I die?¡± That person chuckled and didn¡¯t say anything. Lin Ran was interested in this person. ¡°By the way, what crime did you commit to end up here? From your tone, you seem to have lived here for a long time, right?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s been a few years.¡± The person muttered in a reminiscent tone. Suddenly, he thought of something and asked Lin Ran, ¡°By the way, who is the current emperor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Emperor Xuan Yuan.¡± Afraid that the other party didn¡¯t know, Lin Ran added, ¡°His name is Xuan Wushang.¡± ¡°I know who Emperor Xuan Yuan is.¡± That person chuckled again, but there was a hint of hatred in his voice. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him back then, I wouldn¡¯t be in this godforsaken place!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes lit up with interest. He went to the side of the cell and looked at him from afar. ¡°Since we have nothing better to do, why don¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite nosy!¡± That person laughed a few times and actually went to the side of the cell. The dim light illuminated his elegant facial features. Lin Ran frowned at first glance. Why did this person look a little familiar? ¡­ In the hall of the government building. Xuan Wushang leaned back in his chair, still dressed like a white-robed scholar. He was holding a piece of white jade in his hand and looking at it carefully. In front of the desk, a group of men in black kneeled respectfully. Everyone pressed their foreheads to the ground and kept quiet. After an unknown period of time, Xuan Wushang finally said softly, ¡°Do you know your crime?¡± Chapter 310 - 310 Meeting an Old Friend Again 310 Meeting an Old Friend Again Hearing this, everyone in the hall trembled. A moment later, the governor mustered his courage and stood up slightly. He probed hesitantly, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m slow-witted. Please enlighten me.¡± ¡°Slow-witted? Does that mean you don¡¯t know your crime?¡± Xuan Wushang chuckled, but he did not blame everyone. He casually placed the jade on the table and waved his finger. ¡°In that case, you can leave.¡± Everyone in the hall looked at each other, not knowing what Xuan Wushang meant. However, since His Majesty had already spoken, everyone could only nod obediently and retreat. After retreating all the way to the courtyard and making sure that Xuan Wushang could not see them, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Sir, what should we do now?¡± A man in black asked softly. The others around him were also confused because Xuan Wushang had suddenly arrived at the Iron City without any warning. This was a very unusual thing. At first, everyone thought that Xuan Wushang was here for the Black Shadow Saber, but after he appeared, he did not mention the Black Shadow Saber at all. He only gathered everyone in the hall and whispered a few words to Guyue Dao¡¯s accompanying guards. After that, he did not say anything until just now. The governor was helped up from the ground. When he heard the question, he also looked puzzled. ¡°I don¡¯t know what His Majesty meant either. It¡¯s best not to act rashly¡­ Is Sun Ge and the others not back yet?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± A voice in the crowd replied, ¡°He went to the Ye family to catch that outsider on His Majesty¡¯s orders. It seems like he¡¯s about to return.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that outsider again!¡± The governor stomped his feet as if he was venting his anger, but he had a worried expression on his face. ¡°I heard that that person has a good relationship with the Ye family. I just hope that Sun Ge won¡¯t encounter any trouble. Otherwise, if we fail to carry out the order, we won¡¯t be able to keep our heads!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the others darkened. However, this oppressive atmosphere did not last long before heavy footsteps came from afar. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound. When they saw that it was Sun Ge, they were overjoyed. However, when they saw that Sun Ge was alone, their expressions darkened again. The governor couldn¡¯t help but go forward and ask, ¡°Where¡¯s that outsider? Did Ye Shixiao interfere again?¡± When Sun Ge heard this, he quickly waved his hand. ¡°Your Lordship, don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ve already sent that outsider to the dungeon.¡± The governor didn¡¯t know that Xuan Wushang had secretly issued a decree to kill Lin Ran. When he heard that Sun Ge had brought Lin Ran back, he calmed down. After letting out a long sigh of relief, the governor patted Sun Ge¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s good. You¡¯ve worked hard today. Report to His Majesty and go home early to rest.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Lordship.¡± Sun Ge cupped his hands and bowed to the governor. Then, he walked straight to the hall. No one noticed that after he avoided everyone¡¯s gaze, his expression suddenly became solemn. ¡­ In the dungeon. Lin Ran sat on the ground against the metal fence with a suspicious expression. ¡°From what you said, it seems that you don¡¯t know why you were captured.¡± The prisoner pondered for a moment and was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°It¡¯s not wrong for you to think that way, but strictly speaking, I¡¯m caught for too many reasons, so I don¡¯t know what exactly it is.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s useless to say this now. However, you¡¯ve been locked up here for a few years. Has no one ever interrogated you?¡± ¡°No, they probably don¡¯t even know I¡¯m here.¡± The prisoner smiled mysteriously and leaned back into the shadows. ¡°I think you¡¯re a martial artist too. Can this cell restrict you?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Lin Ran smiled confidently and swept his fingertips across the metal bars in front of him. He knew that this thing was almost as good as paper to him. Although each of these metal bars was as thick as a wrist, if Lin Ran really wanted to get out, he could easily shatter this cell. The only problem was that the situation was unclear, so Lin Ran didn¡¯t want to act rashly. Besides, it wasn¡¯t easy for him to find such a quiet place to sort out what had happened over the past few days. However, just as Lin Ran was silently sorting out the problems he had discovered over the past few days, he suddenly heard a rustling sound. However, the sound was not coming from the cell opposite him, but from the darkness far to his right. ¡°Someone else is coming.¡± The prisoner in the opposite cell said softly. Apart from excitement, his tone was also filled with confusion. Lin Ran was also puzzled because he had just heard from the prisoner that the public security in the Iron City was very good. There were rarely any criminals. At this moment, the rustling sound approached. The prisoner in the opposite cell shook slightly and quietly shrank into the shadows. Seeing this, Lin Ran was about to follow suit, but when he saw who it was, his expression immediately changed. ¡°Huo Qiyun?!¡± Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes and exclaim because the ¡°criminal¡± who was brought over by Elder Ge was Huo Qiyun. Before he could be surprised, Lin Ran regretted it as soon as he said it. This was because he suddenly remembered that his identity here was ¡°Huo Qiyun¡±, and now he called out this name. Wasn¡¯t this equivalent to slapping himself in the face? Fortunately, Elder Ge didn¡¯t seem to notice it. When he heard the exclamation, he only glanced at Lin Ran before pulling Huo Qiyun forward. The two of them passed by Lin Ran¡¯s cell one after another. At this moment, Lin Ran suddenly realized that something was wrong with Huo Qiyun. Huo Qiyun usually cared a lot about his image. No matter if he was sitting or lying down, he always carried himself well. However, at this moment, his eyes were hollow, as if he was completely unconscious. Although he could still walk freely, his movements were stiff and his body swayed. He was simply like a marionette at the mercy of others. Seeing Huo Qiyun in this state, Lin Ran suddenly thought of the dizziness he felt previously. Could it be that he was also in this state when he was brought into the cell? Chapter 311 - 311 Invisibility? Disappeared Cellmate 311 Invisibility? Disappeared Cellmate While he was thinking, Huo Qiyun was already brought into the cell next to Lin Ran. It was strange that Lin Ran did not hear the cell door open the entire time. However, when he came back to his senses and turned to look, Huo Qiyun was already sitting in the cell. Elder Ge was standing in the corridor outside, and the metal bars were not damaged at all. ¡°Could it be some kind of array formation?¡± Lin Ran muttered in his heart, but he realized that the hunchbacked Elder Ge was walking in the direction he came from. Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Elder Ge, wait! I have something to ask you!¡± Actually, Lin Ran just wanted to try his luck and didn¡¯t expect Elder Ge to pay attention to a ¡°prisoner¡± like him. Unexpectedly, after he spoke, Elder Ge really stopped in front of his cell. ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± Elder Ge asked softly with a hunched back. His hoarse voice was weak, as if he had not rested for a long time. Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before pointing at the other cell. ¡°I just want to ask why he came in.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Ge looked back at the cell and turned back to Lin Ran. ¡°You haven¡¯t been convicted, so you don¡¯t have to worry. Stop playing these tricks.¡± Lin Ran was confused. ¡°Playing tricks? I¡¯m clearly just asking a harmless question.¡± Elder Ge made a few whooshing sounds and seemed to be laughing. Then, he walked into the darkness in the direction he came from. Lin Ran felt that it was strange and was about to ask when a shout came from the next cell. He turned around and saw Huo Qiyun sized up his surroundings in fear. ¡°What is this place?¡± Huo Qiyun shouted and slammed the metal bars hard, causing the entire cell to rumble. ¡°Let me out! I didn¡¯t steal anything!¡± Seeing that Huo Qiyun was so energetic, Lin Ran¡¯s worry dissipated a lot. He patted the bar between the two of them and said, ¡°Stop howling. You don¡¯t act like a master at all!¡± Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s voice, Huo Qiyun was stunned for a moment before turning around stiffly. When he saw Lin Ran, who was also in the cell, his face immediately revealed an ecstatic expression. ¡°Lin Ran! You¡¯re really here!¡± Before he could finish speaking, Huo Qiyun had already stood up and ran over. Halfway through, he was blocked by the metal bars. With a casual wave of his hand, several sword beams shattered the metal bars! The broken metal bars fell to the ground, and Huo Qiyun arrived in front of Lin Ran. After sizing Lin Ran up and confirming that he was safe, Huo Qiyun heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great! I thought I was deceived by that guy again!¡± Lin Ran was also very happy to see Huo Qiyun, but when he heard Huo Qiyun¡¯s words, he suddenly frowned. ¡°You came specially to look for me? How did you know that I was here? What did you mean by being deceived?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story!¡± Huo Qiyun sighed and sat on the ground. He waved his hand and gestured for Lin Ran to sit down too. From the looks of it, it was indeed going to take a long time. Lin Ran looked at the cell opposite and said, ¡°Friend, let me introduce you. This is my friend who just came in!¡± Hearing that, Huo Qiyun asked in confusion, ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± ¡°Our cellmate.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he pointed at the cell opposite him. ¡°He¡¯s been staying in this cell for a few years!¡± ¡°Cellmate?¡± Huo Qiyun looked suspicious when he heard this. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the cell for a long time. Then, he looked at Lin Ran strangely. ¡°Did you suffer from Qi Deviation? There is no one else here.¡± ¡°What do you mean? We were talking before you came in!¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes at Huo Qiyun and came to the metal bars to shout at the cell, ¡°Friend! My friend has poor eyesight. Can you show up?¡± However, here was still no response from the cell. Huo Qiyun leaned over and asked softly, ¡°Did you remember wrongly? I¡¯ve already used my divine sense to check. There¡¯s only the two of us in the entire dungeon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you don¡¯t know.¡± Lin Ran shook his finger and explained softly, ¡°I just discovered it too. Some martial artists of the Great Yong Dynasty will wear accessories made of Heavenly Iron. This Heavenly Iron has the effect of blocking divine sense. If I remember correctly, your Emperor Sister¡¯s necklace is also made of this material.¡± ¡°Heavenly Iron? Blocking divine sense?¡± Huo Qiyun looked puzzled, but Lin Ran didn¡¯t explain much. He summoned the Yin-Yang Sword with his hand behind his back and slashed out a few fire sword energies towards the cell. The Heavenly Iron could block divine sense, but it couldn¡¯t really make people invisible. Therefore, as long as the cell was illuminated, Huo Qiyun would naturally know that what he said was true. However, when the fire sword energy swept into the cell opposite, Lin Ran was dumbfounded. The entire cell was empty. Apart from the hay on the ground, there was nothing else! ¡°Look, I told you there was no one around, right?¡± Huo Qiyun clapped his hands proudly and looked at Lin Ran worriedly. ¡°Did you really suffer from Qi Deviation?¡± ¡°Impossible! There was clearly someone there just now. We even talked for a long time!¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and thought that he had remembered the wrong cell. Then, he controlled the fire sword energy to illuminate the nearby cells, but he still did not see anyone. ¡°No way!¡± Lin Ran muttered and controlled the fire sword energy to fly towards the cells further away. Seeing this, Huo Qiyun slowly stopped smiling, and the worry in his eyes became more and more obvious. He grabbed Lin Ran with one hand and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! There was really someone in that cell just now!¡± Lin Ran replied in a low voice. As he spoke, the fire sword energy swam through the dozen or so cells around him. Although some of the cells could not be seen clearly, he was certain that they were empty. This time, Lin Ran was completely dumbfounded. He couldn¡¯t figure out how his cellmate disappeared into thin air, and most importantly, he didn¡¯t understand why he was avoiding Huo Qiyun. However, from the looks of it, they would definitely not be able to find him for the time being. With a thought, Lin Ran extinguished the fire energy and turned to look at Huo Qiyun. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about you first. How did you know I was here?¡± Seeing that Lin Ran had returned to normal for some reason, the worry on Huo Qiyun¡¯s face deepened. As he sized up Lin Ran, he replied softly, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. In short, we have to leave this place as soon as possible. Xuan Wushang is planning something that might cause the Heavenly Saint Dynasty to fall apart!¡± Lin Ran nodded, but he didn¡¯t take it to heart. This was because he had heard similar things too many times, but in the end, nothing really happened to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Chapter 312 - 312 Cloudy Mountain and Mist, Directly Asking the Culprit 312 Cloudy Mountain and Mist, Directly Asking the Culprit Seeing that Lin Ran didn¡¯t seem to believe him, Huo Qiyun looked anxious. ¡°It¡¯s true this time! Because Liu Hongshan told me!¡± ¡°Liu Hongshan!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed, and his attitude clearly became serious. ¡°When did you see Liu Hongshan? Why would he tell you this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why he told me, either. And I didn¡¯t believe him at first.¡± Huo Qiyun spread out his hands with a strange expression. After a pause, he said, ¡°However, he told me that I could find you in the dungeon of the Iron City, and I did find you, so I think his words are not completely unbelievable.¡± Lin Ran nodded in agreement, but he still looked suspicious. ¡°But that¡¯s not right. I saw Liu Hongshan this morning. Could it be that he rushed to Heavenly Saints immediately after parting ways with me?¡± Huo Qiyun looked puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? Isn¡¯t that guy always coming and going in a hurry?¡± Lin Ran frowned and didn¡¯t say anything. Although Liu Hongshan had always been mysterious, he felt that something was amiss this time. At first, Liu Hongshan was ordered by Xuan Wushang to think of ways to obtain the Sacred Abyss Sword, but then he went to the Heavenly Saints to undermine Xuan Wushang. Did he really want to help Xuan Wushang? If he didn¡¯t, what was the point of doing all this? As soon as these questions popped up, Lin Ran felt a headache coming on. Not only because he had no clue, but also because if he wanted to know the answer, he could only ask Liu Hongshan in person. Otherwise, there was no way to figure it out. Thinking of this, Lin Ran put this matter to the back of his mind for the time being and turned to look at Huo Qiyun. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your situation first. When did you wake up? How¡¯s Xiao Huai?¡± ¡°Why are you asking this at a time like this? The most important thing now is to go back quickly!¡± Huo Qiyun frowned and said unhappily, ¡°I know you have prejudice against Liu Hongshan, but since I can find you here, it means that he wasn¡¯t lying! Besides¡­¡± Lin Ran waved his hand and interrupted Huo Qiyun. He sighed and said helplessly, ¡°I know you¡¯re anxious, but don¡¯t be anxious. I don¡¯t have to tell you how cunning Liu Hongshan is. If we act rashly without figuring it out, who knows if we¡¯ll fall into some trap?¡± Although Huo Qiyun was anxious, he knew that what Lin Ran said made sense. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and slowly told him the whole story. At that time. When Huo Qiyun had just woken up, he felt intense pain all over his body and found it difficult to move. At the same time, his internal energy seemed to have gone berserk. Fortunately, a few strangers beside him saved him in time, preventing his meridians from being destroyed. After that, Huo Qiyun found out that those ¡°strangers¡± were the Wood Guards, who specialized in healing in the Five Elements Imperial Guard. However, by the time he could move on his own, it was already late at night. After Huo Qiyun recovered, he was imprisoned by Tu Baichuan. It was also at that time that he was surprised to find that he had already entered the Grandmaster Realm. However, his realm seemed to be unstable. Even he could not clearly tell which level he was at. At this point, Huo Qiyun looked a little embarrassed. Lin Ran saw this and thought that it was because Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t know his cultivation level. He paused for a moment and comforted him. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. The Grandmaster Realm is a dividing line. The way the internal energy circulates is very different from before. It¡¯s normal not to know your level at first.¡± Huo Qiyun smiled awkwardly. He changed the topic and continued, ¡°After that, I met His Majesty. She said that you were wanted for something.¡± ¡°I found an opportunity to escape. I wanted to go to Mount Sword to see if you had left any clues, but I met Liu Hongshan on the way.¡± ¡°He told me that you were in the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s Iron City. He also said that if I wanted to find you, I only needed to commit some crimes in the city and had the people of the Iron City arrest me and throw me in jail. That way, I would definitely be able to see you.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Lin Ran nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly realized that something was wrong. Lin Ran was imprisoned because he was suspected of killing Guyue Dao, but how did Liu Hongshan know in advance that he would be thrown into the dungeon? Puzzled, Lin Ran asked directly. Unsurprisingly, Huo Qiyun had no clue. After a moment of silence, Huo Qiyun suddenly had a thought. ¡°Could it be that they had been planning to throw you here from the beginning, so Liu Hongshan knew in advance?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Lin Ran said with a frown. If Xuan Wushang wanted to put him in jail, he had many ways to do it. But how did Xuan Wushang know that he would definitely stay in the Iron City? It had to be known that Lin Ran came to the Great Yong Dynasty on a whim. Before this, he had no idea about the existence of the Iron City. Liu Hongshan could lure Lin Ran into the Iron City, but Liu Hongshan couldn¡¯t guarantee that Lin Ran would continue to stay in the Iron City. Could Xuan Wushang really predict Lin Ran¡¯s decision-making, but this didn¡¯t seem possible. ¡°Could it be that me knowing Ye Jin is also part of their plan?¡± Lin Ran suddenly had a bold idea, but on second thought, he knew that it was impossible. His meeting with Ye Jin was completely a coincidence. If Xuan Wushang could even foresee this, then he was too powerful. ¡°Damn Xuan Wushang!¡± Huo Qiyun hammered the ground heavily. ¡°What exactly does he want?¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran suddenly had an idea. ¡°That¡¯s right! We can ask him what he wants directly!¡± Huo Qiyun was stunned. ¡°How? Xuan Wushang is also locked up here?¡± ¡°Of course not, but he is in the Iron City.¡± Lin Ran shook his head, and a smile slowly appeared on his face. ¡°But it¡¯s not that easy to see him. We still have to do something.¡± Chapter 313 - 313 Breaking the Dungeon 313 Breaking the Dungeon In the main hall of the Iron City¡¯s government building. When Sun Ge came in, Xuan Wushang was sitting on the main seat. Although he was dressed in plain clothes, he still exuded the aura of an emperor. Even so, Sun Ge still looked at him with his chest puffed out and his head raised. He did not even have the intention to nod, let alone kneel down and bow. It was a treasonous act to not kneel in front of the emperor, but Xuan Wushang did not seem to care. From the beginning to the end, he only looked at Sun Ge with a smile. Even the maliciousness in his eyes had faded a lot. The two of them looked at each other in silence. Neither of them had the intention to speak first. After nearly 15 minutes, Xuan Wushang sighed helplessly and said softly with a faint smile, ¡°It¡¯s been many years since we last met, how are you?¡± ¡°Thanks to Your Majesty¡¯s grace, I¡¯m still alive.¡± Sun Ge replied coldly. There was no respect for the emperor in his words. Instead, he was very rude. Xuan Wushang sneered and didn¡¯t mind. He changed the topic and asked, ¡°You should have seen Chen Tianqi on the way back, right?¡± Sun Ge nodded and did not say anything. Xuan Wushang glanced at his empty hands and frowned. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already seen Tianqi, why didn¡¯t you bring me that man¡¯s head? Did Tianqi not make it clear enough to you?¡± ¡°No, he made it very clear.¡± Sun Ge shook his head and stared at Xuan Wushang with burning eyes. ¡°But I don¡¯t understand what the point is. According to my observation, it was an accident that he came to the Iron City. He doesn¡¯t seem to know that you¡­¡± ¡°Sun Ge!¡± Xuan Wushang suddenly spoke, and his originally gentle expression suddenly became cold. ¡°Although there are only the two of us here, if you break the rules, I won¡¯t show mercy to you either.¡± Sun Ge sneered. He paused for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already locked that person in the dungeon. I¡¯ll ask you one last time, why do you want to kill him?¡± Xuan Wushang frowned slightly. ¡°This is my private matter. Right now, I can¡¯t reveal too much to you, but I still want you to believe me. Killing him will benefit everyone.¡± ¡°It will benefit you, right?¡± Sun Ge¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. ¡°You know that I¡¯m not his match, but you still gave such an order¡ªI don¡¯t think you want to kill him, but you want to kill me, right?¡± ¡°Sun Ge! What are you talking about!?¡± Xuan Wushang revealed a sorrowful expression. He lowered his voice and said excitedly, ¡°We grew up together! Anyone in this world can harm you, but not me.¡± ¡°You make it sound so nice!¡± Sun Ge waved his hand angrily. Just as he was about to say something, hurried footsteps suddenly approached. The two of them subconsciously looked at each other and tacitly stopped talking. Almost at the same time, a man in black rushed into the hall in a panic. Before he could catch his breath, he hurriedly shouted, ¡°Brother Sun, bad news! There¡¯s a fire in the dungeon!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Sun Ge¡¯s expression changed. He quickly turned around and rushed out. He saw thick smoke rising from the direction of the dungeon. The flames had already lit up most of the night! ¡°It must be that guy¡¯s doing!¡± Xuan Wushang followed them out and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Everyone, quickly put out the fire. Be careful not to let anyone escape!¡± ¡°As you command!¡± Everyone responded and rushed to the dungeon. Sun Ge was about to follow when he was suddenly pulled back. He turned around and saw Xuan Wushang staring at him with a serious expression. ¡°What exactly are you thinking?¡± Xuan Wushang asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Help me? Or not?¡± Sun Ge¡¯s expression darkened: ¡°Are you really going to talk about this now?¡± Xuan Wushang looked at Sun Ge and did not speak, but his grip on Sun Ge¡¯s hand had already made his attitude clear. Sun Ge hesitated for a moment before sighing heavily. ¡°I will never kill the innocent, but I can control him first and wait for you to explain before making a decision!¡± ¡°Sun Gei, I¡­¡± He grabbed Sun Ge and said in a deep voice, ¡°I can¡¯t stay here for long¡­ Think about it seriously. I¡¯ll come again tomorrow morning!¡± Without waiting for Sun Ge to reply, the white robe on Xuan Wushang¡¯s body suddenly surged and wrapped around his body like clouds. Eventually, it disappeared with a gust of wind. Sun Ge stood alone in the courtyard. He looked at the white clouds in the sky and pondered for a moment before rushing towards the dungeon. By the time Sun Ge rushed to the dungeon, the fire was already under control. The thick smoke from before had mostly dissipated. Sun Ge quickly looked around and found that the dungeon door was still closed. There were no signs of damage. However, there was nothing strange about this. After all, the entire dungeon was made of metal. Apart from the hay spread on the ground in the cells, there was nothing else to burn. Returning to the main entrance of the dungeon, Sun Ge saw Elder Ge standing in the distance with a bucket in his hand. He wanted to ask what was going on, but before he could take a step, he suddenly heard a dull rumbling sound. Sun Ge subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound and saw a crack slowly opening in the tightly shut dungeon door. Moreover, the crack was still expanding! ¡°Elder Ge.¡± Sun Ge¡¯s expression changed drastically as he shouted anxiously, ¡°The prisoners in the prison are very cunning. We can¡¯t go in and check now. Hurry up and close the cell door!¡± Elder Ge did not move at all. Sun Ge thought that he did not hear him. He took a deep breath and was about to repeat himself when someone in the dungeon replied loudly, ¡°It has nothing to do with him. I opened this cell door myself!¡± Sun Ge instantly recognized the voice. When he turned around, he saw that the dungeon door was already more than half open. Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun walked out slowly with their hands behind their backs. Of course, he still didn¡¯t know their true identities ¡°Huo Qiyun?!¡± Sun Ge subconsciously exclaimed: ¡°How do you know how to open the dungeon door?¡± ¡°You know me?¡± Huo Qiyun was stunned. He was about to say that he didn¡¯t open it when he realized that although Sun Ge called his name, his eyes were on Lin Ran. After a short daze, Huo Qiyun suddenly understood something. He punched Lin Ran and asked softly, ¡°Why does he call you Huo Qiyun? Did you use my name to do something bad again?¡± Lin Ran, who had been caught, didn¡¯t know how to explain, so he pretended not to hear it. He looked at the people who had already drawn their swords and were vigilant. He took a deep breath and shouted, ¡°This has nothing to do with you. Call Xuan Wushang over to see me!¡± Chapter 314 - 314 Come What May, Heaven Wont Fall 314 Come What May, Heaven Won¡¯t Fall As soon as Lin Ran finished speaking, the surrounding people burst into laughter. It was simply a joke for a prisoner to say that he wanted to see the current emperor! Amidst everyone¡¯s laughter, only Sun Ge¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Previously, Xuan Wushang had said that Lin Ran was here for him, and it indeed seemed so. But how did Xuan Wushang know? Could it be that there really was some sort of grudge between the two of them? As he thought to himself, Sun Ge took a half-step forward and coldly asked, ¡°You¡¯re really pushing your luck! It¡¯s useless for me to negotiate with you. Draw your sword then.¡± Before Lin Ran could say anything, Huo Qiyun took a step forward and said coldly, ¡°We¡¯re also negotiating with you, but if you don¡¯t appreciate it, don¡¯t blame us for being rude!¡± ¡°Heh! How arrogant!¡± A middle-aged man shouted coldly. The surrounding people drew their sabers almost at the same time! Clang¡ª Accompanied by a series of metallic clangs, incomparably sharp auras soared into the sky, as if a huge battle was about to erupt at any moment! Seeing this, Huo Qiyun was not to be outdone. His expression turned cold and he was about to release his aura when someone suddenly patted his shoulder. Although the pat was gentle, it instantly forced back the internal energy Huo Qiyun had just activated. ¡°Lin Ran.¡± Huo Qiyun looked at Lin Ran in confusion and shouted in a low voice, ¡°What are you doing? Can¡¯t you see that they¡¯re about to attack?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be rash. This is not the place to fight.¡± Lin Ran replied confidently. When Huo Qiyun turned around again, he realized that Sun Ge was also standing in front of the men in black. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t be rash!¡± Sun Ge shouted, ¡°Let me handle this!¡± It seemed that Sun Ge had a high status among these people. Although everyone did not put down their weapons, the tense atmosphere had indeed eased a lot. Seeing this, Huo Qiyun frowned and tilted his head in Lin Ran¡¯s direction. ¡°How did you know that he would stand out? Did you two reach some kind of agreement?¡± Lin Ran shook his head in denial. After a pause, he chuckled and said, ¡°Maybe because he¡¯s a good person?¡± Lin Ran quickly walked up to Sun Ge and asked in a low voice, ¡°Can we talk in private?¡± Sun Ge looked at Lin Ran and nodded imperceptibly. Lin Ran smiled and walked to the side. Sun Ge quickly followed and asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Who are you? Why are you in the Iron City?¡± ¡°I have many identities, but none of them mean anything to me, so let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Lin Ran replied casually. Before Sun Ge could speak, he asked, ¡°Xuan Wushang has already left, right?¡± Sun Ge was stunned. He nodded slightly. ¡°How did you know?¡± Lin Ran smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. After a pause, he asked, ¡°The Iron City is a prison, right?¡± Upon hearing the word ¡°prison¡±, a strange look flashed across Sun Ge¡¯s eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. He shook his head slightly and pretended to be calm. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°No, you do. Not only do you know, but you¡¯re also the person involved in this, or more precisely¡ª¡± Lin Ran suddenly turned around and stared at Sun Ge with a burning gaze. ¡°You¡¯re also one of the prisoners in this prison!¡± Sun Ge¡¯s expression turned ugly as he stared at Lin Ran with trembling eyes. He looked as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight! ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± One could even hear the sound of his teeth chattering. ¡°How do you know all this? What is your purpose in coming to the Iron City?¡± Facing Sun Ge, who had a huge reaction, Lin Ran looked calm on the surface, but he was overjoyed in his heart! Actually, he did not know much, and most of it came from Ye Shixiao. Lin Ran just wanted to bluff him, but he didn¡¯t expect Sun Ge to be bluffed. Although he was overjoyed, Lin Ran didn¡¯t show it on his face. He put on a mysterious look as he continued, ¡°Only a few people know about this. You weren¡¯t the one who leaked the news. Do I still need to say the rest?¡± Hearing that, Sun Ge¡¯s expression changed slightly. He subconsciously gritted his teeth and said angrily: ¡°It really is him!¡± Lin Ran smirked in his heart, but he still looked normal. ¡°Now that you know, are you still going to protect him?¡± Sun Ge was hesitating. He changed the topic and asked tentatively, ¡°If I help you¡­ what can you give me?¡± Lin Ran opened his mouth and was about to make empty promises when he accidentally saw the glint in Sun Ge¡¯s eyes. He changed his mind and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get it wrong. I¡¯m helping you now. Without me, what do you think will happen to you?¡± Sun Ge narrowed his eyes but didn¡¯t speak. Seeing this scene, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but think to himself, That was close. He really didn¡¯t expect Sun Ge to be so vigilant at a time like this. If Lin Ran made empty promises just now, Sun Ge would immediately know that he was spouting nonsense. At that time, there would be no chance of convincing him. After a short silence, Lin Ran patted Sun Ge¡¯s shoulder and said in a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯m giving you this opportunity for Ye Shixiao¡¯s sake. If you don¡¯t cherish it¡­¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but the threat was clear. Sun Ge hesitated for a moment before he finally made up his mind. He stomped his foot and said, ¡°He asked for it. I¡¯ll help you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the smart choice!¡± Lin Ran smiled in relief, but only he knew how worried he was. Based on the limited information he had, it was already difficult to bluff Sun Ge. If he continued to talk, he would definitely expose himself, not to mention that he did not know anything! ¡°Come what may, heaven won¡¯t fall!¡± Lin Ran encouraged himself silently as he pretended to be serious. ¡°There are too many people here. Since you¡¯ve already decided, let¡¯s find a convenient place to talk.¡± Sun Ge nodded and said, ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Then, he turned around and walked towards the group of men in black. Lin Ran took the opportunity to call Huo Qiyun over. Before Huo Qiyun could speak, he instructed in a low voice, ¡°Find an opportunity to slip out later. Go to the north of the city and find a father and daughter called Ye Shixiao and Ye Jin. Then, send them out of the city as quickly as possible. The further the better!¡± Chapter 315 - 315 One Cant Help Oneself in the Underworld 315 One Can¡¯t Help Oneself in the Underworld Huo Qiyun was already suspicious. When he heard such a strange request, he couldn¡¯t help but frown and ask in confusion, ¡°What did that father and daughter do? Why do you want me to send them out of the city for no reason?¡± Lin Ran glanced at Sun Ge and saw that he was almost done talking to his subordinates. Lin Ran lowered his voice and said, ¡°Get it done first. I¡¯ll explain later!¡± Huo Qiyun was about to say something when Lin Ran suddenly frowned and said unhappily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? How can you lose such an important thing? Why don¡¯t you lose yourself?¡± Huo Qiyun was stunned by the scolding. Before he could react, he heard Sun Ge ask from behind, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Nothing. He just lost something.¡± Lin Ran smiled at Sun Ge, then looked at Huo Qiyun with a straight face. ¡°Go back and look for it now. If you can¡¯t find it, don¡¯t ever come back.¡± At this moment, Huo Qiyun finally realized that Lin Ran was finding an excuse for him to leave. He replied respectfully, ¡°Yes.¡± Then, he turned around and left quickly. Seeing this, Sun Ge frowned and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°What did you lose? I can ask my brothers in the government office to help find it.¡± ¡°I appreciate your kindness, but he was the one who lost this thing. Let him find it himself.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand in all seriousness. Without waiting for Sun Ge to speak, he continued, ¡°Let¡¯s talk business first.¡± Upon hearing that they were going to talk business, Sun Ge¡¯s expression became serious. He raised his hand and said softly, ¡°Please follow me.¡± After saying that, Sun Ge walked to the front and led the way. Lin Ran looked in the direction where Huo Qiyun had left and said something silently. Then, he quickly followed. Not long after, Lin Ran was brought to a small house. This was the guardhouse that the bailiffs usually rested in. It was not big, but it was in a remote location. Moreover, it was a small independent house surrounded by trees. If anyone approached, they would make a sound. At the very least, they did not have to worry about walls having ears. As soon as Lin Ran entered, he found a chair and sat down. Before Sun Ge could speak, he said, ¡°Tell me about your situation first.¡± Sun Ge was stunned. ¡°Don¡¯t you already know?¡± ¡°I thought you were a smart person. I didn¡¯t expect you to be a fool!¡± Lin Ran pulled a long face and said arrogantly, ¡°Think about it. Why should I help you? Of course, the Ye family is one reason, but if this is the only reason, will I have to take such a huge risk?¡± ¡°Therefore, I¡¯ll give you a chance to prove yourself. As long as you tell me the truth, we can cooperate. However, if you dare to hide anything, I won¡¯t give you another chance!¡± ¡°I see!¡± Sun Ge quickly cupped his hands and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I was rude just now!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Sun Ge nodded but didn¡¯t say anything, as if he didn¡¯t know where to start. After a few minutes, he said, ¡°We have to start from 300 years ago¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Lin Ran raised his hand and interrupted him. He frowned and asked suspiciously, ¡°How old are you this year?¡± ¡°Forty-two.¡± ¡°Then why are you talking about 300 years ago?¡± Lin Ran was caught between laughter and tears. ¡°I¡¯m asking about your situation, but the history.¡± ¡°But you should know that if you want me to make it clear, I have to start with the construction of the Iron City¡­¡± Sun Ge thought for a moment and added, ¡°But you must know why the Iron City was built anyway, so I¡¯d better talk about myself.¡± Lin Ran nodded in agreement, but he suddenly felt a little regretful, because he really didn¡¯t know why the Iron City was built. Besides, he had a vague feeling that the ¡°reason¡± was probably the key to the Iron City being called a ¡°prison¡±! However, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t go back on his word. Otherwise, he would be exposed. ¡°I was born in the Iron City. I didn¡¯t notice anything strange until I was 20 years old. It wasn¡¯t until I entered the government office that I found out that the Iron City is actually a huge prison. All the citizens, including us, are prisoners in this prison!¡± ¡°Although the citizens can enter and leave at will, they have to return to the city within seven days. Otherwise, no matter what the reason is, they will be hunted down.¡± ¡°People who didn¡¯t return would die strangely outside the city. The explanation for their deaths was that they accidentally encountered an accident when they went out to search for materials to forge a saber¡­¡± At this point, Sun Ge subconsciously looked at his hand. ¡°In the past 20 years, I¡¯ve killed at least 80 to 100 people, but I still have to pretend to be sad when facing their family. Do you know how that feels?¡± Sun Ge looked at Lin Ran intently. Lin Ran could tell that there was anger, sadness, frustration¡­ and so on in his eyes. ¡°¡­I can understand how you feel.¡± Lin Ran replied guiltily. After all, he really didn¡¯t understand, but fortunately, Sun Ge didn¡¯t seem to care. After a pause, Sun Ge continued, ¡°Chen Tianqi was my childhood playmate. Back then, we entered the government office together and were assigned to the same team, so among these people, we have the best relationship¡­ Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Lin Ran, who was frowning slightly and looking puzzled, was shocked when he heard this. He quickly adjusted his expression and said vaguely, ¡°Nothing. I just remembered something else. Continue.¡± Sun Ge stared at Lin Ran suspiciously for a while, but he didn¡¯t continue asking. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°After we hunted down Ye Jin¡¯s mother, we saw Ye Jin crying her eyes out, so from then on, we decided to change everything!¡± When Lin Ran heard this, his heart skipped a beat. He knew that Ye Jin¡¯s mother had passed away when she was very young, but he didn¡¯t expect it was done by Sun Ge. No wonder Sun Ge was too ashamed to face his shifu, Ye Shixiao, even if he was just following the order. After figuring this out, Lin Ran¡¯s impression of Sun Ge changed, but this change was difficult to describe in words. Lin Ran took a deep breath and adjusted his mentality. He continued to pretend to be calm and asked, ¡°Then what did you do after that?¡± Chapter 316 - 316 Secretly Replaced the Emperor 316 Secretly Replaced the Emperor Sun Ge was immersed in his grief and indignation. After a few minutes, he came back to his senses and glanced at Lin Ran with a strange expression. He whispered in an almost inaudible voice, ¡°Then¡­ we did something big.¡± ¡°Something big?¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows with interest. ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Hearing this, Sun Ge was stunned. He looked at Lin Ran suspiciously. ¡°You don¡¯t know what we did?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself that what was going to happen had finally come, but he still forced himself not to show any fear. ¡°Of course I know. I was just asking casually¡ªthis is a courtesy.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sun Ge chuckled, crossed his arms, and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°Then tell me, what did we do?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lin Ran was speechless for a moment. Then, he pulled a long face and said angrily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Do you get to ask me? Don¡¯t you want a chance to redeem yourself?¡± Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s displeased expression, Sun Ge¡¯s face was filled with mockery. ¡°What we did is irredeemable. This chance is meaningless to me. Tell me, what did we do?¡± Lin Ran was completely speechless. He really didn¡¯t expect Sun Ge to be so stubborn. However, Lin Ran¡¯s panic only lasted for a moment. Although he didn¡¯t know anything, Sun Ge¡¯s words just now had actually provided a lot of information. Lin Ran quickly thought of a few possibilities. Then, he looked straight at Sun Ge and said firmly, ¡°You committed the crime of lying to your emperor.¡± With that, Lin Ran stared at Sun Ge and remained silent. On the surface, he seemed to be using silence to bluff Sun Ge, but in fact, he didn¡¯t know what to say. At this moment, if Sun Ge continued to ask about the details of the crime, Lin Ran would not be able to answer. At the same time, after Sun Ge heard Lin Ran¡¯s answer, there was clearly something inexplicable in his eyes. However, he did not continue to ask. Instead, he changed the topic and asked firmly, ¡°You¡¯re not from the Great Yong Dynasty, right?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t know how Sun Ge could tell, but he must have given himself away at some point. Although he couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that Sun Ge was bluffing, Lin Ran still nodded expressionlessly after weighing the pros and cons. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± As he spoke, Lin Ran secretly clenched his right hand. Once Sun Ge turned hostile or wanted to call for help, he could use his sword to restrain him immediately. However, to Lin Ran¡¯s surprise, Sun Ge didn¡¯t react when he heard that Lin Ran was from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. He only frowned and shook his head. ¡°No, you¡¯re not from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty either.¡± Lin Ran was stunned. This time, he didn¡¯t understand at all. He was the deputy general of the Northern Garrison in the Heavenly Saints Dynasty. How could he not be a member of the Heavenly Saints Dynasty¡­ Wait! Lin Ran suddenly remembered his identity as a transmigrator, and his expression instantly turned extremely ugly. Could it be that Sun Ge knew his real background? But how was that possible? Lin Ran had never told anyone about his transmigration. Even if Sun Ge was very observant, it shouldn¡¯t be possible, right? On the other side, Sun Ge saw that Lin Ran was silent for a long time and thought that Lin Ran had tacitly agreed. He chuckled and puffed out his chest. ¡°It seems that I was right. You¡¯re indeed a spy sent by another country. Where are you from? Yunqiu Dynasty? Hetian Dynasty? Wunuo Dynasty? Hualuo Dynasty? Or Dalou Dynasty?¡± Looking at the smug Sun Ge, Lin Ran suddenly felt caught between laughter and tears. He thought that Sun Ge was observant, but Sun Ge was just overthinking. ¡°Don¡¯t ask. I won¡¯t tell you even if you do.¡± Lin Ran replied perfunctorily, ¡°But I¡¯m a little curious. How did you tell?¡± ¡°Because of your attitude.¡± Sun Ge smiled slightly. ¡°When talking about the Great Yong Dynasty and the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, I can¡¯t see any pride or sense of belonging in you. Therefore, you¡¯re definitely not from these two countries!¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Lin Ran nodded thoughtfully. He had never noticed this. However, now that he thought about it, the reason why he thought that he was from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty was because it was where he arrived after transmigrating. He indeed did not have much feelings for it. Lin Ran continued, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m indeed not from these two countries, so I won¡¯t be a risk to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Sun Ge nodded noncommittally. His posture was much more relaxed than before. ¡°We secretly replaced Emperor Xuan Yuan.¡± ¡°Emperor Xuan Yuan?¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before his expression changed. ¡°You secretly replaced Xuan Wushang?!¡± ¡°Keep your voice down!¡± Sun Ge covered Lin Ran¡¯s mouth and said seriously, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking¡ªpublicizing this matter will cause a sensation in the Great Yong Dynasty. Then, your country can take advantage of the opportunity to attack the Great Yong Dynasty, right?¡± Sun Ge sneered and continued, ¡°I advise you to give up on this idea as soon as possible. Chen Tianqi looks exactly like Emperor Xuan Yuan. Even if you make this matter public, no one will believe you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Lin Ran pulled Sun Ge¡¯s hand away and frowned in confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t Chen Tianqi the person we saw on the street tonight? If he was pretending to be Xuan Wushang, then who was the person we saw tonight?¡± ¡°Him?¡± Sun Ge replied casually, ¡°He¡¯s a puppet.¡± Lin Ran came to a realization and said, ¡°Oh.¡± The entire story gradually became clear in his mind¡ª It was no wonder that as the emperor, Xuan Wushang had been wandering around outside. It turned out that he had been swapped more than ten years ago. Chen Tianqi was pretending to be Xuan Wushang. At the same time, Chen Tianqi had found someone else to pretend to be him. But if that was the case, where was the real Xuan Wushang? Also, Chen Tianqi was already the emperor, so why was Sun Ge still working in the Iron City? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to carry out their plan if he was promoted to a high position? Chapter 317 - 317 Settling Scores Later, Unbiased 317 Settling Scores Later, Unbiased A lot of questions popped up. Lin Ran thought for a moment but to no avail, so he asked directly. However, Sun Ge didn¡¯t answer this time. He just looked at Lin Ran in silence, as if he didn¡¯t want to say anything else about this matter. Lin Ran thought for a moment and asked, ¡°How about this? I won¡¯t ask about the details of your plan. You just have to tell me if the real Xuan Wushang is still alive.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sun Ge nodded without hesitation. ¡°When we change the situation here, we will naturally send the real Emperor Xuan Yuan back to the palace and let him punish us as he sees fit.¡± ¡°So the real Xuan Wushang is not in the palace at the moment.¡± Lin Ran quickly caught the main point. Sun Ge¡¯s expression instantly turned ugly, as if he didn¡¯t expect Lin Ran to be so meticulous. Sun Ge hurriedly interrupted Lin Ran¡¯s thoughts and said, ¡°Emperor Xuan Yuan is in a very secret place. Apart from Tianqi and me, no one else knows.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran raised his eyebrows and looked at Sun Ge. ¡°He¡¯s in the dungeon, right?¡± Sun Ge held his breath and looked at Lin Ran as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. He even stuttered. ¡°H-How did you know?¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t say anything, but his expression was serious. He couldn¡¯t help but think of the mysterious young man who quietly appeared and disappeared in the cell. When he first saw the mysterious young man, Lin Ran felt that he looked familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen him before. Then, Huo Qiyun was escorted into the cell, and the mysterious young man disappeared. It was not until he heard that Chen Tianqi and Xuan Wushang looked the same that Lin Ran suddenly remembered the face of the mysterious young man in the cell. He looked almost identical to the Xuan Wushang he had seen before, except that he lacked the ruthlessness in his eyes. In this way, all the dots could be connected. Chen Tianqi pretended to be Xuan Wushang to carry out the plan, while the real Xuan Wushang was imprisoned in the dungeon of the Iron City. Sun Ge remained posted in the Iron City because he had to protect the real Xuan Wushang! ¡°You guys really did something big!¡± ¡°Now that you know everything, do you have anything to say?¡± Sun Ge looked at Lin Ran coldly, his hand unconsciously pressing on the hilt of his saber. It was as if as long as Lin Ran showed any hostility, he would draw his saber and kill him without hesitation! Lin Ran noticed Sun Ge¡¯s actions, but he didn¡¯t care. After all, the difference in strength between the two of them was obvious. Even if Sun Ge attacked first, he was confident that he could stab his sword into Sun Ge¡¯s chest before him. After pondering for a moment, Lin Ran asked in confusion, ¡°When did you complete the swap?¡± ¡°Thirteen years ago.¡± Sun Ge replied without hesitation, ¡°Fifteen years ago, we were ordered to kill Ye Jin¡¯s mother. After that, we decided to do it. However, it took us another two years to wait for Emperor Xuan Yuan to visit the Iron City.¡± Lin Ran nodded with a strange expression. At the same time, he started calculating in his heart. Every injustice had its perpetrator, and every debt had its debtor. Since Xuan Wushang had been swapped so long ago, everything that happened after that should be blamed on Chen Tianqi¡ªof course, Liu Ruxi and Nanjiang Town were excluded. That scheme started decades ago, when the real Xuan Wushang was still in power. However, Chen Tianqi was the one who killed Zou Hao in the forest. Lin Ran had to make him pay. Sun Ge didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking. Seeing that he didn¡¯t speak for a long time, he immediately became vigilant. He silently held the hilt of his saber and asked coldly, ¡°What are you thinking? I¡¯m warning you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother!¡± Lin Ran sneered and casually raised his hand to pat Sun Ge¡¯s shoulder. He didn¡¯t use much strength, but he instantly suppressed Sun Ge¡¯s internal energy and made him unable to move! However, Lin Ran didn¡¯t take the opportunity to attack. He stood up and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to Xuan Wushang now. Wait for me here. I¡¯ll be back in five minutes at most.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never let you go!¡± Sun Ge shouted in a deep voice. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t give in obediently, but strangely, after Lin Ran patted his shoulder, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t move his body, as if he was tied to a chair. Seeing this, Lin Ran only chuckled and went out to the dungeon. At this moment, the fire in the dungeon had been completely extinguished. The people who had rushed over to put out the fire had also retreated. Everything looked no different from usual. Only the water stains on the ground seemed to remind people that something just happened. Lin Ran strolled to the door of the dungeon and activated his internal energy to his fingertips. He ran his fingertips across the patterns carved on the door. A moment later, there was a soft buzzing sound from somewhere, and then two thick metal doors slowly opened in front of Lin Ran. Clang¡ª Lin Ran summoned the Yin Yang Sword and held it in his hand. Without hesitation, he walked into the darkness, and the two heavy metal doors slowly closed behind him. Lin Ran quickly walked through the aisle between the cells. Even with his eyesight, he could only barely see a few steps in front of him. However, he did not hesitate at all. He followed the route in his memory and quickly arrived near the cell where he had been locked up previously. Standing in front of the cell that had been cut open, Lin Ran placed the Yin Yang Sword behind his back and said loudly to the darkness, ¡°I know what happened. Come out and meet me!¡± The loud voice echoed in the empty cell, but even when the echo completely dissipated, the surroundings were still silent. Lin Ran sighed softly and turned his wrist to point the Yin Yang Sword to the ground. ¡°I just want to talk to you. If you don¡¯t show yourself, don¡¯t blame me for being rude!¡± The echo sounded again. Lin Ran listened to the movements around him as he counted silently in his heart. Just as he counted to six, footsteps suddenly came from the right. The sound was so soft that it was almost inaudible, but Lin Ran still caught it. Lin Ran cupped his fists and turned in that direction. He said in a clear voice, neither servile nor overbearing, ¡°I¡¯m Lin Ran, the deputy general of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡¯s Northern Garrison. Greetings, Your Majesty Emperor Xuan Yuan of the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a refined-looking young man strolled out of the darkness. It was the cellmate Lin Ran had seen before, the true emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty¡ªXuan Wushang. Chapter 318 - 318 A Stranger Late at Night 318 A Stranger Late at Night This was not the first time Lin Ran had seen him, but it was the first time he had met him after knowing his true identity. He couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes and size him up carefully. To be honest, Xuan Wushang¡¯s appearance was very delicate and pretty, even more so than Emperor Sheng Yuan who was dressed as a man. Moreover, without the maliciousness and ruthlessness in Chen Tianqi¡¯s eyes, his refined temperament was completely displayed. In short, after Lin Ran carefully sized up Xuan Wushang, he felt that Xuan Wushang did not look like an emperor who was above the world. Instead, he looked like a female teacher in a private school in the countryside. As soon as this thought appeared, Lin Ran¡¯s expression turned strange. Seeing this, Xuan Wushang smiled and looked at Lin Ran with interest. He asked softly, ¡°Do you think I look like a girl?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sound like one when you talk,¡± Lin Ran said with a forced smile. Although Xuan Wushang looked feminine, his voice was deep and resounding, instantly making him masculine. Xuan Wushang smiled and did not mind. After pausing for a moment, he continued to ask, ¡°What do you want to talk to me about? Is it about the Great Yong Dynasty and the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± Lin Ran sneered and looked at Xuan Wushang in amusement. ¡°You¡¯re just a prisoner now. What¡¯s the use of talking to you about those important matters?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Xuan Wushang laughed self-deprecatingly. After thinking for a moment, he asked again, ¡°Then you¡¯re here to ask me why I was captured? You should already know about why, right?¡± Lin Ran nodded in affirmation. Then, he changed the topic and asked, ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point¡ªdo you know Fluttering Cloud?¡± ¡°Fluttering Cloud, the famous saber ranked first in the Famed Saber Manual?¡± Xuan Wushang asked with a faint smile. Seeing Lin Ran nod seriously, he finally couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s the royal treasure of the Great Yong Dynasty. I¡¯m the current emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty. Do you think I know or not?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you know.¡± Lin Ran nodded again. He didn¡¯t care about Xuan Wushang¡¯s mockery. He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I want to know Fluttering Cloud¡¯s weakness.¡± The smile on Xuan Wushang¡¯s face froze, and his eyes clearly became vigilant. ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°The man who impersonated you killed my friend. I¡¯m going after him for revenge.¡± Lin Ran answered honestly without hesitation, ¡°But that Fluttering Cloud is very difficult to deal with. I can¡¯t think of a good way. Since it¡¯s a treasure passed down in your family, I think you know how to deal with it.¡± ¡°I do know.¡± Xuan Wushang nodded slightly, and a subtle expression appeared on his face. ¡°But why should I tell you? You¡¯re from the Heavenly Saint. If I tell you Fluttering Cloud¡¯s weakness, how am I supposed to protect myself if you attack me in the future?¡± ¡°But if you don¡¯t say it, do you think you¡¯ll have a ¡®future¡¯?¡± Lin Ran replied calmly. The Yin-Yang Sword in his hand turned slightly, and the smooth blade reflected the moonlight, revealing a snow-white arc at Xuan Wushang¡¯s throat. A faint killing intent spread in the air. Xuan Wushang looked down at the Yin Yang Sword in Lin Ran¡¯s hand and suddenly smiled. ¡°You can try.¡± ¡­ In the Ye family¡¯s house in the north of the Iron City. Ye Jin hugged her knees and sat on the steps at the entrance. From time to time, she would look up in the direction of the street entrance, her big eyes filled with worry. Suddenly, footsteps came from behind and a loose robe draped over Ye Jin¡¯s body. ¡°Jin, go back to your room first. I¡¯ll wait here.¡± ¡°Father.¡± Ye Jin called out, but her eyes were still looking in the direction of the street entrance. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Your injuries haven¡¯t healed yet. You should go back and rest early.¡± Looking at Ye Jin¡¯s worried face, Ye Shixiao sighed softly. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly saw a figure rushing over from the corner of his eye. At the same time, Ye Jin also saw the figure. Her face lit up as she stood up. Before she could open her mouth and say anything, she sat back down awkwardly. It turned out that the figure was not Lin Ran, but a young man she had never seen before. Then Ye Jin realized that the person was actually walking straight towards her. ¡°Miss, sorry to disturb you.¡± As that person spoke, he approached and stopped ten steps away. ¡°I was asked by someone to come here to find a family with the surname Ye. However, I¡¯m not familiar with this place. Please guide me.¡± ¡°The Ye family?¡± Ye Jin frowned slightly and turned to look at Ye Shixiao, who was hiding behind the door. She then looked at that person and asked suspiciously, ¡°Why are you looking for the Ye family?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me to tell you about it.¡± That person smiled awkwardly, his attitude still very respectful. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not a bad person. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s late at night and I really can¡¯t find anyone to ask for directions. If I¡¯ve been rude, please forgive me.¡± Seeing that this person was respectful and polite, the vigilance in Ye Jin¡¯s heart relaxed slightly. She turned around and wanted to ask Ye Shixiao what to do, but she saw his father shaking his head slightly at her. Then, Ye Jin pointed to an empty house not far away. ¡°That is the Ye family, but no one has lived there for a long time.¡± ¡°No one¡¯s lived here for a long time?¡± The person frowned and looked suspicious, but he still thanked her and hurried in that direction. Ye Jin took the opportunity to get up and enter the house. After closing the door, she looked at Ye Shixiao. ¡°Father, why don¡¯t you want me to tell the truth just now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ye Shixiao shook his head slightly and said softly with a serious expression, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that person in the city. Moreover, it¡¯s curfew time now, but he¡¯s running around on the streets. Moreover, this timing is too coincidental.¡± Ye Jin nodded as if she understood. ¡°Then what should we do now?¡± ¡°You go upstairs first.¡± Ye Shixiao locked the door and said softly, ¡°Unless I go up to look for you, don¡¯t come down no matter what you hear.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ye Jin was about to say something when the sound of light footsteps came from outside the door. She was so frightened that her expression changed and she quickly kept quiet. She grabbed Ye Shixiao¡¯s hand tightly and did not dare to make a sound. The footsteps stopped outside the door, followed by a light knock. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m really sorry to disturb you so late at night. Please show yourself.¡± The person¡¯s voice came from outside the door. Ye Jin and Ye Shixiao subconsciously looked at each other and saw the same seriousness in each other¡¯s eyes. Fortunately, Ye Jin was quick on the uptake. She hesitated for a moment before replying, ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for me to see a stranger so late at night. You should ask someone else!¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯m sorry for being rude.¡± The person outside the door hurriedly apologized, but he did not bid farewell and leave. ¡°I just want to ask for directions. Since you can see me, please let that elder come out.¡± ¡°Elder?¡± Ye Jin looked at Ye Shixiao, who was beside her. There was no doubt that the ¡°elder¡± that the other party was referring to was her father. However, her father had never shown his face from the beginning to the end. How could the person outside the door know that he was here? Before Ye Jin could figure it out, Ye Shixiao had already picked up the hammer from the forging table. He held the handle of the hammer with both hands and gestured for Ye Jin to open the door. His expression had unknowingly become ruthless. Chapter 319 - 319 Late Night Invitation, Getting There First 319 Late Night Invitation, Getting There First Ye Jin tensed up when she saw Ye Shixiao¡¯s vicious expression. She kept her footsteps quiet and walked to the door. She reached out and gently placed her hand on the door latch. Then, she turned around and gave her father an inquiring look. Ye Shixiao tightened his grip on the hammer in his hand and nodded imperceptibly. Ye Jin, who had received the signal, immediately lifted the latch and opened the door. Almost at the same time, Ye Shixiao strode forward and swung the hammer in his hand at the figure outside the door! Clang¡ª With the crisp sound of metal colliding, sparks flew in all directions. The hammer in Ye Shixiao¡¯s hand was also sent flying by a huge force. He took three steps back and only stopped when his back hit the forging table heavily. On the other hand, the young man outside the door only swayed slightly before regaining his foothold. He held a saber as long as his forearm with one hand. ¡°Killing without saying a word. Is this how the Ye family treats their guests?¡± The young man slowly put down the saber and asked coldly. His cold gaze swept across Ye Jin and his daughter, making the two of them shudder. Ye Shixiao immediately stepped forward to protect Ye Jin. He frowned and glared at the other party. ¡°It¡¯s curfew time in the city now, and you came to my house with a saber. What are your intentions?!¡± Faced with Ye Shixiao¡¯s question, the young man did not panic at all. He put the saber back into its sheath and took out a jade token from his waist. ¡°I¡¯m Chen Tianqi, a centurion in the army. I¡¯ve been entrusted by Lin Ran to invite Ye Shixiao and Ye Jin to the government office for a chat.¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi?¡± Ye Shixiao frowned slightly when he heard this name. He vaguely remembered that there was once a person called Chen Tianqi in the city, and he was a good friend of his disciple, Sun Ge. Then, he narrowed his eyes and sized up the young man carefully. Only then did he realize that the young man¡¯s appearance was indeed familiar. Then, Ye Shixiao sized up the jade token again. After confirming that it was the military token, his originally vigilant expression relaxed. ¡°I remember you used to be from Iron City, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ye Shixiao sized up the other party and probed, ¡°I remember that you¡¯re Sun Ge¡¯s best friend. You came to visit my house many years ago¡­ Why don¡¯t you know where I live?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been away for many years and don¡¯t remember the city very well.¡± Chen Tianqi replied flawlessly. As he spoke, he hung the jade pendant back at his waist and turned around to make an inviting gesture. ¡°Since Elder Ye still remembers me, let¡¯s set off quickly so that Lin Ran won¡¯t have to wait.¡± Ye Shixiao nodded but did not move. Since the other party knew Lin Ran, there should be no problem. However, for some reason, Ye Shixiao felt that something was amiss. After hesitating for a moment, Ye Shixiao turned to look at Ye Jin behind him. ¡°Jin, it¡¯s getting late. Go upstairs and rest first. I¡¯ll follow him to the government office to take a look.¡± When she heard that her father was going to attend the appointment alone, Ye Jin looked worried and was about to speak when Chen Tianqi, who was outside the door, beat her to it and said, ¡°Elder Ye, I¡¯ve already made it very clear just now that I¡¯m inviting you and your daughter.¡± Ye Shixiao¡¯s eyes narrowed when he heard that, but he returned to normal in an instant. ¡°It¡¯s cold at night. My daughter is weak, so it¡¯s not convenient for her to go out. Moreover, my daughter stays at home all day and doesn¡¯t know much. What¡¯s the big deal if she doesn¡¯t go?¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just following orders.¡± Chen Tianqi replied expressionlessly in a deep voice. His tone sounded neither servile nor overbearing, but his hand was already on the hilt of the saber at his waist. Seeing Chen Tianqi¡¯s action, the ominous feeling in Ye Shixiao¡¯s heart intensified. However, the difference in strength between the two of them was obvious. Even if he wanted to resist, it would probably be in vain in the end. After a long period of silence, Ye Shixiao lowered his shoulders as if he was dejected. He said in an almost imperceptible voice, ¡°I¡¯m going to put on some clothes. Wait a moment.¡± Chen Tianqi had no intention of rejecting. Ye Shixiao pulled Ye Jin upstairs. Not long after, they came down neatly dressed and walked slowly in the direction of the government office with Chen Tianqi. 15 minutes later. Huo Qiyun slowly walked over from the other end of the street. As he walked, he looked around at the houses on the street and cursed Lin Ran for being unreliable. Lin Ran asked him to come to the north of the city to find a family with the surname Ye, but there were dozens of families in the north of the city. There was not even a ghost on the streets at night. How was he supposed to find that Ye family? Just as Huo Qiyun was cursing, a dim light suddenly caught his attention. He followed the light and found that it was coming from the door of a house. There were charcoal fires burning in the furnaces, but there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone in the house. ¡°Is anyone home?¡± Huo Qiyun shouted from outside the door, but the room was still silent. After trying a few more times to no avail, although he was extremely puzzled, he could only leave silently. ¡°How unlucky. It wasn¡¯t easy to find a house that was open, but no one was there. Could it be that I can only disturb those who are already sleeping?¡± Huo Qiyun muttered as he quietly sneaked around. His eyes swept across the metal houses by the street, trying to find another family that was still awake. No matter how thick-skinned he was, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to disturb people¡¯s sleep in the middle of the night. ¡­ In the dungeon of the Iron City. Lin Ran and Xuan Wushang stood opposite each other. The blade of the Yin Yang Sword trembled slightly, causing a clanging sound. A faint murderous aura spread out. Their gazes met in the air, emitting invisible sparks. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you attacking yet?¡± Xuan Wushang asked softly with a faint smile, his indifferent tone faintly revealing a bit of disdain, ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re afraid of attacking?¡± ¡°What a joke! Why would I be afraid of you?¡± Lin Ran sneered and glanced at Xuan Wushang¡¯s empty hands, but the vigilance in his eyes did not decrease at all. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering why you¡¯re not afraid.¡± Xuan Wushang smiled when he heard that. ¡°Everyone dies eventually. Why should I be afraid?¡± Lin Ran looked at Xuan Wushang speechlessly. Although Xuan Wushang was right, in this current situation, Lin Ran felt like he was being made fun of. A trace of anger ignited in his heart, but Lin Ran still did not attack rashly. Through the confrontation just now, Lin Ran had basically figured out Xuan Wushang¡¯s strength. If they really fought, Lin Ran was confident that he could kill the other party in a second, and Xuan Wushang must have realized this. In this way, Xuan Wushang¡¯s frankness seemed to be especially suspicious. Could it be that he really didn¡¯t have anything in this world to live for so that death didn¡¯t matter to him? Chapter 320 - 320 Appearing and Disappearing Mysteriously 320 Appearing and Disappearing Mysteriously He had been swapped and had lived in a dark dungeon for more than ten years. Now, he was calmly accepting death. Such a reaction could no longer be described as ¡°abnormal.¡± The more Lin Ran thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong. Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and sized up Xuan Wushang. He probed in an emotionless tone, ¡°What exactly are you plotting?¡± ¡°Plotting?¡± Xuan Wushang smiled indifferently and waved his hand to show off his ragged clothes. ¡°I¡¯m already like this. What can I plot?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± Without thinking, Lin Ran said firmly, ¡°If you really have nothing to live for, why did you persist here for so long? Besides, you¡¯re the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty. Even without Cloud Fluttering, this cell won¡¯t be able to confine you, right?¡± Xuan Wushang did not speak, but he frowned slightly, as if he was puzzled by Lin Ran¡¯s words. Seeing that Xuan Wushang was determined to play dumb, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to pretend anymore. He went straight to the point. ¡°You¡¯ve been trapped here for 13 years. If you wanted to die, you could have died long ago. You can choose to hit the wall or go on a hunger strike.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t choose to commit suicide. Instead, you chose to be a prisoner here for 13 years. Now, you¡¯re facing death calmly. It¡¯s a very strange behavior.¡± Xuan Wushang looked at Lin Ran with a faint smile and didn¡¯t say anything, as if waiting for him to continue. Lin Ran took a deep breath and continued, ¡°Also, as the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty, you should be a martial artist yourself, right? Although the array formation at the entrance of this dungeon is complicated, the surrounding walls don¡¯t have any special protection. Even without Fluttering Cloud, with your ability, you should be able to escape.¡± ¡°All of this together, I can only think of one explanation¡ª¡± At this point, a white light flashed in Lin Ran¡¯s hand, and the Yin Yang Sword was put back into the Divine Sword Scroll. ¡°You are staying here voluntarily.¡± Xuan Wushang suddenly chuckled and clapped, his eyes filled with admiration. ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything yet, but you can analyze so many things from minor details. As expected of a person trusted by the Heavenly Saint Emperor.¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran¡¯s eyes widened. He clearly remembered that he had never mentioned his relationship with Emperor Sheng Yuan. He had only said that he was the deputy general of the Northern Garrison. How could Xuan Wushang know that he was trusted by Emperor Sheng Yuan? Seeing Lin Ran¡¯s reaction, the smile on Xuan Wushang¡¯s face deepened. He waved his hand and said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised. You¡¯re right. I did stay here voluntarily, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on outside.¡± With that, Xuan Wushang slowly raised his left hand. A wisp of milk-white mist flowed out from his sleeve and spiraled up his arm, finally forming a pearl-like ball on his fingertip. ¡°This is¡ª¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and asked softly in disbelief, ¡°Fluttering Cloud?¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± Xuan Wushang nodded and then shook his head. His eyes locked onto the ball that was spinning slowly on his fingertip, and a faint look of intoxication appeared in his eyes. ¡°This is a part of Fluttering Cloud. As long as it¡¯s still in my hands, I can experience everything Chen Tianqi has experienced.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the ball suddenly spread out. Ethereal mist poured down along Xuan Wushang¡¯s slender palm and formed something that looked like a glove again. ¡°In addition, it¡¯s also my self-defense weapon.¡± As Xuan Wushang spoke, he raised his left hand and gently waved it. A few metal bars that were as thick as a wrist beside him quietly broke. Throughout the entire process, Lin Ran did not even sense a trace of internal energy fluctuation. This meant that this was either Fluttering Cloud¡¯s magical ability or Xuan Wushang¡¯s cultivation was very profound, so much so that he could already use extremely light internal energy to cut the metal bars. However, no matter what the reason was, Fluttering Cloud¡¯s appearance made Xuan Wushang more dangerous. The reason why he could remain calm in the face of Lin Ran¡¯s threat was probably because he had Fluttering Cloud! Thinking of this, Lin Ran was secretly vigilant, but he still looked calm. ¡°So Chen Tianqi and Sun Ge¡¯s plan has always been under your control?¡± Xuan Wushang smiled in agreement. Lin Ran¡¯s eyes narrowed as he continued to ask, ¡°But your plan actually has nothing to do with them.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Xuan Wushang raised his eyebrows and looked at Lin Ran with interest. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Because of Fluttering Cloud.¡± Lin Ran locked his gaze on Xuan Wushang¡¯s hand. ¡°Chen Tianqi and Sun Ge aren¡¯t your match. If you hadn¡¯t done it on purpose, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to snatch Fluttering Cloud from you with their abilities.¡± ¡°You learned Chen Tianqi¡¯s plan through a part of Fluttering Cloud. In other words, when they took action to swap you thirteen years ago, you didn¡¯t know what they were up to, but you still handed over Fluttering Cloud to them¡­¡± At this point, Lin Ran rolled his eyes and locked his gaze on Xuan Wushang¡¯s face. ¡°You don¡¯t care about their plan at all. You just need a chance to disappear without alerting anyone.¡± Looking at Lin Ran¡¯s bright eyes, the smile on Xuan Wushang¡¯s face slowly disappeared. He rubbed his white fingertips gently, as if he was hesitating or suppressing something. A moment later, Xuan Wushang suddenly turned to look at the window at the side. Lin Ran found it strange and subconsciously turned around to look. He realized that it was already late at night. Through the narrow window, he could see a crescent moon hanging among the stars, as if a ferocious mouth had opened in the night. ¡°It¡¯s time. I have something to do first.¡± Xuan Wushang suddenly spoke. Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed as he thought of something. When he turned his gaze back, Xuan Wushang was nowhere to be seen. ¡°I¡¯ve had a good chat with you. I look forward to meeting you next time¡ªif there¡¯s still a next time.¡± Xuan Wushang¡¯s voice sounded in the darkness. Lin Ran immediately rushed in the direction of the voice, but even when he reached the end of the dungeon, he still couldn¡¯t find any traces of the other party. There was no time to think. A white light flashed in Lin Ran¡¯s palm, and the black and white Yin-Yang Sword appeared out of thin air. Then, thousands of fire sword energy surged out, instantly illuminating the entire dungeon! As far as the eye could see, countless bars formed a pitch-black net. Apart from Lin Ran, there was no one else in the huge dungeon. ¡°Damn it!¡± Lin Ran stomped his foot heavily. Xuan Wushang looked out of the window just to distract him! After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, Lin Ran noticed another strange phenomenon. This dungeon was completely intact. Even those windows were only a foot square. How did Xuan Wushang leave in an instant? Could it be that there was a secret passage here that he had yet to discover? Chapter 321 - 321 The Difference Between Their Strength 321 The Difference Between Their Strength Just as the thought of a secret passage arose, Lin Ran released his divine sense to investigate the surroundings. However, before he could find the secret passage, he found an acquaintance wandering outside. ¡°Huo Qiyun?¡± Lin Ran recognized the fluctuation of that person¡¯s internal energy and couldn¡¯t help but look puzzled. He asked Huo Qiyun to escort Ye Jin and his daughter out of the city, but why did he come back alone? As he thought to himself, Lin Ran arrived at the door of the dungeon in a flash. He waved his hand and undid the array formation on the door. He asked in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to leave quickly? Why are you back?¡± At this moment, Huo Qiyun was thinking about where to find Lin Ran when he suddenly heard someone speak. However, Huo Qiyun quickly recognized the voice. Then, his eyes rolled back as he said angrily, ¡°You have the cheek to say that? You only told me to go to the north of the city. Do you know how many people live there? They¡¯re all sleeping. Where am I supposed to find the Ye family?¡± ¡°Sleeping? That shouldn¡¯t be the case.¡± Lin Ran walked out of the dungeon with a puzzled expression. ¡°I was just arrested not long ago. Even if the neighbors are sleeping, they should still be at home waiting for me to return.¡± Hearing the word ¡°waiting¡±, Huo Qiyun suddenly thought of something and slapped his forehead. ¡°Oh, right. I did find a house in the north of the city that was open. I went in to take a look, but there was no one inside.¡± ¡°No one?¡± Lin Ran was even more puzzled. ¡°Where is the house located?¡± Huo Qiyun described the approximate location. Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately changed because that location sounded like the Ye family, but how could there be no one inside? After thinking for a while to no avail, Lin Ran could only put this matter to the back of his mind for the time being. He waved his hand and said helplessly, ¡°Come with me first. We¡¯ll go to the Ye family together.¡± Huo Qiyun agreed. Then, the two of them walked towards the guard room. When he pushed open the door and entered the house, Sun Ge was still sitting on the chair without moving. Seeing Lin Ran return, Sun Ge¡¯s expression clearly became excited. He gritted his teeth and seemed to be struggling with all his might, but he still couldn¡¯t move. Seeing this, Huo Qiyun frowned in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? Wasn¡¯t he fine a while ago?¡± ¡°He¡¯s fine. I was afraid that he would cause trouble, so I used some tricks.¡± As Lin Ran spoke, he walked forward and patted Sun Ge¡¯s shoulder. Almost at the same time, Sun Ge suddenly jumped up as if he had a spring installed in him. He glared at Lin Ran and shouted in a low voice, ¡°Where did you go just now! I¡¯m warning you, if you dare to do anything to His Majesty, I¡¯ll make you pay the price!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he is very unharmed!¡± Lin Ran pushed Sun Ge away and took off his token. ¡°I have something to do outside the city. I need to borrow your token. Remember to go to the city gate to get it later.¡± With that, Lin Ran turned around and left. Of course, Sun Ge wouldn¡¯t let him leave so easily. He drew his saber from the sheath and stabbed Lin Ran in the back! Sun Ge¡¯s movements were extremely fast and without warning. However, Huo Qiyun was not to be trifled with. He frowned and waved his sword. Without even drawing his sword, he knocked the saber out of Sun Ge¡¯s hand with the scabbard. There was a loud clang behind Lin Ran. He turned around and saw Huo Qiyun with a calm expression and Sun Ge covering his right hand in shock. His hand was injured, and blood was seeping out from between his fingers. Seeing this, Lin Ran immediately understood what was going on. Then, he rolled his eyes at Huo Qiyun and complained, ¡°Why did you use so much strength? Don¡¯t you know that your cultivation has improved? Do you think you¡¯re still at the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm?¡± Sun Ge¡¯s expression changed slightly when he heard this. Although he didn¡¯t know Huo Qiyun¡¯s exact realm, it wasn¡¯t difficult to tell from Lin Ran¡¯s words that he was definitely above the ninth level of the Senior Martial Master Realm. However, Huo Qiyun looked so young. How could he have such a terrifying cultivation? Were Heavenly Saint martial artists all such monsters? Seeing Sun Ge¡¯s shocked expression, Huo Qiyun didn¡¯t care at all. He rolled his eyes at Lin Ran and said angrily, ¡°I was saving you just now. Is this how you thank your savior?¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips in disdain. ¡°Why are you talking like he can hit me if you don¡¯t attack!¡± Huo Qiyun crossed his arms and said, ¡°Anyway, I saved you once.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Seeing that Lin Ran was speechless, Huo Qiyun couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. It was obvious that neither of them took it seriously. When Sun Ge heard the chuckle, his already shocked expression turned even uglier. He had gathered everything he had learned in his strike. However, none of them took it seriously. A strong sense of defeat welled up in his heart. Sun Ge looked down at the saber that had been sent flying. Just as he was about to take advantage of the moment when the two of them were distracted to attack again, his vision suddenly blurred. When he saw it clearly again, the saber was nowhere to be seen. ¡°It¡¯s very important to know your place in life.¡± Sun Ge subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice and realized that the saber that was a dozen steps away was already in Lin Ran¡¯s hand. ¡°What speed!¡± Sun Ge couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. Although he already knew that Lin Ran¡¯s cultivation level was far higher than his, he finally saw the difference in strength between the two of them with his own eyes. Thinking of this, Sun Ge felt as if someone had poured a basin of ice water over his head. The burning anger in his heart was instantly extinguished. ¡°Just kill me.¡± Sun Ge looked at Lin Ran and said calmly. There was endless despair in his eyes. After all, in the face of such a difference in strength, no matter how strong his will was, he would only be at the mercy of Lin Ran. However, to Sun Ge¡¯s surprise, after hearing that he was asking for death, Lin Ran actually smiled strangely. ¡°Why should I kill you? I have something very important to entrust to you!¡± Chapter 322 - 322 The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend 322 The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend Hearing that Lin Ran had something important to entrust to him, Sun Ge couldn¡¯t help but frown. At the side, Huo Qiyun also looked puzzled. He looked at Lin Ran and asked in confusion, ¡°Are you crazy? He wanted to kill you just now, but you wanted to entrust something to him? What makes you think he¡¯ll listen to you?¡± ¡°Of course he¡¯ll listen to me.¡± Lin Ran said confidently, but his eyes were filled with malice. ¡°Because this also has something to do with his own plan.¡± ¡°His plan?¡± Huo Qiyun looked at Sun Ge in confusion, frowned, and asked coldly, ¡°Hey! What¡¯s your plan?¡± Sun Ge ignored Huo Qiyun and frowned at Lin Ran. ¡°What exactly do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the mastermind?¡± As if afraid that Sun Ge wouldn¡¯t understand, Lin Ran paused for a moment and added, ¡°I¡¯m talking about your and Chen Tianqi¡¯s plan. Do you think you¡¯re the mastermind?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Sun Ge nodded without hesitation. After all, he and Chen Tianqi had come up with the plan and carried it out together until now. If they weren¡¯t the mastermind, who was? However, to Sun Ge¡¯s surprise, Lin Ran laughed when he heard his answer. His laughter was filled with mockery. Sun Ge was furious, but he was still puzzled. His intuition told him that Lin Ran must know something he didn¡¯t. Thinking of this, Sun Ge took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart. He patiently asked, ¡°Do you know something?¡± Lin Ran smiled mysteriously but didn¡¯t answer Sun Ge¡¯s question. He changed the topic and asked, ¡°Can you find Chen Tianqi?¡± ¡°Now?¡± Sun Ge asked. Seeing Lin Ran nod, he immediately looked troubled. ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult, but we¡¯ve already agreed to meet tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Tomorrow morning¡­¡± Lin Ran nodded thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s a little late, but it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem.¡± Sun Ge couldn¡¯t help but look curious when he heard this. Huo Qiyun asked directly, ¡°What are you muttering about? Can¡¯t you just say it?¡± ¡°Tsk! You talk as if you can understand me if I tell you!¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes at Huo Qiyun and looked at Sun Ge seriously. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe me or not. In any case, you and Chen Tianqi were played by Xuan Wushang. You think you¡¯re the mastermind, but you¡¯re just pawns in his hands.¡± Hearing the words ¡°Xuan Wushang¡±, Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression changed slightly. He was about to speak when Lin Ran stopped him with a look. On the other hand, Sun Ge¡¯s expression also changed. His first reaction was disbelief. ¡°We¡¯ve imprisoned him for 13 years. Apart from Elder Ge, who delivers food every day, he can¡¯t come into contact with anyone from the outside world. Are you trying to say that Elder Ge is actually his man?¡± Before Lin Ran could speak, Sun Ge sneered and continued, ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to say, I advise you to save it. Elder Ge is the last person in the world who will betray us!¡± Lin Ran took a deep breath and held back his laughter. He looked at Sun Ge and said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you trust Elder Ge so much, but this matter indeed has nothing to do with him.¡± ¡°Back then, when you took Fluttering Cloud away from Xuan Wushang, it was all part of his plan. Back then, he left a corner of Fluttering Cloud. Through that corner, he could hear everything Chen Tianqi heard. Your plan was already under his control.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Ge immediately looked suspicious. However, before he could question, Lin Ran said, ¡°In short, this is the situation. Your plan has nothing to do with me. I¡¯ve already told you everything I know. Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you.¡± Sun Ge looked at the calm Lin Ran and didn¡¯t know what to say. Although he didn¡¯t want to admit it, it was true that his plan had nothing to do with Lin Ran. Now that Sun Ge already knew that Lin Ran was not from the Great Yong Dynasty, it meant that what happened here was none of his business. The information Lin Ran provided under this premise seemed to be quite convincing. ¡°Why?¡± After a short silence, Sun Ge looked at Lin Ran and asked seriously, ¡°Since what happened here has nothing to do with you, why did you help us?¡± ¡°To cause trouble for Xuan Wushang.¡± Lin Ran smiled evilly and replied honestly, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Xuan Wushang¡¯s motive is, but your plan has clearly become a part of his plan. Since he wants to take advantage of you, I naturally can¡¯t let him have his way.¡± After a pause, Lin Ran continued, ¡°By the way, I know you don¡¯t believe me, but this problem is easy to solve. After you see Chen Tianqi tomorrow morning, you just have to test him a little to know if I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± Sun Ge¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°How to test him?¡± ¡°Think about it yourself.¡± Lin Ran shrugged. ¡°But¡­¡± Sun Ge wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn¡¯t. Seeing that Sun Ge was silent, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath on him. He raised the waist token in his hand and reminded him, ¡°Remember to go to the city gate to get it tomorrow!¡± With that, Lin Ran turned around and left. Seeing this, Huo Qiyun hurriedly followed. As soon as he left, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What did you say just now? Why didn¡¯t I understand a word you said? Xuan Wushang was locked up for 13 years? Why haven¡¯t I heard of this before?¡± ¡°There are many things you haven¡¯t heard of!¡± Lin Ran chuckled and waved his hand to urge him to hurry up. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this first. We¡¯ll go to the Ye family immediately. I¡¯ll explain it to you after we leave the city.¡± Huo Qiyun knew that Lin Ran had his plan, so he didn¡¯t ask further. Then, the two of them left the government office and went to the north of the city. When Lin Ran stopped in front of the house with the door open, Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression became strange. ¡°Is this the Ye family you mentioned?¡± Huo Qiyun probed with a strange expression, ¡°The house I told you about is this one, but there was no one inside when I entered.¡± ¡°No one?¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows. As he spoke, he released his divine sense to scan the rooms. After realizing that there was really no one around, he immediately had an ominous feeling. Chapter 323 - 323 Absolute Strength 323 Absolute Strength Near the east gate of the Iron City. Ye Shixiao held Ye Jin¡¯s hand with one hand and reached into his pocket with the other. He seemed to be holding something. ¡°Centurion Chen, aren¡¯t you taking us to the government office? This should be the way out of the city, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s the way out of the city.¡± Chen Tianqi walked in front and said without looking back, ¡°I just received news that Lin Ran has something to do and left the city, so I brought you to meet him outside the city.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The vigilance in Ye Shixiao¡¯s eyes intensified. ¡°When did you receive the news? Why didn¡¯t I know?¡± ¡°Through a communication method used by the army. Ordinary people naturally don¡¯t know about it.¡± Chen Tianqi¡¯s answer was flawless, but to the abnormally sensitive Ye Shixiao, this reason clearly did not convince him. Seeing that they were getting closer and closer to the city gate, Ye Shixiao remained calm on the surface, but his palm that was holding Ye Jin¡¯s was already sweating. Ye Jin couldn¡¯t help but look at her father worriedly. She wanted to ask, but Ye Shixiao stopped her with a look. Ye Shixiao did not explain and only gave Ye Jin a ¡°be careful¡± look. Then, he let go and pointed at the dark alley at the side. He did not care if Ye Jin understood or not and immediately rushed towards the city gate! ¡°Murder! Someone, come quickly!¡± Ye Shixiao shouted with all his might as he ran. His voice was especially loud in the quiet night. Almost instantly, more than ten men in black rushed out! At the same time, Ye Jin understood what her father meant. Without hesitation, she turned around and ran towards the dark alley. Although she was also worried about her father¡¯s safety, with the dozen or so men in black around, Chen Tianqi probably wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything. Just as this thought appeared in her mind, Ye Jin suddenly heard the sound of a sharp blade being unsheathed. Then, a strong gust of wind came from behind her. She didn¡¯t even know what was going on when she felt something tighten around her neck. Then, a saber was pressed against her neck. Feeling the coldness on the blade, Ye Jin couldn¡¯t help but shiver. When she came back to her senses, she saw her father standing rooted to the ground in shock. The dozen or so men in black whom she placed her hopes on were already lying in a pool of blood! ¡°Sigh¡­ Why are you playing little tricks?¡± Only then did Ye Jin realize that she was being held in Chen Tianqi¡¯s arms. When she saw the blood flowing freely not far away, she came back to her senses and was immediately filled with fear. ¡°Father! Save me!¡± Ye Jin screamed uncontrollably. Ye Shixiao shuddered and woke up from his daze. When he turned around and saw that Ye Jin had been caught, Ye Shixiao¡¯s expression instantly darkened. He pulled out a dull saber from his pocket with his right hand. ¡°Let her go!¡± ¡°No.¡± Chen Tianqi replied calmly with a hint of helplessness in his tone, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault that things turned out like this. If you had followed me out of the city obediently, why would I have to do these things?¡± As he spoke, Chen Tianqi¡¯s gaze passed Ye Shixiao and landed on the corpses of the men in black. ¡°These 13 lives are also on you. Is there a problem?¡± Ye Shixiao stared at him. ¡°You¡¯re not sent by Lin Ran. Who are you?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m indeed not sent by Lin Ran. As for my true identity¡­¡± At this point, Chen Tianqi paused for a moment and smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m just a nobody. After so many years, I have even forgotten who I am.¡± ¡°You forgot who you are?¡± When Ye Shixiao heard this, he frowned slightly, not understanding what the other party meant. However, Ye Jin¡¯s life was in the other party¡¯s hands now, so he was not in the mood to dwell on it. ¡°I don¡¯t have to ask who you are, but please let go of my daughter.¡± Ye Shixiao persuaded again, his tone clearly much gentler than before. ¡°As long as you let go of my daughter, I can agree to anything you want!¡± ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t want anything. I just want to bring you out of the city.¡± Chen Tianqi replied helplessly. Then, he let go of Ye Jin without hesitation and took a few steps back, as if he wanted to use this opportunity to prove that he really meant no harm. Ye Jin, who had regained her freedom, was slightly stunned. When she came back to her senses, she hurriedly ran towards Ye Shixiao. Chen Tianqi, who was behind her, had no intention of stopping her. When the father and daughter reunited, Chen Tianqi sheathed his saber and pointed at the city gate. ¡°I have no ill intentions towards you. Moreover, I was ordered to bring you to a place outside the city alive. However, if you want to escape¡­¡± At this point, Chen Tianqi paused for a moment and placed his hand on the hilt of the saber at his waist. ¡°That¡¯ll be a big mistake.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding temperature seemed to have instantly dropped. Ye Shixiao couldn¡¯t help but shiver, and his hand that was holding the saber trembled uncontrollably. However, the fact that the 13 men in black died in front of him in the blink of an eye was enough to prove how ruthless Chen Tianqi was. Even though Ye Shixiao was holding a saber in his hand, he was still not confident that he could keep his daughter safely. After weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Ye Shixiao finally chose to give up. As soon as he loosened his grip, the saber fell to the ground with a clang. ¡°We¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°A wise choice.¡± Chen Tianqi nodded expressionlessly. Then, he walked past the father and daughter to open the gate. He did not even look at the two of them the entire time, as if nothing had happened. ¡­ A moment later, near the east gate of the Iron City. Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun walked side by side. Both of them didn¡¯t look too good. ¡°You¡¯re really lucky!¡± Huo Qiyun glanced at Lin Ran and was caught between laughter and tears as he mocked, ¡°You chose three of the four city gates wrongly. How unbelievable!¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he immediately looked displeased. ¡°Are you done? How can you blame me for this? Who knew they would leave from the east gate. Wait!¡± Halfway through, Lin Ran¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Beside him, Huo Qiyun drew his sword and sniffed the air a few times. He said in a low voice with a solemn expression, ¡°It¡¯s the smell of blood. It¡¯s very fresh.¡± Lin Ran nodded. With a flash of white light, he summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. ¡°It¡¯s in the direction of the city gate!¡± The two of them turned into phantoms and flashed to the city gate. When they saw the open city gate and the dozen or so men in black lying in a pool of blood, their expressions clearly turned solemn. ¡°The body is still warm. The murderer must have left not long ago.¡± Huo Qiyun touched the corpse and said softly, ¡°Is it your friend who did it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Lin Ran shook his head slightly and fixed his gaze on the wound on the corpse¡¯s throat. ¡°These people were all killed with one strike. Moreover, the corpses are so densely packed. They must have been killed at the same time. Our enemy is a master.¡± Chapter 324 - 324 Give Someone a Taste of Their Own Medicine 324 Give Someone a Taste of Their Own Medicine 30 miles east of the Iron City. The desolate wilderness was pitch-black under the night sky. The wind blew hard, but only the thin sand and dust fluttered weakly. In this desolate wilderness, the real Chen Tianqi was sitting cross-legged on a large rock. Fluttering Cloud was moving with the wind ethereally. His malicious gaze landed somewhere in front of him, as if he was carefully sizing up something, or he was just in a daze. After an unknown period of time, Chen Tianqi suddenly sensed something and turned his head to look in a direction. He saw a thin figure slowly walking over from the wilderness. He walked over slowly with his hands behind his back, looking indifferent. ¡°It¡¯s him?¡± Chen Tianqi¡¯s eyes widened as an ominous feeling surged in his heart. Fluttering Cloud, which was fluttering in the wind, surged up and instantly wrapped around Chen Tianqi. The fabric that looked like fog was stacked layer by layer. Although it was still only a thin layer like a cicada¡¯s wing, it was the toughest armor in the world! At the same time, the thin figure walked closer. His elegant facial features and ragged clothes made him look like a scholar who had lost his way at night. However, such a harmless-looking person made Chen Tianqi reveal a nervous expression as if he was facing a great enemy. The two of them faced each other silently from more than ten steps away. Apart from the sinister look on their faces, their appearances were almost the same. ¡°Xuan Wushang¡­¡± Chen Tianqi stared fixedly at the scholar-like person in front of him. Even though he was trying his best to control himself, his voice was still trembling. ¡°How did you come out?¡± ¡°I came out when I wanted to.¡± Xuan Wushang replied with a faint smile, ¡°You don¡¯t really think that place can confine me, do you?¡± Chen Tianqi¡¯s entire body was hidden behind Fluttering Cloud, but one could still see his eyes darken. ¡°Since it can¡¯t confine you, why did you wait until now to come out?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been on the throne for many years and have worked hard for the Great Yong Dynasty. It¡¯s not easy for me to have a chance to rest, so I naturally have to seize it.¡± Xuan Wushang replied with a smile, his tone revealing a hint of slyness, ¡°Besides, you didn¡¯t do anything evil. Even if you occasionally do something for your personal gain, it¡¯s understandable¡ª¡± At this point, Xuan Wushang paused for a moment and looked at Chen Tianqi with approval. ¡°In short, you did a good job. In some aspects, you¡¯re even more qualified than me as an emperor.¡± Hearing the words ¡°in some aspects¡±, Chen Tianqi suddenly revealed a puzzled expression. It was not because he did not understand, but because he felt that it was impossible for Xuan Wushang to know those things. After all, those things were planned and carried out by Chen Tianqi alone. Even Sun Ge, who had joined forces with him, did not know about it. Xuan Wushang had been imprisoned for 13 years. How could he know about his doings? ¡°I must be thinking too much!¡± Chen Tianqi thought to himself. At the same time, he added, ¡°Since you¡¯re so well-informed, you should know that I won¡¯t do anything to harm the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± ¡°I know that I¡¯m a criminal and will be punished severely, but Your Majesty, on the account that I¡¯ve worked hard for the Great Yong Dynasty for many years, please give me more time!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xuan Wushang pondered for a moment before revealing a helpless expression. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t.¡± When Chen Tianqi heard this, his eyes darkened. After thinking for a moment with a complicated expression, he asked again, ¡°If I kill myself here, can Your Majesty agree to one request of mine?¡± ¡°Is it about the Iron City?¡± Xuan Wushang saw through Chen Tianqi¡¯s thoughts. Then, he changed the topic. ¡°Your ability is not bad. Compared to that insignificant matter, why don¡¯t you join forces with me and plan a grand plan for the Great Yong Dynasty?¡± ¡°Great plan?¡± Chen Tianqi revealed a puzzled expression again, but an ominous feeling surged in his heart. Although he couldn¡¯t figure out the reason, from Xuan Wushang¡¯s words, it seemed that he really knew what he had done! ¡°Am I really thinking too much?¡± A trace of doubt arose in Chen Tianqi¡¯s heart. Thinking of the consequences of being exposed, his eyes gradually became determined. Even if there was only a one in a million chance of being exposed, Chen Tianqi did not dare to take this risk. There was only one way to solve this problem¡­ Without any hesitation, the moment he made the decision, the gauze around Chen Tianqi immediately surged! It was as if endless white gauze was blooming layer by layer like a lotus flower. The corners of his clothes were like sharp fangs in the mouth of a monster, devouring Xuan Wushang¡¯s figure easily! A bone-chilling sound came from inside the gauze. Chen Tianqi watched silently with a gloomy expression. He knew that after killing Xuan Wushang, he would have to live as the emperor for the rest of his life, but compared to the goal he pursued, this sacrifice was nothing. ¡°Your Majesty, I didn¡¯t want to hurt you, but you blocked my way¡­¡± Chen Tianqi muttered to himself softly, but before he could finish speaking, his expression suddenly changed. The white gauze covering Xuan Wushang suddenly exploded, and then it actually retreated the way it came. The sudden turn of events made Chen Tianqi¡¯s expression freeze. He subconsciously focused his attention on trying to control Fluttering Cloud, but he realized that Fluttering Cloud, which was under his control, did not listen to his command. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chen Tianqi couldn¡¯t help but roar. Extreme panic occupied his heart, and he didn¡¯t even realize that his voice was extremely hoarse! ¡°It¡¯s very important to know your place in life.¡± Xuan Wushang¡¯s indifferent voice sounded. Chen Tianqi subconsciously turned his head and saw that Xuan Wushang, who had been ¡°swallowed¡± by Fluttering Cloud, was still standing there unscathed. Seeing Chen Tianqi¡¯s shocked expression through the gauze, Xuan Wushang¡¯s face revealed a hint of mockery. ¡°Fluttering Cloud is a royal treasure. Who do you think it will listen to?¡± Chen Tianqi stared fixedly at Xuan Wushang, his eyes gradually turning from confusion to fear. The two of them looked at each other silently from more than ten steps away. It was as if they had returned to the time when they first met. However, the armor that protected Chen Tianqi back then had already become a cage that imprisoned him. Chapter 325 - 325 Impersonation 325 Impersonation Somewhere outside the Iron City. Ye Shixiao and Ye Jin walked side by side. The young man who called himself Chen Tianqi walked in front silently. From time to time, he would stop for a moment as if he was sensing something, but he never said a word and never looked back at the father and daughter. Even so, Ye Shixiao did not dare to act rashly. Although his cultivation level was not high, he could sense a wisp of divine sense lingering around. It was most likely used by the person to monitor them. After walking in silence for about fifteen minutes, Ye Jin couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Hey! Where exactly are you taking us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The young man replied in a low voice without looking back. He did not stop walking, as if the person who spoke just now was not him at all. Ye Jin and Ye Shixiao looked at each other with strange expressions. This person kidnapped them from their house in the middle of the night, but he didn¡¯t know where he was taking them. Then what was the point of doing this? After thinking for a moment, Ye Jin asked softly, ¡°Could it be that someone wants to go to our house to find something, so they sent someone to bring us out?¡± Ye Shixiao shook his head without thinking. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, they can just barge in. Without Lin Ran around, you and I can¡¯t stop them.¡± If that was not the case, Ye Jin really couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. Just as the two of them were feeling puzzled, the young man in front suddenly stopped. Previously, he often stopped in his tracks, so Ye Jin and Ye Shixiao did not pay much attention to it. They stood still and waited quietly for the other party to continue. However, they realized that they had been waiting for nearly fifteen minutes. During this period of time, that person did not move at all. The two of them could tell that something was wrong. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you walking?¡± Ye Shixiao looked around warily and probed, ¡°Did something happen?¡± The young man did not say anything and only waved at the two people behind him. Then, he tilted his head slightly, as if he was listening carefully to something. However, Ye Shixiao imitated him and listened carefully, only to hear a faint sound of wind. ¡°It seems that the ¡®military communication method¡¯ he said previously is not nonsense¡­¡± Ye Shixiao muttered to himself thoughtfully. Then, he saw the young man straighten up and turn around to walk towards them. ¡°What happened?¡± Ye Jin frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°The situation has changed.¡± As the young man spoke, he walked up to the two of them and said softly with an indifferent expression, ¡°You¡¯re useless now.¡± ¡°We¡¯re useless?¡± Ye Jin and Ye Shixiao were stunned at the same time. Before they could understand what the other party meant, they heard a sharp clang. The young man unsheathed his saber at lightning speed and slashed at the two of them without saying anything! The cold light was so fast that the two of them could only watch as the snow-white blade approached inch by inch. At the critical moment, a strong wind suddenly tore through the air, and countless dazzling sparks exploded between the three of them. The saber made of steel was split into two, and then blood spewed out from the young man¡¯s chest! The violent force sent the young man¡¯s thin body flying. After instantly flying more than 100 feet, he landed on the ground and rolled more than ten times before finally stopping. At this moment, only a second had passed since the young man unsheathed his saber. The situation completely stunned Ye Jin and Ye Shixiao. They couldn¡¯t figure out why the young man was the first to fly out. ¡°Phew¡ªThat was close! Fortunately, I made it in time!¡± A shout came from behind. When Ye Jin heard the familiar voice, she was stunned for a moment before turning around in disbelief. As expected, she saw Lin Ran standing behind her with a young man she didn¡¯t know! ¡°Lin Ran.¡± Ye Jin cheered and ran over to throw herself into Lin Ran¡¯s arms. The fear and panic she had felt along the way finally dissipated, and two streams of tears immediately flowed out of her eyes uncontrollably! ¡°Boohoo¡­ Why are you so late! I thought I would never see you again¡­¡± Ye Jin buried her face in Lin Ran¡¯s arms and cried loudly, as if he wanted to vent all her grievances. She wrapped her arms around Lin Ran¡¯s waist tightly, as if she was afraid that if she let go, she would never see Lin Ran again. When Huo Qiyun saw this scene, he smiled evilly and raised his eyebrows at Lin Ran. ¡°No wonder you asked me to pick them up in such a hurry. It turns out that you found a delicate wife.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Lin Ran glared at Huo Qiyun and forced a smile at Ye Shixiao, who had just walked over. ¡°Elder Ye, I¡¯m late. Are you guys alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Fortunately, you came in time.¡± Ye Shixiao smiled and looked at Huo Qiyun. ¡°Is this your friend?¡± ¡°Yes, his name is Huo Qiyun.¡± As Lin Ran patted Ye Jin¡¯s back, he introduced Huo Qiyun to the two of them. ¡°Qiyun, this is Elder Ye Shixiao. He¡¯s a famous saber forging master from the Iron City.¡± ¡°Greetings, Elder Ye!¡± When Huo Qiyun heard this, he immediately bowed. Even though he saw the serious burn on Ye Shixiao¡¯s face, his face did not show any repulsion. This reaction made Ye Shixiao have a good impression of him. After returning the greeting with the etiquette of the Great Yong Dynasty, he looked at Lin Ran and asked in confusion, ¡°Why are you here? Could it be that you really sent that person?¡± ¡°I sent him?¡± Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this. He pointed at Huo Qiyun and said, ¡°I only asked him to send you out of the city, but when he arrived at your house, it was already empty.¡± ¡°I thought that you felt that the situation was dangerous, so you brought Ye Jin away first. We came out of the city to find you. I didn¡¯t expect to meet that person who wanted to harm you, so I saved you.¡± After Lin Ran finished speaking, Huo Qiyun nodded to show that he was right. However, even without him as a witness, Ye Shixiao wouldn¡¯t doubt Lin Ran¡¯s words. After a pause, Ye Shixiao briefly explained the situation on his side. Hearing that someone had taken the father and daughter away in his name, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but look angry. After all, if he hadn¡¯t arrived in time, the father and daughter would probably have blamed him for this! ¡°This guy is really despicable!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and cursed, ¡°How dare he use my name to deceive others? He¡¯s going too far!¡± At the side, Huo Qiyun sneered when he heard this. ¡°What right do you have to say such things? Didn¡¯t you use my name to deceive people as well?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same thing¡­¡± Lin Ran waved his hand awkwardly. Then, he handed Ye Jin, who had calmed down, to Ye Shixiao. Then, he rushed towards the young man who was sent flying by his sword. He wanted to see who this guy was! Chapter 326 - 326 Karma 326 Karma 30 miles east of the Iron City. Chen Tianqi looked at the smiling Xuan Wushang and tried his best to turn around, but he couldn¡¯t because at this moment, he only had a head. His head was placed on the rock, and his body and limbs were cut into countless fist-sized pieces that scattered around the rock like gravel. Even so, Chen Tianqi was still alive and did not feel any discomfort. ¡°I have to say that you¡¯re indeed more talented than me in torturing people.¡± Xuan Wushang looked at the head and chuckled. Fluttering Cloud lay limply on the ground like an ordinary gauze robe. Chen Tianqi gritted his teeth and didn¡¯t say anything. Xuan Wushang didn¡¯t mind. He casually picked up half of the broken palm from the ground and looked at the blood that was still flowing in the veins under the moonlight. ¡°Those who kill will be killed.¡± Xuan Wushang said softly as if he was talking to himself, ¡°When you used this method to torture that Heavenly Saint martial artist, did you think that such a day would come to you?¡± Chen Tianqi still didn¡¯t speak. Seeing this, Xuan Wushang sighed helplessly and threw away the broken palm. He said calmly, ¡°You know that I can save you, and what you have to do is especially simple. You just have to make a small change to your plan. Why don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not the same kind of person as you.¡± Chen Tianqi finally couldn¡¯t help but speak. He stared fixedly at Xuan Wushang, who was inches away from him, but his eyes were filled with fear instead of anger. ¡°Have you thought about the consequences of doing this? You¡¯re gambling with everyone¡¯s lives!¡± Xuan Wushang sat on the ground and asked seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance. Do you really not want to join?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather die!¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Xuan Wushang shrugged and really did not insist. He stood up and brushed the sand off his clothes before turning into a cloud and dissipating with the wind. ¡­ Somewhere outside the Iron City. Lin Ran came to the young man¡¯s corpse. Although Ye Shixiao had always called this person ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±, he now knew that he was an imposter. However, even though he knew that it was an imposter, Lin Ran was still shocked when he saw the young man¡¯s appearance. This was because this face was too similar to Xuan Wushang¡¯s. It was understandable that two people in the world looked alike, but even the experienced Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but find it unbelievable that three people who were not related by blood looked so alike. After sizing him up, Lin Ran began to examine him carefully. However, there were really not many clues on this person. Apart from a few tokens to prove his identity, there were only some silver taels and pills. Even if he couldn¡¯t find anything, he knew that this person was definitely with Sun Ge and Chen Tianqi. After returning to the three of them, Lin Ran handed all the money he had to Ye Shixiao. Then, he brought Huo Qiyun to the side. ¡°Send them to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty immediately. Remember not to alert anyone.¡± Huo Qiyun nodded. After hesitating for a moment, he probed, ¡°Is Sister Empress included?¡± ¡°¡­ Mm.¡± Lin Ran thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Bring them to Mingzhao Hall first. After I go back, I¡¯ll discuss how to settle them with His Majesty.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re staying here?¡± When Huo Qiyun heard this, his expression changed slightly. ¡°Now that the Heavenly Saint is still looking for you, it won¡¯t be long before the news of you being wanted reaches the Great Yong Dynasty. At that time, your situation here will definitely be difficult.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t need that much time.¡± Lin Ran smiled nonchalantly, looking relaxed. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m powerful. At most, I¡¯ll fight back!¡± ¡°¡­That makes sense.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave this to you.¡± Lin Ran patted Huo Qiyun¡¯s shoulder and returned to Ye Shixiao and Ye Jin¡¯s side. ¡°My friend will send you to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. You¡¯ll be safe there.¡± Ye Shixiao opened his mouth as if to say something, but Lin Ran continued, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of things here. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Hearing this, Ye Shixiao hesitated, but in the end, he nodded helplessly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Suddenly, Lin Ran felt someone tugging at the corner of his shirt. He looked down and saw Ye Jin staring at him with tears in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go¡­¡± Ye Jin tugged at the corner of Lin Ran¡¯s shirt and whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t know the way. I can help you if I stay.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Lin Ran almost couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. After all, he had seen Ye Jin¡¯s ability to read the map the first time they left the city. Ye Jin knew that Lin Ran was teasing her. Her teary face immediately revealed embarrassment, but she still insisted with a firm gaze, ¡°I can definitely help you. Let me stay!¡± ¡°Jin! Stop fooling around!¡± Ye Shixiao shouted in a low voice and pulled Ye Jin to his side. ¡°This is an adult¡¯s matter. Why are you causing trouble?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve grown up!¡± Ye Jin shrugged her shoulders and tried to break free, but her strength was still much weaker than her father, who had been forging sabers all year round. No matter how hard she struggled, the calloused hand was like an iron clamp, locking her on the spot and making her unable to move. ¡°If I say no, it means no.¡± Ye Shixiao roared. Then, he looked at Lin Ran and Huo Qiyun. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t teach her well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lin Ran smiled awkwardly and looked at Ye Jin, who was still struggling. ¡°Jin, go to the Heavenly Saint City with them first. I¡¯ll be back in two days at most.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not leaving!¡± Ye Jin refused firmly and looked at Lin Ran seriously. ¡°Let me follow you. Believe me, I can really help you!¡± Lin Ran naturally didn¡¯t believe that Ye Jin could help him. However, seeing the determination in Ye Jin¡¯s eyes, Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before turning to look at Ye Shixiao. ¡°Elder Ye, since she wants to stay, let her stay. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Just as Ye Shixiao was about to say something, Huo Qiyun suddenly went forward and whispered something into his ear. Then, a hint of hesitation flashed across Ye Shixiao¡¯s face. In the end, he looked at Lin Ran and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll leave Jin to you then.¡± Lin Ran nodded repeatedly. ¡°Elder Ye, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely take good care of her.¡± Chapter 327 - 327 Better Be a Doer Than a Sayer 327 Better Be a Doer Than a Sayer Seeing how guilty Ye Jin was, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but look surprised because he could tell that Ye Jin was hiding something from him! Lin Ran asked softly, ¡°Although we haven¡¯t known each other for long, we¡¯ve experienced a lot together, right? I even told you my true identity, but you¡¯re still hiding something from me?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you!¡± Ye Jin hurriedly waved her hand to defend herself, but she didn¡¯t seem to know how to explain. Anxious, she pulled open her collar, revealing her exquisite collarbone and fair skin. Seeing this, Lin Ran blushed and hurriedly turned around. ¡°What are you doing? If you have something to say, just say it! Put your clothes back on, or your father will hammer me to death!¡± ¡°What are you thinking? I wanted you to see this!¡± When Lin Ran turned his head around, he realized that Ye Jin had already tidied up her clothes and was still holding the necklace that her mother had left behind. Realizing that he was overthinking, Lin Ran blushed even more. He cleared his throat and pretended to be calm. ¡°Isn¡¯t this left behind by your mother? I took a look at it before. There¡¯s nothing wrong with it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t want you to find out.¡± Ye Jin said softly, her eyes revealing a maturity that did not match her age. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Let me stay and I¡¯ll explain it to you slowly.¡± ¡°Long story?¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows. After being fooled so many times, his first reaction when he heard this was that Ye Jin was playing tricks in order to stay. The reason was very simple. Lin Ran had seen this necklace once before. Not only had he seen it before, but he had even played with it in his hand. Apart from those mysterious patterns, there was nothing special about this necklace. There was no array formation, internal energy fluctuation, or even a small mechanism. The mysterious patterns on the necklace were almost identical to Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s ruby necklace, but even Emperor Sheng Yuan didn¡¯t understand what the patterns meant. Lin Ran naturally didn¡¯t believe that a teenage girl like Ye Jin could understand it. Thinking of this, Lin Ran felt that Ye Jin was lying. Then, he asked with a serious expression, ¡°Do I look like a brainless person?¡± Ye Jin was stunned when she heard that. ¡°No you don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Then why did you use such a lousy excuse to lie to me?¡± Lin Ran was caught between laughter and tears as he asked, ¡°I¡¯ve checked this necklace before and there¡¯s nothing unusual about it.¡± Ye Jin looked at Lin Ran in confusion, as if she didn¡¯t understand what Lin Ran meant. After a few seconds, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you think I¡¯m lying, but I¡¯m really not lying to you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a secret on this necklace that I accidentally discovered a few years ago. I thought it was very scary, so I didn¡¯t tell anyone. Even my father didn¡¯t know!¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips. ¡°Then why do you suddenly want to tell me?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a good person.¡± Ye Jin looked straight at Lin Ran and said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want to do, but it must be a very dangerous thing. I¡¯ll tell you this secret. Perhaps it can help you.¡± Lin Ran looked at Ye Jin and didn¡¯t say anything. Although he was already certain that Ye Jin was playing tricks, looking at Ye Jin¡¯s sincere gaze, he had to admit that he was wavering. It was very difficult to fake that sincerity, especially for a teenage girl. ¡°Alright, I believe you.¡± A moment later, Lin Ran sighed helplessly. Before Ye Jin could be happy, he said with a serious expression, ¡°But let me make it clear. If you dare to lie to me, I¡¯ll send you away immediately.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Ye Jin nodded in agreement without hesitation and stretched out her slender pinky in front of Lin Ran. ¡°Pinky promise!¡± ¡°Boring!¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes, but he still reached out to make a pinky promise with Ye Jin. Then, he looked at Ye Shixiao and said loudly, ¡°Elder Ye, since she wants to stay, let her stay. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ye Shixiao was about to say something when Huo Qiyun suddenly walked up to him and raised his right hand to cover his mouth. He said something in a low voice that only the two of them could hear. Then, a hint of hesitation flashed across Ye Shixiao¡¯s face. In the end, he nodded helplessly. ¡°Jin, you can stay.¡± ¡°Thank you, Father!¡± Ye Jin immediately cheered. Ye Shixiao turned to look at Lin Ran. ¡°Protect Jin well. If a strand of her hair is missing, I¡¯ll hold you responsible!¡± Lin Ran nodded repeatedly. ¡°Elder Ye, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely protect her well.¡± Ye Shixiao nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. At the side, Huo Qiyun smiled mischievously and raised his eyebrows at Lin Ran. Then, without caring if Lin Ran understood, he unsheathed his sword and left with Ye Shixiao on the sword. Soon, only Lin Ran and Ye Jin were left in the empty wilderness. Lin Ran turned to look at Ye Jin. ¡°Now that there¡¯s only the two of us left, can you tell me the secret you discovered?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± As Ye Jin spoke, she lifted the corner of Lin Ran¡¯s clothes. Then, she took out a small knife the length of a finger and cut off the corner. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Lin Ran looked at the large piece of fabric in Ye Jin¡¯s hand with heartache. ¡°My clothes are very expensive!¡± ¡°Then do you still want to know the secret or not?¡± Before Lin Ran could reply, Ye Jin took out a matchstick from her small bag. After lighting the matchstick, she placed it on a metal rod in the necklace and roasted it. The fire brushed past the surface of the metal rod and instantly burned it black. Ye Jin slowly turned the necklace in her hand until the metal rods were all black. Then, she put out the matchstick and carefully wrapped the metal rods with cloth. When the cloth was opened again, the patterns on the metal rods were clearly imprinted on the cloth. Seeing this, Lin Ran¡¯s interest was piqued. He couldn¡¯t care less about his clothes anymore. He leaned closer and asked, ¡°Did you imprint it? Can you understand the words on it?¡± ¡°Actually, everyone can understand it. We just need a way.¡± As Ye Jin spoke, she began to repeat the same procedure. After imprinting all the patterns of the metal rods on the fabric, she handed it to Lin Ran. ¡°Look.¡± Lin Ran took the black cloth and felt that the dense patterns were even more difficult to understand. However, just as Lin Ran was about to ask Ye Jin to say something, his eyes suddenly narrowed. He seemed to have really seen something from the patterns! Chapter 328 - 328 Countering Each Other 328 Countering Each Other In the forest in the southern border of the Great Yong Dynasty. Countless tall stalagmites were scattered all over the place. The cold moonlight made them look especially formidable. The night wind blew through the countless stalagmites, causing a soft buzzing sound. It was as if a wild beast was roaring, or as if someone was whispering in the darkness. In the silence, a surging cloud floated over from the north. It stretched out like a ball of gauze dancing in the wind, but its speed was shockingly fast. In the blink of an eye, it quietly floated above the forest. Then, the cloud fell to the ground and turned into a young man in white. He looked like a scholar who was well-read, but there seemed to be a malicious aura around him. The white-robed young man looked around and said expressionlessly, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, show yourself.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the shadows of the surrounding stalagmites suddenly squirmed as if they were alive. Then, a few black shadows walked out of the darkness. It turned out that they were four figures in black cloaks. Covered in black cloaks, it was impossible to tell if they were male or female. Each of them restrained their auras to the limit, as if they were four stone statues standing there. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± One of them spoke. His deep voice seemed to come from all directions, making it impossible to tell where it came from. ¡°I encountered an accident and was delayed for a while.¡± The white-robed young man casually cast a sweeping glance over the four figures, and his already sinister expression darkened. ¡°Why are there only four?¡± ¡°Someone quit.¡± A deep voice sounded. The tone was as calm as stagnant water, as if it was not a big deal for someone to quit. The white-robed young man nodded and asked casually, ¡°Do you know who quit.¡± ¡°It is a rule you set that we are not allowed to know each other¡¯s identity.¡± The deep voice continued, and there was suddenly a hint of doubt in his calm tone. ¡°Did you forget the rule you set?¡± ¡°What a joke. How can I forget the rule I set?¡± The young man in white sneered, and his originally sinister eyes darkened. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that he will expose our plan. To be safe, it¡¯s better to confirm it.¡± No one had any objections. The young man in white curled his lips in satisfaction. ¡°Since no one has any objections, I¡¯ll begin. Is the person from the Hetian Dynasty here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The white-robed young man nodded and continued, ¡°Is the person from the Yunqiu Dynasty here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Dalou Dynasty?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wunuo Dynasty?¡± There was no response for a long time. ¡°Hualuo Dynasty?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It seems that the one from the Wunuo Dynasty has quit.¡± The white-robed young man said calmly, as if he did not take it to heart. However, what he said next made the other four shiver! ¡°Lu Qianli, the envoy of the Wunuo Dynasty, is in fact a traitor. Thirty-seven years ago, as he entered the realm of Grandmaster, the Emperor of the Wunuo Dynasty ordered him to retire.¡± ¡°However, Lu Qianli was unwilling to retire. In order to coerce the Emperor of the Wunuo Dynasty into giving him military power, he planned and carried out 27 riots in the next three years and killed 11,528 people. As a result, he was wanted for treason and his whereabouts are unknown.¡± At this point, the white-robed young man took out a bag from his pocket. After opening it, there were 19 jade sticks inside. ¡°Currently, Lu Qianli is at the first level of the Senior Grandmaster Realm. Moreover, he has a hiding place in the Great Yong Dynasty, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, the Dalou Dynasty, and the Wunuo Dynasty. I¡¯ve already left the exact location on the jade stick.¡± The white-robed young man took out four jade sticks and fanned them out in his hand. ¡°The dead won¡¯t reveal their secrets. You can choose one place each. As for who can cut off his head and make this contribution, it¡¯s up to fate.¡± After he finished speaking, the four people opposite him did not move or speak for a long time. The atmosphere suddenly became oppressive. After ten minutes, the deep voice sounded again, but the tone was no longer as calm as before. ¡°You investigated our backgrounds?¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m going to do something big, I have to be careful.¡± The white-robed young man smiled noncommittally. Even though the atmosphere was so oppressive that time seemed to have stopped, he still had a calm expression on his face. ¡°You are all infamous. You can¡¯t possibly be afraid of Lu Qianli, right?¡± A sharp voice said angrily, sounding like the cry of a bird. ¡°Everyone who participates in the plan should remain incognito. This is what we agreed from the beginning!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Another deep voice agreed. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve secretly investigated us and even know where we live, what exactly are you up to?!¡± As the two of them questioned the young man, the invisible pressure in the air increased again. Even the sound of the wind stopped as if it was being sucked away. The white-robed young man¡¯s clothes fluttered slightly, and his face was still calm. There was a faint smile on his lips, and his attitude was nonchalant, as if the four people in front of him were no threat at all. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. Since I¡¯m going to do something big, I have to be careful.¡± The white-robed young man said calmly, but this time, there was a hint of killing intent in his calm tone. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to accept it, you can choose to quit.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere suddenly became tense. Now, the four of them knew that if they quit, they would die. However, this was not absolute. If the four of them joined forces to kill the white-robed young man and destroy the jade sticks, no one would know their true identity. But the problem was, would the four of them quit together? When two of them were questioning the white-robed young man just now, the other two remained silent. It was obvious that they did not mind their identities being known. Just as the two of them were hesitating to quit or not, the person standing at the edge suddenly took a few steps forward and took a jade stick from the white-robed young man. He retreated into the darkness and disappeared. Chapter 329 - 329 Code Words 329 Code Words Outside the Iron City. Under the moonlight, Lin Ran looked at the patterns on the fabric. Although his eyesight was not bad, the imprint was too rough. He had to focus with all his might to barely distinguish what it was. It was not until his eyes were sore and his head was dizzy that Lin Ran finally saw something. Among the complicated patterns, he could vaguely see some lines that looked like strokes. However, he was already dizzy and was not sure if he was hallucinating. ¡°Is there¡­ a word inside?¡± Lin Ran looked at the fabric and asked, ¡°I think I saw some brush strokes, but I can¡¯t recognize them at all.¡± ¡°It seems that you still have some comprehension!¡± Ye Jin chuckled and stood up. She patted Lin Ran¡¯s shoulder like a little adult. ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. It¡¯s normal that you can¡¯t recognize it because it¡¯s not ordinary words, but code words.¡± ¡°Code words?¡± Lin Ran frowned in confusion. He had some knowledge of deciphering code words, but the patterns on the fabric were unfathomable to him. Seeing that Lin Ran was confused, Ye Jin didn¡¯t explain directly. Instead, she took the piece of fabric and cut off the pattern of each metal rod with a small knife. After completing it, Ye Jin picked up one of them and pointed at a two-layer vortex pattern on it with the tip of her knife. ¡°This is the serial number. The number of circles represents the number¡ª¡± Then, Ye Jin moved the tip of the knife and pointed at a symbol with a sharp tip. ¡°This is the direction of the patterns. The sharp ends of all the patterns have to go up. And this¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Lin Ran raised his hand to interrupt Ye Jin and said helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t have much time now. Can you just tell me what it means and teach me later?¡± Hearing this, Ye Jin looked troubled. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what this means¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Lin Ran held his breath to suppress his anger. ¡°Then why did you tell me you know a huge secret? Are you lying to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you! This is really a huge secret!¡± Ye Jin hurriedly defended herself. Thinking of how Lin Ran had said that he would send her away if he found out that she was lying, she became nervous. However, the more nervous she was, the more she did not know what to say. After opening her mouth a few times, she could not make a sound. In the end, she simply spread all the pieces of fabric on the ground and began to arrange them in a specific way. There were not many pieces of fabric. Ye Jin quickly finished arranging them. Then, as she looked at the patterns on the fabric, she began to use the knife as a pen to write on the sand. ¡°Cloud Breaking Slash?¡± Seeing the first three words written by Ye Jin, Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately changed. Previously, when he was in the forest, the system notified him that it was a [Special Place], so Lin Ran used Tu Baichuan¡¯s heavy sword to sign in. The reward he obtained from the system was also called Cloud Breaking Slash. However, for some reason, although Lin Ran had obtained Cloud Breaking Slash, the scroll in his mind was blank. After that, Lin Ran guessed that it was because the weapon was not the right kind, so he started to search for a saber. After entering the Iron City and obtaining the Black Shadow Saber, he hadn¡¯t had the chance to check the scroll in his mind. Now that he saw Ye Jin analyze the words ¡°Cloud Breaking Slash¡± from the patterns, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the ¡°Cloud Breaking Slash¡± recorded on the necklace was the same thing he had obtained from the system. Thinking of this, Lin Ran was also interested in the content hidden in the patterns. He took a deep breath and suppressed his excitement. He squatted beside Ye Jin and watched. At the same time, Ye Jin had already analyzed dozens of words from the patterns, but she only used four or five pieces of fabric. From this, it could be seen how complicated the information hidden in the patterns was. After a long wait, Ye Jin finally shook her sore wrist and stood up. ¡°Done!¡± Lin Ran, who was about to fall asleep, perked up when he heard this. He quickly went closer to take a look. There were hundreds of words written densely on the sand. Apart from ¡°Cloud Breaking Slash¡±, the rest of the words seemed to be independent. He could recognize every word, but he didn¡¯t know what they meant when put together. The only thing he could understand were the last eight words: Learn it and you can kill the dragon. However, even after figuring this out, Lin Ran still had no clue. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s in the right order?¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and asked suspiciously. It was not that he didn¡¯t believe Ye Jin, but these few hundred words were not related to each other at all. Apart from the ¡°Cloud Breaking Slash¡± and the last eight words, the rest of the words seemed to be in disorder. ¡°It must be the right order.¡± Ye Jin nodded heavily and said firmly, ¡°When I was young, my mother often played this kind of guessing game with me. I remember it very clearly. I¡¯m not wrong.¡± After confirming that Ye Jin was not wrong, Lin Ran could only conclude that this was a ¡°Heavenly Book¡±. However, Lin Ran didn¡¯t give up completely. After all, he still had a chapter on Cloud Breaking Slash in his mind. Although he didn¡¯t know what it was, since it was called Cloud Breaking Slash, there must be some connection. Thinking of this, Lin Ran silently committed these words to memory. After instructing Ye Jin to wait for a moment, he plunged into his consciousness. In the boundless void, an ancient scroll flickering with golden light slowly appeared in front of Lin Ran. The scroll slowly opened, and lines of words appeared on it. Seeing this, Lin Ran was overjoyed. After quickly looking around, a meaningful smile gradually appeared on his face. ¡°I see¡­¡± Chapter 330 - 330 Pledging Allegiance 330 Pledging Allegiance In the forest in the southern border of the Great Yong Dynasty. The white-robed young man smiled faintly. There was only one jade stick left in his hand. Opposite him, the mysterious man in a cloak stood silently. His face was completely hidden under the wide hood, but even if one could not see his expression, they could feel the intense anxiety emanating from him. ¡°Haven¡¯t you thought about it yet?¡± The young man in white asked softly. The remaining jade stick in his hand trembled impatiently. ¡°There are only two choices. Accept or quit. Is there a need to consider it for so long?¡± That person didn¡¯t say anything and only took a half-step back with his right foot. Seeing this, the young man in white raised his eyebrows. ¡°You want to quit?¡± ¡°No, I just want fair cooperation.¡± An unfamiliar voice sounded. The white-robed young man couldn¡¯t help but look surprised. He really didn¡¯t expect that the last person to speak was actually the guy who didn¡¯t say anything from the beginning. After a pause, the white-robed young man tilted his head slightly and sized up the other party with interest. ¡°Tell me, what is fair?¡± ¡°I want to know who you are.¡± That person said calmly, ¡°Since you have all the information about us, it¡¯s only a matter of time before you find me¡­ But I don¡¯t know anything about you.¡± ¡°You have to understand that knowing too much might not be a good thing.¡± The white-robed young man replied softly. He did not explicitly refuse, but the meaning in his words was obvious. ¡°In that case, we have nothing to talk about.¡± ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve made up your mind to quit?¡± The white-robed young man asked with an indifferent tone, as if he did not care. Then, he flipped his finger and put the last jade stick into his sleeve. He looked straight at the other party and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll visit you before dusk tomorrow.¡± ¡°You seem to have misunderstood. I have no intention of backing out of this plan.¡± The man shook his head. His wide cloak fluttered a few times, and a pair of fair and slender hands reached out. They grabbed the ends of the hood and slowly lifted it back. In an instant, her smooth silver hair cascaded down like the moonlight, revealing a suffocatingly beautiful face. Seeing her beautiful appearance, even the usually calm white-robed young man could not help but be in a daze because this face was really too beautiful. Under the contrast of her silver hair, her already fair skin looked even more delicate. Her eyebrows were slanted to her temples, and under her long and thick eyelashes was a pair of clear eyes. Her mouth and nose were covered by a black veil, but even so, her eyes were still soul-stirring. After an unknown period of time, the white-robed young man came back to his senses. He frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you a woman?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The silver-haired woman nodded slightly and bowed with her hands folded at her waist. ¡°My name is Xue Gie.¡± Her voice was crisp like a ring or a gurgling stream in the snow mountain. Although it was not bewitching, there was a hint of charm in her tone. If it were anyone else, they would probably be intoxicated by this voice. However, the white-robed young man frowned even more deeply, and even his calm eyes became vigilant. His white robe fluttered, and a faint killing intent spread in the air. The white-robed young man stared at her with a solemn expression and said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t think you are one of the participants in this plan.¡± A smile appeared in Xue Gie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is that important?¡± The white-robed young man stared at her for a moment before he suddenly curled his lips and chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s indeed not important¡­ Who did you replace?¡± ¡°Envoy of the Dalou Dynasty, Wu Jingguo.¡± Xue Gie replied calmly. Then, right on the heels of that, she changed the topic. ¡°I¡¯ve already revealed my true identity to you. Can you tell me who you are now?¡± ¡°Emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty, Xuan Wushang.¡± The white-robed young man said calmly, and a dignified aura of an emperor soared into the sky. For a moment, even the starlight in the sky seemed to dim a lot! Feeling the emperor¡¯s pressure that made people want to worship him, Xue Gie¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°It seems that I was right. Chen Tianqi really failed.¡± Xuan Wushang¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You know Chen Tianqi?¡± Xue Gie nodded slightly, and the smile in her beautiful eyes deepened. ¡°I might know more about him than you can imagine¡ªbut it¡¯s meaningless now. Since you¡¯re the one who summoned us on his behalf, I believe he¡¯s already dead, right?¡± Xuan Wushang did not answer. He only looked at the other party and asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s your motive for using Wu Jingguo¡¯s identity to sneak in here?¡± Xue Gie frowned slightly as if she was in deep thought. After a moment, she replied with a smile, ¡°For some special reasons, I can¡¯t reveal too much.¡± Before Xuan Wushang could speak, Xue Gie continued, ¡°However, Your Majesty, you can rest assured that what I want doesn¡¯t conflict with what you want. I can even help you facilitate your plan.¡± ¡°You know what I want?¡± Xuan Wushang revealed a playful smile. ¡°It seems that I really underestimated you previously¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you flatter me. I was just making a wild guess.¡± Xue Gie bowed slightly and smiled respectfully. ¡°No emperors could resist the temptation to unify the world and be above every living being.¡± Xuan Wushang smiled ambiguously, neither confirming nor denying Xue Gie¡¯s guess. ¡°Since our plans don¡¯t conflict, it¡¯s not impossible for us to cooperate, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Xuan Wushang suddenly stopped smiling. There was no expression on his elegant face, but it made him exude a strong sense of oppression. ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding your identity for so long. If not for the fact that I discovered your identity coincidentally, I would still be kept in the dark.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t put in so much effort just to be a spectator, right?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re indeed wise.¡± Xue Gie chuckled. There was no fear in her bell-like voice. ¡°I can pledge my allegiance.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Xuan Wushang narrowed his eyes in interest. ¡°How do you want to pledge your allegiance then?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, Your Majesty should be very familiar with the name ¡®Lin Ran¡¯, right?¡± Xue Gie smiled faintly. Her voice was still as pleasant as ever, but her clear eyes were filled with coldness. ¡°As long as Your Majesty is willing to give me this chance, I¡¯ll bring Lin Ran¡¯s head here before dusk tomorrow.¡± Hearing that the other party was going to use Lin Ran¡¯s head to pledge her allegiance, Xuan Wushang couldn¡¯t help but look a little strange. He stared at that beautiful face for a long time without saying anything, as if he was hesitating or guessing if the other party really meant it¡­ Chapter 331 - 331 Work and Rest, A Good Rest is Half the Battle 331 Work and Rest, A Good Rest is Half the Battle Outside the Iron City in the wilderness. Lin Ran had just let out a breath and opened his eyes when Ye Jin immediately leaned over. ¡°How is it? Did you figure out something?¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Lin Ran looked at Ye Jin in surprise. His first reaction was that this girl could read his mind, but it turned out that he was overthinking. ¡°You closed your eyes and then started smiling after a while. If you didn¡¯t figure out something, then there must be something wrong with your brain.¡± Ye Jin looked at Lin Ran as if she was looking at an idiot. ¡°Is there something wrong with your brain?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes angrily. Then, he raised his foot and wiped away most of the words written on the sand. Seeing this, Ye Jin panicked. ¡°What are you doing?! It wasn¡¯t easy for me to write this!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Everything is in here.¡± Lin Ran reached out his index finger and pointed at his temple. Before Ye Jin could speak, he put on a serious expression and said, ¡°I know I¡¯ve agreed to it, but the situation ahead of us might be very dangerous, so I still want to send you to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty first.¡± When Ye Jin heard this, she frowned. ¡°What do you mean? I just told you this secret and you want to kick me to the curb when I¡¯ve outlived my usefulness?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kicking you to the curb. I¡¯m doing this for your safety.¡± Lin Ran explained patiently, ¡°I already know what these words mean, so I can¡¯t let you follow me anymore. This is also what your mother wants.¡± Hearing that it was her mother¡¯s idea, Ye Jin was stunned for a moment before she became excited. ¡°Are you saying that these are my mother¡¯s last words? What did my mother say?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before shaking his head in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t leave!¡± Ye Jin pouted Lin Ran wasn¡¯t in the mood to bicker with her. He said seriously, ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, this is for your safety¡­¡± ¡°I can take care of myself!¡± Ye Jin interrupted Lin Ran rudely and suddenly raised the knife to her neck. ¡°If you don¡¯t let me stay, I¡¯ll die here! Let¡¯s see how you are going to explain my death to my father!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be rash!¡± Lin Ran was so frightened that his face turned pale. He waved his hand to signal Ye Jin to calm down. His tone softened. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I have to send you away. I was just discussing it with you. If you don¡¯t want to leave, then don¡¯t. Is that good?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ye Jin looked at Lin Ran suspiciously. Seeing Lin Ran nod, she immediately stuck out her pinky. ¡°Pinky promise!¡± Lin Ran quickly reached out and held Ye Jin¡¯s pinky. After he made a promise, Ye Jin finally put down the knife on her neck. Seeing that there was only a shallow red mark on Ye Jin¡¯s fair neck, Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief and muttered to himself, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with children these days? Why is she threatening me with her life? Is this what a child is supposed to do?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Ye Jin asked with a frown. She raised the knife and was about to put it to her neck again. ¡°Nothing! I¡¯m memorizing the sword manual!¡± Lin Ran hurriedly waved his hand and explained. When Ye Jin was not paying attention, he snatched the knife and threw it far away. Then, he said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to follow me, but you have to promise me one thing. You have to cherish your life in the future! Do you understand?¡± When Ye Jin saw Lin Ran¡¯s serious look, her face suddenly turned red. She nodded and replied softly, ¡°Got it¡­¡± ¡°I hope you really do.¡± Lin Ran sighed helplessly and stood up to wipe the remaining words away. After making sure that no one couldn¡¯t read the words, he clapped his hands. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Return to the city!¡± ¡­ In the forest of the Great Yong Dynasty. Xuan Wushang narrowed his eyes at Xue Gie, his deep voice filled with suspicion. ¡°What ability do you have to kill him?¡± As he spoke, Xuan Wushang released a wisp of divine sense and swept it across Xue Gie. The questioning tone in his voice immediately increased. ¡°You are only at the first level of the Grandmaster Realm. Do you know what realm Lin Ran is in now?¡± ¡°Above Half-Saint.¡± Xue Gie replied calmly, as if a Half-Saint was nothing to her. ¡°Heh! How arrogant!¡± Xuan Wushang snorted, his eyes filled with disdain. ¡°With your cultivation, even if you get close to Lin Ran with your beauty and catch him off guard, it¡¯ll probably be very difficult for you to succeed, right?¡± ¡°I have my ways. You don¡¯t have to worry about me, Your Majesty.¡± Xue Gie replied in a gentle voice, ¡°If I can bring Lin Ran¡¯s head here, can you give me a chance to join forces with you?¡± Xuan Wushang did not answer immediately. Instead, after thinking for a long time, he nodded slightly. ¡°If you can bring Lin Ran¡¯s head here, you¡¯re naturally qualified to join forces with me.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Xue Gie¡¯s eyes curled up as she bowed to Xuan Wushang again. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave first. I¡¯ll come here at dusk tomorrow.¡± Xuan Wushang waved his hand expressionlessly. Only then did Xue Gie put on her hood again to cover her face and quietly retreat into the darkness and disappear. In the blink of an eye, only Xuan Wushang was left in the forest. The bleak night wind blew past the stalagmites, making a low whimpering sound, as if invisible ghosts were hiding in all the shadows.. ¡°Xue Gie¡­¡± Xuan Wushang muttered thoughtfully, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled into an ambiguous smile. ¡°Interesting!¡± ¡­ In the Ye family¡¯s house in the north of the Iron City. Looking at the familiar environment at home, Ye Jin suddenly felt a headache coming on. She would never have thought that after she threatened Lin Ran with her life, the first thing they would do was go home and sleep. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that time is running out?¡± Ye Jin asked with a strange expression, ¡°Why do you still have time to sleep?¡± ¡°Of course I have to rest well before doing something big. A good rest is already half the battle.¡± Lin Ran replied casually and walked towards his room. ¡°Go and rest too. It¡¯s getting late. We have to get up early tomorrow!¡± Looking at Lin Ran¡¯s back as he walked away lazily, Ye Jin was speechless. However, she quickly realized that things were not that simple. The situation was so tense now that even Ye Jin could feel it, but Lin Ran didn¡¯t seem to care at all. This was very abnormal. ¡°Does he want to leave alone while I¡¯m asleep?¡± Chapter 332 - 332 Empty City, A Déjà Vu Scene 332 Empty City, A D¨¦j¨¤ Vu Scene In the Ye family¡¯s house in the Iron City. As the night deepened, the bright moon gradually sank into the west, and the moonlight shone through the window on the ground also dimmed. Lin Ran lay on the bed and snored like thunder, but his eyes were wide open. At the same time, he pricked up his ears to listen to the commotion outside because ever since he entered the room and lay down, he had not heard Ye Jin go upstairs. ¡°Could it be that she noticed it?¡± Lin Ran thought to himself, but he felt that it was impossible. After all, his acting just now could be described as perfect. How could he not be able to fool a teenage girl? He waited patiently for another fifteen minutes, but there was still no sound of anyone going upstairs. However, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t wait any longer. It wasn¡¯t that he was impatient, but if he waited any longer, it would be dawn! Lin Ran guessed that Ye Jin was afraid of disturbing his rest, so she walked very softly when she went upstairs. As he maintained his thunderous snoring, he nimbly got off the bed and walked towards the back window. Creak¡ª When the window fan opened, it made a strange sound, but it was unnoticeable under the cover of Lin Ran¡¯s snoring. Therefore, Lin Ran didn¡¯t mind. He pushed open the window fan completely with the sound of snoring and was about to jump out when he suddenly heard Ye Jin ask from behind, ¡°Where are you going so late at night?¡± Lin Ran was shocked. He turned around and saw that the door had opened at some point. Ye Jin was standing at the door in a loose coat and staring at him expressionlessly. ¡°I¡ª¡± Caught red-handed, Lin Ran, who had always been glib-tongued, couldn¡¯t help but feel speechless. He held the window with one hand and lifted his clothes with the other. He stood by the window for a long time, but he couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Hmph! I knew you were fooling me.¡± Ye Jin rolled her eyes at Lin Ran and walked in to sit by the bed. ¡°Tell me, are you going to leave me behind?¡± ¡°No, I¡­¡± Lin Ran subconsciously wanted to deny it, but after thinking about it carefully, he nodded. ¡°I want to go out alone to do something, but I¡¯ll be back! I promise!¡± Ye Jin glanced at the back window that was pushed open. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll still believe you?¡± When Lin Ran heard this, he immediately felt aggrieved, but he was indeed in the wrong this time. He couldn¡¯t say anything else and could only sigh helplessly. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll bring you along, but you¡¯re very tired today. Sleep for a while before we set off.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not tired! Let¡¯s go now!¡± Ye Jin took a deep breath and shook her head. Her voice sounded energetic, but her eyes were clearly unfocused. Lin Ran smiled bitterly. After closing the window, he cut off a piece of cloth and tied one end to his wrist. Then, he placed the other end in Ye Jin¡¯s hand. ¡°You can sleep here while I meditate beside you. With this rope, you don¡¯t have to worry about me sneaking away.¡± Ye Jin looked at the cloth that connected the two of them. ¡°If you lie to me again, I¡¯ll ignore you forever!¡± Ye Jin looked at Lin Ran and said seriously. Lin Ran nodded solemnly and sat cross-legged on the ground beside the bed. Ye Jin pulled the rope and lay on the bed. At first, she would occasionally open her eyes to see if Lin Ran was around, but after a few minutes, she fell asleep. Hearing Ye Jin¡¯s increasingly calm breathing, Lin Ran looked at the cloth on his wrist and smiled helplessly before slowly closing his eyes. In the blink of an eye, the sky lit up. A rooster crowed from somewhere in the city. Lin Ran slowly let out a breath and opened his eyes. He raised his hand and patted Ye Jin, who was still sleeping soundly. ¡°Wake up. We¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°Huh? Leaving? Where are we going?¡± Ye Jin opened her eyes in a daze and was stunned when she saw Lin Ran in front of her. Then, she suddenly picked up a pillow and threw it at him. ¡°You lecher! How dare you barge into a girl¡¯s room!¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Lin Ran dodged the pillow and looked at the furious Ye Jin. ¡°Open your eyes and take a good look! Who¡¯s bedroom is this?¡± Ye Jin looked around suspiciously before remembering what happened last night. A hint of embarrassment immediately appeared on her childish face. Seeing Ye Jin¡¯s reaction, Lin Ran knew that she was completely awake. He untied the cloth on his wrist and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the magistrate¡¯s office later. You can continue sleeping if you want. I¡¯ll come back to pick you up after I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go with you!¡± When Ye Jin heard this, she quickly shook her head. Then, she patted her face to wake herself up. However, how could the tiredness and haggardness she had been experiencing for the past few days be so easily concealed? Lin Ran saw how haggard Ye Jin was, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He stood up, tidied up his clothes, and turned to leave. After a while, Ye Jin, who was dressed neatly, followed him out. On the empty street, Lin Ran and Ye Jin walked side by side. The thin morning fog condensed into a thin layer of dew on the metal ground. Lin Ran had to focus all his attention to prevent himself from slipping. On the other hand, Ye Jin, who was at the side, walked lightly. It was obvious that she was already used to walking on the slippery ground. As they walked, Ye Jin suddenly asked in confusion, ¡°That¡¯s a little strange. Why isn¡¯t there anyone on the street?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s too early?¡± Lin Ran replied casually. Suddenly, he slipped and almost embarrassed himself. Fortunately, Ye Jin¡¯s attention was not on him. She looked around and frowned. ¡°But usually at this hour, there are already people coming out to sell food. There¡¯s no one on the street today. Something must have happened.¡± Seeing that Ye Jin was so certain, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious. Then, he stopped in his tracks and released his divine sense. Then, his expression changed. ¡°I think you¡¯re right¡­¡± Lin Ran frowned and said softly. With a flash of white light, the Yin-Yang Sword appeared in his hand. ¡°I used my divine sense to scan the surroundings just now. There are only the two of us within 150 meters.¡± When Ye Jin heard this, she became nervous. ¡°How did this happen? Did something happen in the city?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Lin Ran shook his head. After thinking for a moment, he pulled Ye Jin behind him and pushed open the door of the nearest house. When the door opened, a spacious living room came into view. There were tea and snacks on the metal table. It looked like they were prepared for guests, but there was no one in the house. Seeing this scene, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene on the Eight Directional Mountain. At that time, the people from the Eight Directional Mountain Sect also mysteriously disappeared. Later on, he found out that it was Liu Hongshan and Xiao Huai who did it. However, Liu Hongshan and Xiao Huai were not here. Who else could¡¯ve done it? Chapter 333 - 333 Important Task 333 Important Task After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran released his divine sense to explore a larger area. Then, he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°We¡¯re overthinking.¡± Ye Jin frowned in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lin Ran raised his hand and drew a circle in the air. ¡°Within 150 meters, it is empty, but further away from that, everything is as usual.¡± Hearing this explanation, the confusion in Ye Jin¡¯s eyes intensified. ¡°But why is there no one within 150 meters? Where did they go?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Lin Ran smiled bitterly and shrugged. Before Ye Jin could speak, he continued, ¡°In short, everything is normal in the city,¡±at least for the time being. Don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s go.¡± Ye Jin looked at the empty living room again and opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she didn¡¯t say anything. She nodded and set off with Lin Ran. After that, just as Lin Ran had said, after the two of them walked for a while, the street slowly became lively. Although there were not many pedestrians passing by, it was still more normal than the empty street just now. ¡°See, I told you it was fine, right?¡± Lin Ran looked at Ye Jin, who was frowning, and said with a smile, ¡°Those people probably went out to do something together. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Ye Jin raised her eyebrows. ¡°Dozens of families went out to do something together, but no one told my family?¡± Lin Ran really didn¡¯t know how to explain. He could only pretend not to hear it and continue walking. In silence, the two of them arrived at the magistrate¡¯s office. Seeing the destination, Ye Jin revealed a puzzled expression. ¡°What are we here for?¡± ¡°To attend an appointment.¡± Lin Ran replied in a subtle tone. Before Ye Jin could ask further, he knocked on the door. Not long after, the door opened and a young man in black stuck his head out. He yawned and said impatiently, ¡°His Lordship is not up yet. Come back later!¡± With that, the man closed the door. Lin Ran took a step forward and blocked the door from closing. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for His Lordship. I¡¯m here to look for Sun Ge.¡± ¡°Looking for Brother Sun?¡± The young man frowned slightly and hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go inform him.¡± Ye Jin asked in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t he want to catch you? Why did you come looking for him?¡± ¡°Him wanting to catch me is just a misunderstanding.¡± Lin Ran crossed his arms and replied with a smile, ¡°Now that the misunderstanding has been resolved, why can¡¯t I come to look for him?¡± Ye Jin blinked, clearly not understanding. However, seeing how confident Lin Ran was, she didn¡¯t say anything else. The two of them waited quietly at the entrance of the magistrate¡¯s office for a few minutes before the tightly shut door finally opened. It was still the same person who came out. ¡°Brother Sun asked me to take you in¡ª¡± At this point, the man glanced at Ye Jin before turning his gaze back to Lin Ran. ¡°But he said that he¡¯ll only see you.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, before Lin Ran could speak, Ye Jin exploded. ¡°Why? Why wouldn¡¯t he see me?¡± ¡°How would I know? Anyway, that¡¯s what Brother Sun said.¡± The man replied casually. His gaze landed on Lin Ran¡¯s face and his tone became impatient again. ¡°Are you coming in or not? If not, I¡¯ll go back to sleep!¡± Lin Ran nodded repeatedly. Actually, he had long guessed that this would happen. After all, Sun Ge and Chen Tianqi were ordered to kill Ye Jin¡¯s mother back then. Sun Ge would definitely feel a little uncomfortable when he saw Ye Jin. It was also because of this that Lin Ran wanted to sneak over to meet him last night. However, he was caught by Ye Jin in a moment of carelessness. Seeing that Lin Ran agreed, the man stepped aside to make way. Lin Ran was about to enter when he suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°By the way, it¡¯s not good to let a girl wait outside so early in the morning. Can she wait for me inside?¡± The man thought for a moment and nodded. Lin Ran looked at Ye Jin and said, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll look for you in fifteen minutes at most.¡± Ye Jin looked like she wanted to refuse, but before she could speak, Lin Ran said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Be good. Besides, I have an important task for you.¡± Hearing that there was an ¡°important task¡±, Ye Jin immediately perked up. ¡°What task?¡± Lin Ran smiled and whispered into her ear. After hearing it, Ye Jin looked puzzled. ¡°Is this the important task you mentioned? But why do I feel that it¡¯s a pointless task?¡± ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t understand the importance of it.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression turned serious. He patted Ye Jin¡¯s shoulder and said seriously, ¡°This task is extremely important. Please do it seriously because it concerns our lives!¡± ¡°That important?¡± Ye Jin¡¯s expression instantly turned solemn. Then, she nodded heavily with a serious expression. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely do my best!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Lin Ran gave her an affirmative look. When he turned to look at the man, he put on a relaxed expression. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The man turned around and brought the two of them into the magistrate¡¯s office. He first found a room for Ye Jin to wait before bringing Lin Ran to see Sun Ge. After the two of them left, Ye Jin immediately closed the door and windows. Then, she took off the necklace she was wearing and wiped it carefully. As she wiped it, she was wondering why the cleanness of this necklace concerned her and Lin Ran¡¯s lives? On the other side. Lin Ran was brought to another room not far away. When he entered, Sun Ge was already waiting in the room. Seeing Lin Ran enter, Sun Ge perked up. After greeting him, he said to the man who led the way, ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Go back and rest.¡± The man agreed and turned to leave. Only then did Sun Ge look at Lin Ran warily. ¡°Why are you here again? Didn¡¯t I tell you everything last night?¡± ¡°Yes, you did. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not here for you today¡­¡± Lin Ran smiled casually. Before he could finish speaking, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and right on the heels of that, the smile on his face disappeared. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± Chapter 334 - 334 Life and Death of the Country 334 Life and Death of the Country Before Sun Ge could open and ask when a strange breeze suddenly swept up in the courtyard. Then, a ball of white fog quietly landed on the ground like a cloud. The wind blew and the clouds dissipated. A young man in white appeared from the clouds. He exuded a scholarly aura, but there was an indescribable maliciousness in his eyes. ¡°Tianqi?¡± Sun Ge recognized the person. He didn¡¯t know that the real Chen Tianqi had been killed, but now he realized why Lin Ran was here today. Last night, Lin Ran said that Chen Tianqi would come to look for him this morning, but Lin Ran said that he wasn¡¯t here for him. Then, who Lin Ran was here for was obvious. At the same time, ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± also saw Lin Ran. He frowned slightly and looked at Sun Ge with a sinister gaze. ¡°Why is he here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see you.¡± Without waiting for Sun Ge to explain, Lin Ran took the initiative to step forward. He crossed his arms and sized up the other party with a playful smile. ¡°Should I call you Your Majesty now or Chen Tianqi?¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±¡®s eyes flickered, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Sun Ge walked out of the door and sighed helplessly. ¡°Tianqi, he already knows about it.¡± Hearing this, ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±¡®s malicious eyes suddenly turned cold. ¡°Did you spill the beans?¡± Sun Ge opened his mouth but didn¡¯t say anything because he didn¡¯t know how to explain it. Although Lin Ran had guessed most of it himself, if he had been more careful back then, Lin Ran might not be able to guess it. Seeing that Sun Ge was silent for a long time, ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± sighed unhappily and turned to look at Lin Ran, who was smiling. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Cooperation.¡± Lin Ran went straight to the point. ¡°I think you know very well that Xuan Wushang is gone. No one knows when he will appear and what he will do after he appears.¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± looked down at the ground and did not speak. He frowned slightly as if he was hesitating. After a few minutes, he looked up and asked, ¡°What benefits can I obtain from cooperating with you?¡± ¡°I can let you die a bit later.¡± Lin Ran replied in a relaxed tone, as if he was talking about something trivial. However, ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± and Sun Ge¡¯s expressions changed at the same time! ¡°Let me die later?¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±¡®s eyes turned cold, and the white robe that covered his body fluttered even though there was no wind. ¡°We don¡¯t seem to have grudges against each other, do we?¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t, but you owe me a life.¡± Lin Ran said, and his originally relaxed expression gradually turned cold, ¡°Don¡¯t think you can get away with taking Zou Hao¡¯s life.¡± ¡°Zou Hao?¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± looked confused, as if he didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was talking about. After recalling for a moment, he nodded in realization. ¡°You mean the person who was secretly investigating Nanjiang Town, right? So his name is Zou Hao.¡± Hearing the disdainful tone, Lin Ran¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± still didn¡¯t seem to care. He nodded slightly and admitted, ¡°I killed him, but before that, I had already warned him to stop. However, he chose to die. How can I be blamed for that?¡± ¡°Whatever you say. In short, I¡¯ll definitely hold you accountable for Zou Hao¡¯s death.¡± Lin Ran replied coldly with a dark expression, ¡°But if you agree to cooperate, I can kill you a bit later. At the very least, I can give you some time to make up for your regret.¡± ¡°How considerate¡­¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± grinned. However, with his sinister expression, no matter how one looked at it, one would think that his grin was strange. ¡°Tianqi¡­¡± Sensing the tense atmosphere, Sun Ge took a few steps forward and stood between the two of them. ¡°It was my negligence not to keep it a secret, but after thinking about it carefully last night, I think it¡¯s not a bad thing.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Chen Tianqi asked with interest. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°We did all of this for¡­¡± Sun Ge subconsciously blurted out, but he suddenly stopped mid-sentence. He looked at Lin Ran warily and continued, ¡°Our goals don¡¯t conflict. In addition, he¡¯s quite strong. If we can get his help, won¡¯t it be easier to achieve our goals?¡± ¡°But how do you know that his goal doesn¡¯t conflict with ours?¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± said calmly. Although he was talking to Sun Ge, his eyes were fixed on Lin Ran. ¡°We don¡¯t even know what his motive is.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Sun Ge didn¡¯t know what to say. Although Lin Ran had said a few things about his goal, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that he was not being completely honest. As for Lin Ran¡¯s true goal, Sun Ge didn¡¯t even have a clue. Thinking of this, Sun Ge turned to look at Lin Ran at the door. ¡°If you really want to cooperate, show your sincerity.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Ge stared at Lin Ran with a burning gaze, looking like he would fall out with him if he didn¡¯t tell him the truth. However, in fact, Sun Ge was not confident. After all, Lin Ran¡¯s cultivation was extraordinary and he had the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty backing him. No matter what, there was no need for Lin Ran to cooperate with them. However, to Sun Ge¡¯s surprise, after hearing his words, Lin Ran really said sincerely, ¡°I want to overthrow the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s voice was not loud, but these eight words were like eight thunderclaps that exploded in Sun Ge¡¯s ears. Even ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±¡® widened his eyes in shock. Overthrow the Great Yong Dynasty? How presumptuous of him to say such a thing in front of two people from the Great Yong Dynasty. After a few minutes, Sun Ge came back to his senses and asked in disbelief, ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I want to overthrow the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Lin Ran repeated it without hiding anything. His eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to liberate the Iron City? Overthrow the Great Yong Dynasty with me and let the Heavenly Saint Dynasty become the new ruler of this place. At that time, your goal will naturally be achieved.¡± Sun Ge looked at Lin Ran with a subtle expression. His first reaction was that Lin Ran was talking nonsense. However, when Sun Ge saw the seriousness in Lin Ran¡¯s eyes, he realized that Lin Ran was not joking. He really wanted to join forces with them to overthrow the Great Yong Dynasty! ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too confident?¡± Sun Ge¡¯s face darkened as he said coldly, ¡°What makes you think we¡¯ll betray our own country?¡± As soon as Sun Ge finished speaking, the surrounding temperature seemed to have dropped below freezing point. Wisps of cold wind blades wreaked havoc and circled around, emitting ear-piercing screeches. It was as if countless ferocious beasts were prepared to tear Lin Ran into pieces at any moment! Chapter 335 - 335 Taking What You Need 335 Taking What You Need Sun Ge placed his hand on the hilt of the saber at his waist, and the white robe on ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± fluttered restlessly. However, Lin Ran just watched quietly as the countless sharp wind blades swept past him. His expression was as relaxed as if he was bathing in the spring breeze. After a short but suffocating silence, Lin Ran burst out laughing. ¡°Why are you so excited? I didn¡¯t say that I had to overthrow the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Sun Ge was stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It means that I originally wanted to overthrow the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Lin Ran shrugged nonchalantly and replied indifferently, ¡°But after thinking about it carefully, I realized that there¡¯s no need to tire myself out, but this is indeed my goal, so when you asked, I told you¡ªit¡¯s that simple.¡± Sun Ge did not say anything. He turned around and looked at ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±. Both of them had strange expressions on their faces. After a few seconds, ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± asked, ¡°Then if you are not going to overthrow the Great Yong Dynasty anymore, do you have any other motives?¡± ¡°Kill Xuan Wushang and Liu Hongshan.¡± Lin Ran replied without hesitation. After a pause, he looked at ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± in the courtyard. ¡°And you.¡± Chen Tianqi made Zou Hao die a horrible death in the forest. Killing him was Lin Ran¡¯s promise to Zou Hao. Xuan Wushang allowed Liu Ruxi to nurture martial artists with evil methods. As a martial artist, Lin Ran naturally had to uphold justice. Back then, in order to improve his cultivation, Liu Hongshan killed a total of more than 3,000 people in seven villages near Mount Sword. In short, Lin Ran could ignore the conflicts between those countries, but he had to kill these three people. On the other side. Sun Ge had been living in the city for a long time and had no idea who Liu Hongshan was. However, the remaining two names were enough to shock him. ¡°Can you not kill them?¡± Sun Ge asked subconsciously. As soon as he said that, he felt that he was an idiot. As expected, Lin Ran only shrugged in response to this question. He was not even in the mood to answer. ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± suddenly asked, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, you want us to help you kill Liu Hongshan, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Ran nodded and said seriously, ¡°Liu Hongshan¡¯s strength is comparable to mine. If I fight him head-on, my chances of winning are less than 50%.¡± ¡°Is Liu Hongshan actually so powerful?¡± Sun Ge was shocked. Although he had never seen Lin Ran use his full strength, he knew that Lin Ran¡¯s strength was definitely beyond his reach. But now, even Lin Ran said that his chances of winning were less than 50%. How terrifying was Liu Hongshan? Moreover, what could he and Chen Tianqi do to help him fight such a powerful enemy? Not only was Sun Ge puzzled, but ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± was also puzzled. ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Are you joking? Our strength is far inferior to yours. How can we kill someone who¡¯s on par with you?¡± Lin Ran smiled and looked at ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± meaningfully. ¡°Of course you don¡¯t have the ability, but Xuan Wushang does.¡± Hearing the words ¡°Xuan Wushang¡±, Chen Tianqi¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, but he quickly composed himself. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually very simple.¡± Lin Ran stretched out his finger and drew a circle in the air. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a trap that can kill him, but we¡¯ve fought too many times and know each other too well. If I use myself as bait, he¡¯ll definitely be suspicious.¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± asked, ¡°So you want me to summon Liu Hongshan and get him to walk into the trap?¡± Lin Ran stared at ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± for a while before nodding with a smile. ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t it simple?¡± ¡°It does sound simple, but there¡¯s still a premise¡ª¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± paused for a moment, as if he was hesitating if he should say it. ¡°We can¡¯t let him know that we¡¯re working together, right?¡± Lin Ran continued what ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± wanted to say. Then, he spread his hands and said casually, ¡°This is even simpler. After all, only the three of us know.¡± With that, Lin Ran glanced at Sun Ge. Although he didn¡¯t say a word, his penetrating gaze made Sun Ge uncomfortable. ¡°I won¡¯t spill beans this time!¡± Sun Ge patted his chest and promised. ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± said calmly, his gaze still on Lin Ran. ¡°I can help you, but Liu Hongshan is very cautious. If we don¡¯t want him to notice that we¡¯re working together, we have to minimize your involvement in this plan.¡± Hearing this, Sun Ge immediately nodded in agreement. ¡°Tianqi, I think he¡¯s right. Actually, our plan is almost perfect. There are just a few stumbling blocks.¡± ¡°Previously, we couldn¡¯t deal with them because we weren¡¯t strong enough. However, with his help, we will definitely be able to make those people disappear without anyone knowing. At that time, we can take the opportunity to push our plan forward and complete it.¡± As if convinced by Sun Ge¡¯s words, ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± finally nodded with a sinister expression. ¡°In that case, I hope our cooperation will be fruitful.¡± Lin Ran smiled. In the next second, he suddenly appeared in front of ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±. He was so fast that even Sun Ge, who was standing between the two of them, did not notice it. Almost at the same time, ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±¡®s pupils constricted, and the white robe on his body suddenly billowed. However, Lin Ran didn¡¯t attack him. He only stretched out his right hand and looked at him with a smile. ¡°I wish us a happy cooperation!¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± didn¡¯t say anything. He narrowed his eyes, looking at Lin Ran¡¯s right hand, his malicious eyes filled with vigilance. Seeing the other party¡¯s vigilant expression, Lin Ran explained, ¡°This is a new etiquette that has been popular in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty recently. By shaking hands, the cooperation will be officially established.¡± ¡°Is there such etiquette?¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±¡®s eyes were filled with suspicion, but in the end, he still reached out to shake hands with Lin Ran. No one noticed that the moment the two of them shook hands, an extremely faint sword intent was released from Lin Ran¡¯s palm. A corner of Fluttering Cloud was cut off and fell into Lin Ran¡¯s sleeve with the wind. Chapter 336 - 336 Wealth Comes From Risk 336 Wealth Comes From Risk When the piece of Fluttering Cloud slipped into his sleeve, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but tremble. An ecstasy surged from the bottom of his heart like a fountain. His guess was right! That was indeed what Cloud Breaking Slash was about! The so-called ¡°Cloud Breaking Slash¡± was not a cultivation technique or saber manual at all, but something similar to an instruction manual. This manual was for the number one saber in the ¡°Famous Saber Manual¡±, the supreme treasure passed down from generation to generation in the Great Yong Dynasty¡¯s royal family¡ªFluttering Cloud! Looking at Fluttering Cloud that was moving without wind, Lin Ran was overcome with excitement. Now that he knew how to control Fluttering Cloud, he could even strip it of ¡°Chen Tianqi¡¯s¡± body if he wanted to. Now, this famous saber that had once given him a headache was no longer a threat to him. However, Lin Ran was not in a hurry to snatch it from ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±. The ecstasy in his heart was perfectly concealed by his expression. Lin Ran shook ¡°Chen Tianqi¡¯s¡± hand a few times. After letting go, he turned around and held Sun Ge¡¯s hand. ¡°Happy cooperation!¡± Sun Ge nodded awkwardly, as if he was not used to holding hands with a man. After retracting his hand, Sun Ge asked with a serious expression, ¡°Since it¡¯s a cooperation, I¡¯ll be straightforward with you. We both need each other¡¯s help in our plans, so it¡¯s impossible for us to carry out our plans at once. So, which plan do you want to carry out first?¡± Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this. He had never thought of this before. After all, even the cooperation was a spur-of-the-moment idea he had last night. Seeing that Lin Ran was silent, Sun Ge sighed and said tentatively, ¡°My suggestion is that you help us first.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Ge became visibly nervous. However, to Sun Ge¡¯s surprise, Lin Ran was not angry when he heard this suggestion. Instead, he looked interested. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Here is what I think¡­¡± Although Sun Ge didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking, he still explained his thoughts as succinctly as possible. ¡°If you kick us to the curb when we¡¯ve outlived our usefulness after dealing with Liu Hongshan. We can¡¯t do anything to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Lin Ran nodded noncommittally, and the expression of interest on his face became more obvious. ¡°But what if you turn your back on me after I help you?¡± ¡°Then you can kill us or destroy everything we¡¯ve worked so hard to obtain.¡± Sun Ge smiled sadly and looked at Lin Ran with helplessness and despair. ¡°You¡¯re so strong. This kind of thing¡­ is nothing to you.¡± Lin Ran smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. This reaction made Sun Ge nervous again because even though their cooperation was established, he still didn¡¯t feel that Lin Ran needed his help. No one would be willing to lower themselves to cooperate with people weaker than them, and Lin Ran was naturally no exception. The strange silence lasted for a few minutes. Just as Sun Ge was about to break the silence, Lin Ran finally nodded. ¡°Tell me, who do you want to kill?¡± Sun Ge blinked, as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he had heard. He asked in ecstasy, ¡°So you agree?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a piece of cake anyway.¡± Lin Ran waved his hand indifferently and said, ¡°Although I can kill Liu Hongshan without you, if doing something small can make things easier for me, why not?¡± After a pause, Lin Ran sized up the two of them with a playful gaze and chuckled. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t feel guilty about killing people from the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Sun Ge took a step forward and said seriously, ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. We don¡¯t want you to kill anyone. It¡¯s enough to take them away and lock them up so that our plan can be carried out smoothly.¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t have to kill anyone?¡± Lin Ran looked disappointed and turned to look at the silent ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±. ¡°You don¡¯t intend to kill anyone either?¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± didn¡¯t say anything and only nodded expressionlessly. ¡°Fine.¡± Lin Ran shrugged helplessly. Then, he thought of something and added, ¡°By the way, let me make it clear first. I¡¯ll try my best not to kill anyone, but if someone doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them and fights me, I won¡¯t be responsible if I accidentally kill a few of them.¡± Sun Ge and ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± looked at each other and nodded helplessly. After all, the difference in strength between the two sides was obvious. Lin Ran had already made a concession. If they continued to push their luck, they would regret it. Seeing that they had reached a consensus, Lin Ran clapped his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve said everything I need to say. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave first. Later, write a list of the people you want to capture and send it to the Ye family.¡± With that, Lin Ran turned around and left. He had promised Ye Jin that he would look for her in fifteen minutes. Now, it was almost time. Sun Ge and ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± stood rooted to the ground and watched silently. Only when Lin Ran¡¯s figure disappeared into the distance did Sun Ge look at ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±. ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­ a little too risky?¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± smiled disapprovingly. ¡°Wealth comes from risk.¡± Sun Ge sighed with a solemn expression and muttered to himself, ¡°Wealth comes from risk, but it¡¯s also lost in risk¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± raised his hand, and a wisp of fog separated from Fluttering Cloud and floated to Sun Ge¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. At the very least, compared to those people, Lin Ran is more predictable¡­ At least, he has his own bottom line.¡± Hearing the words ¡°those people¡±, Sun Ge seemed to perk up. ¡°How¡¯s the situation on your side? The last step is about to begin. Nothing should go wrong at this time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything is fine on my end.¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± revealed a comforting smile and said in a subtle tone, ¡°The people of the other five countries are already in position. When they die, no one will know that we did this.¡± Sun Ge still sighed with a complicated expression. ¡°I hope so¡­¡± Chapter 337 - 337 Another Wave Rises 337 Another Wave Rises In a room in the magistrate¡¯s office in the Iron City. Ye Jin leaned on the table and carefully wiped the necklace her mother had left for her. The places that she had blackened with fire last night were already as bright as new. At this moment, she was using the small knife she carried with her to carefully clean the dirt in the joints and the small gaps. Every segment of these metal rods was only the thickness of a chopstick and the length of a knuckle. It was definitely a huge task to completely clean them up. Fortunately, Ye Jin had patience that didn¡¯t match her age. However, because she was too focused, she didn¡¯t even notice that Lin Ran was already standing behind her. Seeing Ye Jin looking serious, Lin Ran suddenly felt a little bad. In fact, he had casually made up such an ¡°important task¡± just now to keep Ye Jin busy. He thought that Ye Jin was young and could be fooled easily, but he did not expect her to take it so seriously. ¡°Ahem!¡± Lin Ran cleared his throat. Ye Jin, who was focused, was shocked. She turned around and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw who it was. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you make a sound when you came in? Are you trying to scare me?¡± Ye Jin rolled her eyes. She was clearly certain that Lin Ran did it intentonally. Lin Ran laughed dryly and pointed at the necklace in Ye Jin¡¯s hand. ¡°How¡¯s the cleaning going?¡± ¡°There are still many gaps to be cleaned!¡± Ye Jin pouted and said unhappily, ¡°These gaps are too small. It¡¯s very troublesome to clean them up. I still can¡¯t figure out what this necklace has to do with our lives.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret that can¡¯t be revealed. You¡¯ll know when the time comes!¡± Lin Ran pretended to be mysterious and chuckled. Then, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done with my business. Let¡¯s go home first.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Ye Jin nodded and cleaned the stains on the table. After putting on the necklace, she was about to get up when her eyes suddenly rolled back and she fainted! Just as Ye Jin¡¯s head was about to hit the metal table, Lin Ran quickly supported her. ¡°Ye Jin! Ye Jin, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Ran called out a few times, but there was no response. His expression immediately became strange. Although he was not on guard just now, he did not sense any danger. Could it be that she had been too tired these past few days and passed out from exhaustion? Just as Lin Ran was feeling puzzled, he suddenly felt a slight fluctuation of internal energy. Then, the two doors closed with a bang, looking like they were blown by the wind. However, these two metal doors were at least dozens of kilograms heavy. What kind of wind could close them? ¡°Who is it?¡± Lin Ran immediately realized that someone was wrong. While being vigilant, the Yin-Yang Sword appeared in his hand, and thousands of sword energy surged out, instantly forming a barrier to protect the two of them. At the same time, a cabinet in the corner of the room suddenly opened. A person covered in blood fell out and fell to the ground with a thud. Even behind the sword energy barrier, Lin Ran could still smell the strong smell of blood on that person. He frowned and hesitated for a moment before finally opening the barrier and walking out. Lin Ran sent out a wisp of divine sense to scan the person and realized that his body was mutilated. Not only were there more than ten deep wounds on his body, but even his meridians and internal organs were severely damaged. At the same time, the internal energy that had gone out of control was still rampaging through his body, undoubtedly making things worse for his already mutilated body. However, the vast internal energy in that person¡¯s body shocked Lin Ran. It was probably because of this that he was still alive. Unfortunately, the other party had completely lost control of his internal energy. Even Lin Ran found it difficult to accurately determine his cultivation level. He only knew that the other party was at least a Senior Grandmaster through the amount of internal energy he had. ¡°Who are you? Why are you injured like this?¡± Lin Ran held the Yin-Yang Sword and asked, but after waiting for a while, there was no response. It was as if that person was completely unconscious. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran decided to take a look at the situation first. Then, he flipped the man over and found that his face was also covered in a thick layer of blood. However, from his beard, he seemed to be a middle-aged man. Thinking that he didn¡¯t know anyone like this, Lin Ran felt troubled. Logically speaking, the life of this person had nothing to do with him. He just had to inform Sun Ge and leave with Ye Jin. However, for some reason, Lin Ran felt that it was this guy who caused Ye Jin to faint. In addition, this person didn¡¯t forget to close the door. It was obvious that he had something to say to him, but he couldn¡¯t last long enough to tell him. After transferring an internal energy to stabilize the other party¡¯s injuries, Lin Ran sat on the ground and pondered. It was definitely unrealistic to wait for this person to wake up, but if he brought two unconscious people, one of whom was covered in blood, to wander around outside, he would probably be stopped before he reached the entrance. Even if he could leave the magistrate¡¯s office, there were still many pedestrians outside. After thinking about it, Lin Ran had no choice but to break the back window. Then, he picked up the unconscious Ye Jin with one hand and carried the injured person with another. Then, he stepped on the Yin-Yang Sword and rode out of the shattered window! Such a huge commotion naturally attracted the attention of everyone in the magistrate¡¯s office. When the guards nearby rushed into the room and saw the blood on the ground, they were instantly vigilant. After flying for a while on his sword, Lin Ran brought the two of them outside the Iron City and landed in a small forest more than ten miles north of the city. After throwing the injured person to the ground, Lin Ran patted Ye Jin¡¯s face. ¡°Ye Jin? Can you hear me? Wake up.¡± After Lin Ran shouted two or three times in a row, Ye Jin finally woke up. When she opened her eyes and saw the surroundings, she couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. ¡°Why am I here? Aren¡¯t we in the magistrate¡¯s office?¡± ¡°Um¡­ It¡¯s a long story!¡± Seeing that Ye Jin was fine, he relaxed and pointed at the injured person beside him. ¡°Do you know this person?¡± Ye Jin looked in the direction Lin Ran was pointing and realized that there was another person lying in the grass. She frowned and said uncomfortably, ¡°His face is covered in blood. Who can recognize him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Lin Ran nodded. He took a handful of dew from the grass and began to scrub the person¡¯s face. Soon, a delicate face was revealed from the blood. Only then did Lin Ran realize that this person was very young. It was just that he hadn¡¯t shaved for a long time and his face was covered in blood, making him look very old, but in fact, he was only in his early twenties. ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­¡± Lin Ran looked at that delicate face and couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Why do I feel that this person looks a little familiar?¡± Chapter 338 - 338 Request for Help from the Enemy 338 Request for Help from the Enemy Speaking of which, although Lin Ran ran around all day, he didn¡¯t know many people. It was mainly because he was too powerful and didn¡¯t need to ask for help, so he naturally couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his time socializing. Therefore, at this moment, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t help but find it strange to see a familiar person he didn¡¯t know. Even if he didn¡¯t want to admit it, he was indeed a little face-blind. For him to find someone familiar, it must be someone he had interacted with a lot before. After thinking about it carefully for a moment, Lin Ran still couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen this person before. He turned to look at Ye Jin and asked, ¡°I wiped his face clean. Do you know him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him.¡± Ye Jin shook her head after taking a glance. Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately became even stranger. Apart from the residents of the Iron City, Lin Ran hadn¡¯t seen anyone else recently, but even if this person wasn¡¯t from the Iron City, he should have heard of such a young senior grandmaster¡­ Wait! A young senior grandmaster? Lin Ran¡¯s eyes lit up, and a thought suddenly flashed across his mind¡ªLiu Ruxi! Nanjiang Town! If there were any young grandmasters in the world that Lin Ran didn¡¯t know, it would probably be the ¡°cocoons¡± in Nanjiang Town. However, ever since Lin Ran caused a mess in Nanjiang Town last time, the entire town was in ruins. Liu Ruxi and the ¡°cocoons¡± were nowhere to be found. Now that only half a month had passed, it was almost impossible to rebuild Nanjiang Town, so Lin Ran did not pay much attention to what Liu Ruxi was up to lately. However, when he saw this seriously injured young man on the verge of death today, he suddenly had an ominous feeling. While thinking, Lin Ran sent his divine sense into the young man¡¯s body. Unlike the previous careless examination, this time, he seriously checked the young man¡¯s injuries. ¡°Ye Jin!¡± Lin Ran shouted without looking back, ¡°Fetch some dry branches and burn them to ashes!¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Ye Jin didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran wanted to do, but she still agreed and ran away. At the same time, Lin Ran placed his right hand on the young man¡¯s chest and took a deep breath to focus. Then, he released a few strands of internal energy from his palm and began to help this young man stabilize the internal energy that had gone out of control. The young man¡¯s meridians were severely damaged, and a huge amount of internal energy rampaged through his body like a ferocious beast. Lin Ran could only use his internal energy to force the uncontrollable internal energy back to its original place. This method sounded simple, but it was not. If he used too much internal energy, it would cause the other party second harm. However, if he used too little and it was ineffective, even Lin Ran might suffer a backlash. The entire process was like standing on the edge of a cliff with countless ferocious beasts baring their fangs down below.. Even so, Lin Ran didn¡¯t hesitate at all. It wasn¡¯t that he cared about the life and death of this young man, but that ominous feeling made him very concerned. If he didn¡¯t figure it out, he might not be in the mood to do anything. After a long time, the young man¡¯s violent internal energy finally stabilized. Lin Ran¡¯s clothes were already drenched in sweat. Large beads of sweat dripped down his pale face and landed on the ground, forming a shallow puddle. ¡°Lin Ran¡­ are you alright?¡± Ye Jin¡¯s voice sounded behind him. Lin Ran turned around and forced a smile. He instructed in a hoarse voice, ¡°Wash his wound with dew and apply wood ash to stop the bleeding¡­ I¡¯m a little tired. I need to rest for a while.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran fell to the ground. In a daze, he saw Ye Jin running towards him with a cry. Then, his vision darkened and he lost consciousness. After an unknown period of time, Lin Ran gradually woke up from the faint. His clothes, which were soaked in sweat, were still a little damp. It felt indescribably uncomfortable to wear it, but this also proved that Lin Ran had not been unconscious for long. Lin Ran really didn¡¯t expect to be so tired. This tiredness was not only physical, but also spiritual. It was as if he had been running for three days and three nights without sleep. Every part of his body was in pain! ¡°You¡¯re awake?!¡± Ye Jin¡¯s voice came from the side. Lin Ran raised his hand in response. The dazzling sunlight shone down, making Lin Ran subconsciously close his eyes. Then, Lin Ran felt himself being helped to sit up. Ye Jin said in his ear, ¡°Drink some water first.¡± Lin Ran nodded and opened his eyes. He saw a rolled-up leaf brought to his mouth. There was some crystal clear dew on it, but it wasn¡¯t much. ¡°This is the dew I collected.¡± Ye Jin held Lin Ran and whispered with an embarrassed expression, ¡°There was originally a lot of it, but I spilled some on the way¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not too thirsty.¡± Lin Ran smiled and raised his head to drink the dew. The refreshing dew mixed with the faint fragrance of grass made him feel much better. Lin Ran smacked his lips and looked at the young man who was still lying in the grass. ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°He woke up once just now, but he fainted again after a while.¡± Ye Jin sighed and replied helplessly. Then, she suddenly thought of something and slapped her forehead. ¡°By the way, he asked me to tell you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Town Guardian Liu is in danger. Hurry up and save her.¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly when he heard this. If this young man was really one of those ¡°cocoons¡±, the ¡°Town Guardian Liu¡± should be referring to Liu Ruxi. However, the last time he met Liu Ruxi, if not for Xuan Wushang, or rather, Chen Tianqi, who arrived in time, Liu Ruxi would definitely have died under his sword. If this person was from Nanjiang Town, it was impossible for him not to know about this. Then why would he come to ask him for help? Wasn¡¯t this young man afraid that Liu Ruxi would be killed by him? After thinking for a while to avail, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste any more energy. He gritted his teeth and stood up to walk to the unconscious young man. He patted him and shouted softly, ¡°Hey! Wake up! I¡¯m Lin Ran. I have something to ask you!¡± The young man did not respond. Lin Ran pursed his lips and thought for a moment. Suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped the young man twice. After two slaps, as two handprints slowly appeared on the young man¡¯s face, his tightly shut eyes finally opened. Chapter 339 - 339 Short of Money 339 Short of Money The young man, who had just woken up, was still a little confused. He rolled his eyes stiffly and asked in confusion, ¡°Where am I¡­¡± ¡°The Great Yong Dynasty.¡± Lin Ran replied casually and reached out to turn the other party¡¯s face to him. ¡°Look carefully. Do you know me?¡± ¡°You are¡­¡± The young man was stunned for a few seconds before his confused eyes gradually focused. Then, Lin Ran felt the young man grit his teeth as if he wanted to sit up, but he was too seriously injured. He tried a few times but failed. ¡°If you have something to say, say it. Don¡¯t waste time.¡± Lin Ran pressed him down harder and frowned impatiently. ¡°Tell me, do you know me or not?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Lin Ran!¡± The young man replied weakly but excitedly, ¡°We¡¯ve seen each other in Nanjiang Town!¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed Nanjiang Town.¡± Lin Ran thought to himself and continued to ask, ¡°You just sent a message saying that Town Guardian Liu is in trouble. Are you talking about Liu Ruxi?¡± The young man nodded slightly. Lin Ran asked again, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I almost killed her last time? Now, you¡¯re asking me for help. Did someone hit your brain?¡± ¡°No, once Town Guardian Liu dies, we¡¯ll all be finished. Only you can save her now!¡± The young man shook his head. Lin Ran made an ¡°I¡¯m all ears¡± expression and waited for him to continue, but the young man kept quiet. After waiting for a while and seeing that the young man didn¡¯t speak, Lin Ran was about to ask again when Ye Jin suddenly said weakly, ¡°Well¡­ he seems to have fainted again¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Lin Ran was stunned. When he took a closer look, he realized that it was indeed the case. Although the young man was still looking at him with his eyes open, his eyes were starting to lose focus. It was obvious that he was no longer conscious. Seeing this, Lin Ran immediately felt a little angry. However, since the young man was injured so badly, he couldn¡¯t force him. The most important thing now was to heal the young man as soon as possible. Even though Lin Ran had tried his best to stabilize his out-of-control internal energy, the damage to his meridians was very bad. It was impossible to heal him with just the wood ash. After Lin Ran slapped the young man two times, the young man still didn¡¯t react. Lin Ran sighed and said helplessly, ¡°Forget it. Let him rest here first. Let¡¯s go back to the city to get some medicine.¡± When Ye Jin heard this,s he hesitated. ¡°But won¡¯t he run around when he wakes up while we¡¯re gone?¡± ¡°¡­That seems to be the case.¡± Lin Ran nodded thoughtfully and looked at Ye Jin inquiringly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep an eye on him here?¡± Ye Jin raised her eyebrows. ¡°Do you know where to buy medicine?¡± Lin Ran was speechless. ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep an eye on him here?¡± Ye Jin stood up to pat Lin Ran¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have an idea.¡¯ After saying that, Ye Jin turned around and walked to the side. She cut a piece of bark from a big tree and carved a few lines on it with a small knife. The general meaning was that they had to go back to the city to find medicine and ask the young man to stay here. Putting the tree bark into the young man¡¯s hand, Ye Jin looked at Lin Ran smugly. ¡°How is it? This idea is not bad, right?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Lin Ran gave her a thumbs up and praised. He suddenly felt a little sentimental. Previously, he had always felt that Ye Jin was someone who needed to be taken care of, but he didn¡¯t expect her to always give him unexpected surprises. After leaving the message, Lin Ran brought Ye Jin back to the city on his sword. Under Ye Jin¡¯s lead, the two of them quickly found a medical hall. After Lin Ran roughly described the young man¡¯s injuries, the shopkeeper quickly prepared the corresponding herbs. ¡°I¡¯ve packed it up for you!¡± The shopkeeper placed the packed herbs on the table and revealed a kind smile. ¡°A total of three taels of silver.¡± Lin Ran nodded and put his hand in his pocket. Then, his expression became awkward. ¡°Did you bring the money?¡± Lin Ran looked at Ye Jin awkwardly. ¡°I gave all the money to your father¡­¡± When Ye Jin heard this, she also looked embarrassed. ¡°I also gave my money to my father.¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips with a strange expression and forced a smile at the shopkeeper. ¡°We didn¡¯t bring any money. Can we put it on credit first?¡± Hearing that the two of them didn¡¯t have money, the smile on the shopkeeper¡¯s face instantly disappeared. He glanced at Lin Ran from head to toe and said disdainfully, ¡°You don¡¯t dress like a poor person. Why can¡¯t you take out three taels of silver?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t afford it, but I forgot to bring money with me when I went out.¡± Lin Ran explained with a smile, ¡°Can I take the medicine away first? I¡¯ll definitely send you the money in an hour at most!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that! Why would you buy medicine if you don¡¯t have money?¡± The shopkeeper glared at him. Then, as if he had seen something, he waved his hand hard at the door. ¡°Official! Official! Someone is causing trouble here!¡± ¡°No, we really forgot to bring money!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed and he hurriedly explained. As he spoke, he subconsciously turned around and burst out laughing. It turned out that the ¡°official¡± outside was none other than Sun Ge, whom he had just seen this morning! ¡°You came at the right time!¡± Lin Ran shouted. Ignoring the strange gaze of the shopkeeper, he rushed out and grabbed Sun Ge¡¯s hand. ¡°Give me three taels of silver! I¡¯ll return it to you later!¡± At this moment, Sun Ge finally recognized Lin Ran. He looked up at the signboard of the medical hall and his expression changed slightly. ¡°Why are you buying medicine? Are you injured?¡± Lin Ran waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t ask so much. Did you bring money or not?¡± Sun Ge took off the pouch at his waist. ¡°I did, but¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, the pouch in Sun Ge¡¯s hand was snatched away by Lin Ran. He rushed back to the medical hall, threw the pouch on the counter, and took away the medicine. Ignoring the shopkeeper¡¯s shocked face, Lin Ran took the medicine and called Ye Jin out. After thanking Sun Ge, he turned around and left. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Sun Ge shouted and quickly chased after him. He grabbed Lin Ran and said seriously, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± Lin Ran was stunned for a moment before realization dawned on him. ¡°It¡¯s the list, right? You sorted it out so quickly?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s something else.¡± Sun Ge shook his head and looked at Ye Jin with worry. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ye Jin was still a little angry with Sun Ge. When she heard this, she rolled her eyes and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m fine! What can happen to me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine¡­¡± Sun Ge heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Lin Ran. ¡°Can I talk to you?¡± Lin Ran frowned slightly. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I feel that something is wrong with Chen Tianqi¡­¡± Chapter 340 - 340 The Big Picture Is More Important 340 The Big Picture Is More Important Hearing that something was wrong with Chen Tianqi, Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed because he felt the same way. Before Xuan Wushang escaped from the dungeon of the Iron City, the Xuan Wushang Lin Ran saw was disguised by Chen Tianqi. Apart from that malicious expression, Chen Tianqi rarely showed much expression. For example, every time he spoke, his lips did not move much, but his voice could be heard clearly. However, Chen Tianqi, who he saw in the magistrate¡¯s office this morning, did not have these habits. Lin Ran felt that something was wrong at that time, but seeing that Sun Ge did not notice it, he thought that he was overthinking. Now that Sun Ge brought it up, Lin Ran recalled the scene when the three of them discussed this morning. The doubts he had previously ignored became stronger. However, even so, Lin Ran didn¡¯t show it on his face. He only frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Is that so? What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Sun Ge glanced at Ye Jin and pulled Lin Ran a few steps to the side. Then, he said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°I can¡¯t explain it clearly. I just feel that he¡¯s different from before.¡± Lin Ran frowned to show that he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Different in what way?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t put my finger on it. I just have a feeling.¡± Sun Ge shook his head ¡°Let me be clear. This is just my speculation. I don¡¯t think that person is Chen Tianqi!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not Chen Tianqi?¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows. If Sun Ge was right, apart from the substitute who was killed by him last night, the only other person who could be Chen Tianqi was the real Xuan Wushang! At the thought of this, Lin Ran subconsciously gasped. Wasn¡¯t this too melodramatic? Sun Ge frowned. ¡°Did you think of something?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡ª¡± Lin Ran shook his head hesitantly, but it was not that he was not sure about his guess, but he was not sure if he should say it out loud. Whether that person was Chen Tianqi or Xuan Wushang, they were not allies Lin Ran could trust. Moreover, when the three of them were discussing the cooperation this morning, Lin Ran made a request to kill Liu Hongshan. Therefore, as long as they maintained the current situation, at least he could successfully kill Liu Hongshan. As for the remaining two, they were nothing to be afraid of. On the contrary, if Lin Ran exposed Chen Tianqi and that he really turned out to be the real Xuan Wushang, they would definitely fall out. This would not do Lin Ran¡¯s plan any good. At the same time, Lin Ran made up his mind. Then, he looked at Sun Ge and asked suspiciously, ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with him¡­ Have you been under too much pressure recently so that you become paranoid?¡± Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s words, Sun Ge also looked uncertain. However, he and Chen Tianqi had grown up together since they were young. Even though they had been apart in recent years, they were still brothers. Therefore, he was very sure that something was wrong with ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± whom he saw this morning. Seeing that Sun Ge¡¯s expression was determined, Lin Ran took the initiative to say, ¡°If you¡¯re really worried, why don¡¯t you try him?¡± Sun Ge was puzzled. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Talk to him about something only the two of you know.¡± Lin Ran replied casually. He knew that Xuan Wushang could eavesdrop on what Chen Tianqi was experiencing through that piece of Fluttering Cloud. Therefore, even if ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± was fake, as long as he had a brain, he could fool Sun Ge. Sun Ge nodded in realization. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a good idea! I¡¯ll ask him about the girl we liked when we were young¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Before Sun Ge could finish, Lin Ran quickly waved his hand. ¡°Change the question. It¡¯s best if it is something that happened in the past few years.¡± Sun Ge frowned. ¡°Why is that?¡± Lin Ran thought to himself, How could Xuan Wushang know who the girl they liked when they were young was? If Sun Ge asked this, Xuan Wushang would definitely expose himself on the spot! However, he could not really say this out loud. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran said seriously, ¡°Although your question is not a bad one, the situation is tense now. How strange is it for you to suddenly mention what happened when you were young?¡± ¡°It does seem a little strange¡­¡± Sun Ge nodded in agreement, but there was still hesitation in his eyes. ¡°But this question is the best one. If that person is really Chen Tianqi, he can answer it. If not, he will definitely be exposed!¡± ¡°Of course! How can I not understand such simple logic?¡± Lin Ran cursed in his heart, but he still put on a sincere expression. ¡°He¡¯s been traveling outside for so many years, so it¡¯s inevitable that his temperament has changed. How do you know that he still treats you as a brother?¡± Sun Ge looked hesitant when he heard this. Lin Ran continued, ¡°Think about it carefully. The situation is so delicate now. If he becomes hostile after being suspected by you, what will happen to your plan?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Sun Ge¡¯s expression turned serious as he said in a low voice, ¡°Speaking of which, this is just my guess. Such baseless accusations will do neither of us any good.¡± With that, Sun Ge suddenly bowed to Lin Ran. ¡°Thank you for reminding me!¡± Hearing this, Lin Ran suddenly felt guilty. Although he had deceived many people, Sun Ge was probably the most gullible one. Looking at Sun Ge¡¯s sincere expression, Lin Ran almost couldn¡¯t help but apologize. However, in order for all the plans to go smoothly, he pretended to be calm and waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. There¡¯s no need to mention it!¡± ¡°Although we¡¯re on different sides, I still have to thank you!¡± Sun Ge said seriously. Then, he bowed again and pointed behind him. ¡°Is she really fine?¡± Lin Ran looked in the direction the other party was pointing and realized that it was Ye Jin, who was eavesdropping not far away. However, the two of them were talking very softly, so she probably didn¡¯t hear anything. ¡°Her? What can happen to her?¡± Lin Ran was caught between laughter and tears as he asked, ¡°You¡¯ve already asked me once. Did something happen?¡± Sun Ge nodded and lowered his voice. ¡°After you left, someone broke in. We found blood in one of the rooms¡ªthe room where she was waiting for you!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Lin Ran was speechless because he knew what the blood was about, but he didn¡¯t know how to explain it to Sun Ge! Chapter 341 - 341 Uninvolved 341 Uninvolved Under Sun Ge¡¯s gaze, a few excuses quickly flashed across Lin Ran¡¯s mind, such as that he had accidentally cut himself, but he quickly rejected them one by one because this explanation was too deliberate and would easily arouse Sun Ge¡¯s suspicion. Half a second later, Lin Ran frowned and looked surprised. ¡°Really? But why didn¡¯t I notice it at that time?¡± ¡°Maybe that person broke in after you left.¡± Sun Ge didn¡¯t doubt Lin Ran¡¯s words. ¡°In short, it¡¯s good that Jin is fine. We¡¯ll continue to investigate who broke in. Be careful.¡± Lin Ran nodded to show that he understood. Sun Ge continued, ¡°Also, the location of a few people on that list has yet to be confirmed. We need some time.¡± ¡°Hurry up. We don¡¯t have much time left.¡± Lin Ran replied with a sigh. He still didn¡¯t know what was going on with Liu Ruxi, but the appearance of that young man indeed made his time a lot more tighter. Sun Ge didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran was thinking. After promising that he would hurry up, he turned around and left. Lin Ran called Ye Jin to walk into a remote alley. After making sure that no one was around, he rode his sword and flew straight out of the city. The reason why he left in such a hurry was partly because he wanted to give the young man medicine to treat his injuries as soon as possible, and partly because he was afraid that Sun Ge would ask him to return the money¡­ As the wind howled, the two of them quickly arrived at the small forest in the north of the city. However, when they landed, they only saw a mark on the grass where someone had been lying, and the severely injured young man was nowhere to be seen. Ye Jin said with a frown, ¡°Didn¡¯t we tell him not to run around? Could it be that he can¡¯t read the words?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that he can¡¯t read. He¡¯s just more cautious.¡± Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and chuckled. Then, he turned to look at a bush not far away. ¡°Come out. We brought you medicine.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the bushes rustled. The young man stuck out half his head warily and confirmed that there was no one else other than Lin Ran and Ye Jin before standing up completely. ¡°You came back very quickly.¡± The young man grinned. His injuries seemed to have recovered a lot. At least, his face was not as pale as before. He wondered if it was because of Lin Ran¡¯s slaps. ¡°Because I was afraid that you¡¯d die if I came back too late.¡± Lin Ran sneered and walked forward. He reached out to help the young man out of the bushes. Then, he took out the medicine he had just bought and poured out a few pills for the young man. ¡°Take the medicine first. We¡¯ll talk later.¡± The young man pushed Lin Ran¡¯s hand away. ¡°Time is tight. Let me talk first¡­¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the only one who doesn¡¯t have time?¡± Lin Ran interrupted him with a cold expression and stuffed the medicine into the young man¡¯s hand. ¡°If I tell you to take it, you take it. Otherwise, you¡¯ll die here!¡± The young man was speechless. In the end, he could only obediently stuff the medicine into his mouth. Not long after, the medicine was absorbed. The young man slowly exhaled and smiled at Lin Ran. ¡°Thank you. I feel much better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lin Ran nodded and reached out his right hand, saying seriously, ¡°Five taels of silver in total!¡± The young man was stunned for a few seconds before he took out a golden leaf from his belt. ¡°I don¡¯t have change¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s it then!¡± Lin Ran snatched the golden leaf and threw it to Ye Jin. He clapped his hands and looked like he was all ears. ¡°Now, tell me, what happened to Liu Ruxi?¡± The young man said, ¡°It¡¯s Liu Hongshan. Yesterday, he suddenly visited our camp and chatted with Town Guardian Liu in the room for an hour before leaving.¡± ¡°But last night, he suddenly returned. As soon as he appeared, he attacked. Many people were killed by him before they could react¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Lin Ran raised his hand and interrupted him. He frowned and asked suspiciously, ¡°Did you just say that Liu Hongshan went to your camp?¡± ¡°Right.¡± The young man nodded firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t know that person, but I heard Town Guardian Liu call him by the Dragon Elephant Divine Master.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying to me.¡± Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡°As far as I know, Liu Hongshan was still in the capital of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty yesterday morning. Why would he visit your camp? Do you need me to tell you how far the capital of Heavenly Saint Dynasty is from Nanjiang Town?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you. Town Guardian Liu really called that person ¡®Liu Hongshan¡¯!¡± The young man hurriedly explained, but his eyes suddenly averted. He said in a voice not much louder than a mosquito, ¡°But Nanjiang Town has been destroyed by you. Our new camp is in the Heavenly Saint¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Lin Ran frowned and was instantly furious! Although what Liu Ruxi did went against the rules of the Heavenly Dao, Lin Ran tolerated it because she was carrying out the experiment in Nanjiang Town and that the people who were harmed were from the Great Yong Dynasty. But now that they had moved their camp to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, wouldn¡¯t the commoners of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty be the ones to suffer?! Sensing the violent aura coming from Lin Ran, the young man, who had yet to recover from his serious injuries, immediately turned pale. He hurriedly waved his hand and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry! It¡¯s my fault for not making it clear. Actually, strictly speaking, that place is already considered part of the Great Yong Dynasty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s considered part of the Great Yong Dynasty?¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows. Then, an idea flashed across his mind. ¡°Is it one of the 15 cities that the Heavenly Saint Dynasty ceded?¡± The young man nodded. Lin Ran¡¯s expression immediately changed. Previously, Chen Tianqi pretended to be Xuan Wushang and asked Emperor Sheng Yuan to retreat 300 miles at the border and give up 15 cities. However, there were no requirements for location, scale, and so on for the 15 cities. As long as they were in the Heavenly Saint Realm, it did not matter even if they were an ancient city that had long been abandoned. In the end, Emperor Sheng Yuan chose 15 empty cities from the various borders, but she did not expect Chen Tianqi to really accept them. After what the young man said, Lin Ran seemed to understand what Chen Tianqi wanted the 15 empty cities for¡­ Chapter 342 - 342 The Real Motive 342 The Real Motive At first, Lin Ran and Emperor Sheng Yuan guessed that Xuan Wushang was looking for something in one of the cities, but he didn¡¯t want to make his motive too obvious, so he asked for 15 cities to cover up his true motive. However, Chen Tianqi did not specify which city he wanted, which made Lin Ran and Emperor Sheng Yuan confused. Even so, Emperor Sheng Yuan did not cede the northern border cities closest to the Great Yong Dynasty. Instead, she chose five almost abandoned garrison cities at the eastern, southern, and western borders. Not only were the garrison cities close to the border, but it was also uninhabited. On the surface, apart from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty retreating 300 miles away from the northern border, the Great Yong Dynasty did not seem to have obtained any advantage. However, now that he heard that Liu Ruxi was continuing the experiment in one of the garrison cities, Lin Ran suddenly realized that scattered cities were exactly what Chen Tianqi wanted! From the layout of Nanjiang Town, it could be seen that Liu Ruxi¡¯s research actually did not need a big space. The more remote and uninhabited a place was, the more suitable it was for her to carry out experiments without restraint. Where else in the world could be more remote and uninhabited than an abandoned military city at the border? Moreover, as long as there was one city, it was enough to accommodate Liu Ruxi and her hundreds of ¡°cocoons¡±, and the other 14 cities would be their best cover. Countless thoughts flashed through Lin Ran¡¯s mind like meteors. His expression slowly turned solemn. ¡°Chen Tianqi¡­ You¡¯re really scheming!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and muttered softly. Then, he suddenly looked up at the young man opposite him. ¡°Where is your camp?¡± ¡°Fort Nanyue.¡± The young man replied in a low voice. Lin Ran¡¯s expression instantly darkened. Fort Nanyue was at the southern border of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Once Liu Ruxi finished her experiments and created countless cocoons, the Heavenly Saint Dynasty would definitely be attacked from both sides. However, thinking about this, Lin Ran suddenly thought of something else¡ª It was a good thing for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and Lin Ran that Liu Hongshan was attacking Liu Ruxi. Putting aside the grudge between the two of them, Lin Ran really wanted to thank Liu Hongshan for this. Liu Ruxi was not a fool. It was impossible for her not to understand such a simple logic, but she still sent someone to ask Lin Ran for help. Where did she get her confidence from? The anger in his heart was replaced by curiosity. Lin Ran asked, ¡°What did Liu Ruxi say to you when she asked you to come here?¡± The young man was stunned for a moment before he suddenly revealed a hesitant expression. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell me?¡± Lin Ran burst out laughing. His first reaction was that this young man might not know either. However, on second thought, Lin Ran felt that this person must know something. If he wasn¡¯t confident, why would he come all the way here to ask the enemy for help? Thinking of this, Lin Ran narrowed his eyes and sized up the other party. He was caught between laughter and tears as he asked, ¡°Did someone really hit your brain? You¡¯re the one who came to beg me to save someone, but you don¡¯t want to tell me why.¡± The young man gritted his teeth and nodded stubbornly. Lin Ran was speechless for a while. He smacked his lips and said helplessly, ¡°Let me analyze it for you. Liu Ruxi is a traitor of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. If you follow her, you¡¯re the enemy of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty.¡± ¡°Now that Liu Hongshan attacked her, although what he did was a little inappropriate, it might not be a bad thing for the Heavenly Saint Dynasty¡ª¡± At this point, Lin Ran paused for a moment and spread out his hands as if he was weighing the pros and cons. ¡°Tell me, on one side is the helper of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, and on the other side is the enemy of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty. Which side should I help?¡± ¡°Our side!¡± The young man replied firmly without hesitation. His matter-of-fact tone made Lin Ran want to slap him! However, seeing that the finger marks on the young man¡¯s face had yet to fade, Lin Ran resisted the urge to hit him. He stretched out a finger and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance. Tell me what Liu Ruxi said. Otherwise, go back to where you came from!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you!¡± The young man shook his head again. Even though Lin Ran had already given him an ultimatum, he still had no intention of giving in. Seeing this, Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath on him. He pulled Ye Jin and turned to leave. Lin Ran left too suddenly. Not only did the young man not react, but even Ye Jin did not know what had happened. After walking a dozen steps, Ye Jin finally reacted and asked softly, ¡°Are you really not going to ask anymore? If you leave just like that, won¡¯t everything you¡¯ve done before be in vain?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s called strategy.¡± Lin Ran replied in a low voice and squeezed Ye Jin¡¯s hand. ¡°Look back. Is he going to call me back?¡± When Ye Jin heard this, she turned around and saw that the young man was still sitting on the ground in a daze, as if he had yet to react to what had happened. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it.¡± Ye Jin asked softly with a strange expression, ¡°Do you want me to put up a show with me?¡± ¡°¡­That works too.¡± As soon as Lin Ran agreed, Ye Jin suddenly raised her voice and said, ¡°Lin Ran! Don¡¯t go yet! He¡¯s so seriously injured and his mind is most likely affected. You have to be patient!¡± ¡°Sigh! Alright, that makes sense!¡± Lin Ran replied loudly. As he spoke, he turned around and was about to go back when he suddenly felt that something was wrong. ¡°Achoo!¡± At the side, Ye Jin suddenly sneezed. She rubbed her arms and said in confusion, ¡°Achoo! Why is it suddenly so cold?¡± Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this. It was noon and the sun was at its zenith. Why did the temperature suddenly drop? Just as Lin Ran was feeling puzzled, a cold wind suddenly blew past. Then, snowflakes fell from the sky! Chapter 343 - 343 A Beauty Is Here with Evil Intentions 343 A Beauty Is Here with Evil Intentions Looking at the snowflakes falling from the burning sun, even Lin Ran, who prided himself on being knowledgeable, was clueless. What surprised Lin Ran the most was how heavy the snow was. In just two to three seconds, the originally lush forest turned into a vast expanse of white. Lin Ran¡¯s head and shoulders were also covered in snow. If he moved slightly, it would fall down. Unintentionally, a few snowflakes landed at the corner of his mouth, and then a faint bitter taste spread in his mouth. His entire body began to feel numb¡­ ¡°Oh no! This snow is poisonous!¡± Lin Ran instantly realized that something was wrong. A majestic aura surged out of his body and sent the snow on his body flying. At the same time, Lin Ran summoned the Yin-Yang Sword. However, just as he was about to slash out sword energy to form a barrier, his aura suddenly stagnated, and the Yin-Yang Sword in his hand fell to the ground with a clang. ¡°Lord Lin, don¡¯t waste your effort. I¡¯ve been planning for this snowstorm for months. The poison had already seeped into your body.¡± Accompanied by a pleasant voice, a figure in a black cloak slowly walked out of the depths of the forest. The snow that filled the sky gave way to the figure as if it was afraid of the figure. As a result, there was no snow on the black cloak, making it look dazzling in this white world. ¡°Who are you?¡± Lin Ran asked coldly with a dark expression. At the same time, he secretly activated his internal energy, but he realized that he seemed to be exhausted. Not only was it difficult for him to move his fingers, but the internal energy he could mobilize was less than 1% of his peak. Realizing this situation, Lin Ran¡¯s expression became even more solemn. It was obvious that the figure did not come with good intentions! At the same time, the person in the black cloak had already walked forward and stopped less than three steps in front of Lin Ran. A fragrance wafted into Lin Ran¡¯s nose, but Lin Ran¡¯s eyes were burning with anger. The person stopped at such a close distance, which showed that not only was the person confident in his poison, but he was also not afraid of Lin Ran! ¡°Who exactly are you?!¡± Lin Ran gritted his teeth and asked again. The numbness in his body intensified. He wanted to see what was going on with Ye Jin, but he couldn¡¯t even turn his head. ¡°My name is Xue Gie. I¡¯ve long heard of Lord Lin¡¯s reputation. Seeing you today, you¡¯re indeed impressive!¡± The black-robed person smiled coquettishly. A pair of fair and slender hands reached out from under her cloak, grabbed the wide hood, and pulled it back. As silver hair that was as smooth as the moonlight poured down, a beautiful face that was mostly covered by a black veil was revealed. Seeing her beautiful eyes that were as clear as lake water, even though Lin Ran knew that the person in front of him was an enemy, he couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. Xue Gie covered her mouth and chuckled when she saw this, but her clear eyes were filled with disappointment. ¡°I thought that Lord Lin was an exceptional hero, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be no different from those vulgar men who get infatuated upon seeing beauty.¡± Lin Ran frowned. ¡°Beauty? Do you have any sense of shame?¡± ¡°What?¡± Xue Gie was stunned, and her beautiful eyes revealed a hint of sadness and weakness. ¡°Am I not beautiful?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Lin Ran rolled his eyes and pursed his lips. ¡°Who made this mask? The craftsmanship is too lousy! Your forehead is reflecting light.¡± Hearing Lin Ran¡¯s words, Xue Gie subconsciously raised her hand to touch her forehead, but just as she was about to raise her hand, she suddenly stopped. ¡°Lord Lin, you must be joking. This is my face. Why would I need a mask?¡± Lin Ran sneered and raised his eyebrows provocatively. ¡°Move your eyebrows if you dare.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Xue Gie narrowed her eyes. After a moment, she finally gave in. ¡°May I ask how Lord Lin saw through it?¡± ¡°Your expression hasn¡¯t changed since you appeared.¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and smiled smugly, as if he had completely forgotten that he couldn¡¯t move. ¡°I know a person who¡¯s especially good at making masks. If you need a good one, I¡¯ll introduce my friend to you.¡± Xue Gie was stunned for a moment. Before she could speak, Lin Ran changed the topic and said coldly, ¡°You poisoned me before you even showed up. If you can¡¯t explain yourself, I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t leave this forest today!¡± Although it was difficult for Lin Ran to even move a finger now, the aura of a Half-Saint was not affected. A trace of fear flashed across Xue Gie¡¯s eyes, but she quickly smiled. ¡°Lord Lin, you¡¯re really humorous. If I¡¯m not wrong¡­ I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t even protect yourself now, right?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart beat fast, but he still looked calm. ¡°You can try.¡± Xue Gie smiled without saying anything. She retracted her fair and slender hand into her cloak. When she reached out again, a snow-white saber had already appeared in her hand. With a light wave, it caused a whooshing sound. Lin Ran¡¯s pupils constricted and he subconsciously looked down at the Yin-Yang Sword on the ground. At this moment, most of the sword was covered in snow, leaving only a small black blade exposed. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. You have no chance of winning.¡± Xue Gie said with a coquettish smile. She held the saber in her hand and waved it slowly in front of her eyes, as if she was admiring an exquisite hairpin. ¡°Although there¡¯s no need, I still want you to die knowing why.¡± ¡°Last night, I made an agreement with the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty. As long as I take your life before dusk today, the emperor will agree to a request of mine, so¡­¡± At this point, Xue Gie flicked her wrist and the blade of the saber landed on Lin Ran¡¯s shoulder. Her voice was still as pleasant as ever. ¡°I have no choice but to do this, so I¡¯d like to borrow your head. Please fulfill my wish.¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± Lin Ran shouted angrily and suddenly used all his strength to fall back. However, even though he reacted quickly enough, his neck was still cut by the saber. Scarlet blood dripped on the white snow, and Lin Ran¡¯s figure landed heavily on the ground. The snow covering the Yin-Yang Sword was shoveled away, and the black and white hilt was less than an inch away from his fingertips! ¡°Oh no!¡± Xue Gie cried out in surprise. The saber in her hand turned into a stream of light and stabbed into Lin Ran¡¯s hand. Unexpectedly, Lin Ran didn¡¯t reach out to take the sword at all. Instead, he smiled evilly at her. Almost at the same time, Xue Gie saw a white light flash in front of her eyes, and a broken sword with an exquisite hilt inlaid with dragon patterns appeared in Lin Ran¡¯s hand! ¡°Five Elements Sword Technique¡ªFire!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a few faint sword energy swept out with a scorching heat wave! Chapter 344 - 344 Xue Gies True Identity 344 Xue Gie¡¯s True Identity Xue Gie¡¯s figure instantly moved a hundred steps away. However, even though her reaction was already fast, the corner of her cloak was still burned by the fire. The thick black cloak ignited with raging flames. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t put it out, Xue Gie tore it off and threw it on the ground. ¡°As expected, I underestimated you¡­¡± Xue Gie looked at the light burns on her body and muttered to herself. However, her melodious voice was already filled with a terrifying killing intent. At the same time, the surging flames stopped amidst the falling snow. Although there were only a few sword energies, the terrifying heat swept away the snow in a radius of dozens of steps! Under the snow, Lin Ran stood in the grass with Dragon Roar in his hand. Wisps of white smoke rose from his body. ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t know me very well either!¡± Lin Ran tilted his head to the left and right, his stiff neck making cracking sounds. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I have plenty of swords?¡± A hundred steps away, Xue Gie was wearing an ice-blue gauze coat. She stood expressionlessly in the heavy snow, her figure looking curvaceous. ¡°Lord Lin, you really hide your strength well¡­¡± Xue Gie said coldly with gritted teeth, ¡°But so what? The poison in your body has yet to be removed. How long can you last in this snow?¡± ¡°Definitely longer than you.¡± The corners of Lin Ran¡¯s mouth curled up, and a white light flashed in his hand. The Ten Miles Dragon Roar changed to the black and white Yin-Yang Sword. ¡°Five Elements Sword Technique¡ª¡± Hearing the words ¡°Five Elements Sword Technique¡±, Xue Gie instantly became nervous. The terrifying scene just now flashed across her mind, and she subconsciously took a half-step back and assumed a defensive posture. However, to Xue Gie¡¯s surprise, Lin Ran did not attack this time. Instead, he held the hilt of the Yin-Yang Sword with both hands and slammed it to the ground. ¡°¡ªWood!¡± Clang¡ª As the sword stabbed into the ground, a sharp clang suddenly sounded in the air. With Lin Ran as the center, the flowers and plants within 30 steps shook and emitted a green light! The green sword intent that was filled with endless life quickly gathered and flowed through the gaps between the flowers and plants like a stream. Countless patterns flickering with green light were faintly discernible on the grass, as if they were the pulse of the earth or some obscure array formation. Almost at the same time, Xue Gie felt that the poison of the snow had clearly weakened a lot. An ominous feeling quietly crept into her heart. ¡°You really like to act mysterious.¡± Lin Ran let go of the Yin-Yang Sword and stood up. He raised his right hand above his head and grabbed the air. Another black heavy sword that was as tall as a person and as wide as two palms appeared in his hand. Holding the rough but very heavy hilt of the heavy sword, the smile on Lin Ran¡¯s face widened. He looked up at the snow and muttered to himself, ¡°You say that this snow is powerful, but in my opinion, it¡¯s nothing. At least, it can¡¯t completely restrict my movements.¡±1 ¡°At first, I thought that it had something to do with my cultivation, so I kept circulating my internal energy to protect my heart, but I quickly realized that that wasn¡¯t the case¡ª¡± At this point, Lin Ran paused for a moment and looked down at Xue Gie, who was a hundred steps away. ¡°The only use of this thing is to numb the body. The reason why I feel that it¡¯s difficult to circulate my internal energy is because I was weak after saving someone.¡± Xue Gie was silent, but even from a hundred steps away, Lin Ran could see her dark eyes begin to flicker. ¡°So I did a small experiment.¡± Lin Ran looked down at the grass that had been cleared of snow, and a cold glint flashed across his eyes. ¡°Although there are only a few sword energies, the power hasn¡¯t decreased at all. This means that my cultivation isn¡¯t affected. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve overused it.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Ran closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The air after the snow was filled with a hint of sweetness. It surged into his lungs with sword intent that contained endless life, and his aura rose steadily! Boom! An invisible explosion sounded. In an instant, a violent wind blew through the originally quiet forest. Countless snow was swept into the sky like duckweed! In the blink of an eye, the thousand miles of ice that was filled with killing intent became filled with vitality. Without giving Xue Gie any chance to react, Lin Ran raised the heavy sword that weighed more than 100 kilograms with one hand and pointed it at the sky. Another huge sword phantom soared into the sky! With just one strike, the thick cloud that had gathered was cut into two from the middle. Then, it was mercilessly torn into pieces by the strong wind in the sky. As the scorching sunlight shone down, the snow stopped falling. Xue Gie watched everything with her eyes filled with fear, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight! ¡°One strike to detoxify the poison, two strikes to break the sky¡­ Is this the strength of a Half-Saint?¡± Xue Gie said softly with a terrified expression, but her voice was so soft that only she could hear it. After a moment, her flickering eyes became firm again, as if she had made an important decision in her mind. Meanwhile, on the other side. After Lin Ran swung his sword and broke the cloud in the sky, his body had basically recovered to 70%. Although he was still far from his peak state, it was more than enough to deal with Xue Gie. He sent out his divine sense to scan Ye Jin and the young man. After confirming that the two of them were only unconscious, Lin Ran heaved a sigh of relief. Then, a white light flashed and the black heavy sword in his hand disappeared. Lin Ran reached out and pulled the Yin-Yang Sword up from the ground. He looked up at Xue Gie a hundred steps away. ¡°Let¡¯s end this farce here. Do you have any last words?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Xue Gie nodded and reached into her silver hair. An exquisite mask that was as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing fell to the ground, revealing her true appearance. ¡°I have a presumptuous request.¡± Lin Ran was about to kill her, but the moment he saw her true appearance, he was stunned as if his heart was being grabbed by a big hand! Apart from looking more mature and having a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, this face was almost identical to Ye Jin¡¯s! ¡°You are¡­¡± Lin Ran spoke in a daze, his voice hoarse and his eyes filled with disbelief. ¡°Ye Jin¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Xue Gie let out a sigh and didn¡¯t respond to Lin Ran, but her face said it all. Chapter 345 - 345 There Are a Thousand Paths in the World 345 There Are a Thousand Paths in the World Looking at Xue Gie¡¯s familiar face for a few minutes, Lin Ran was still in a daze. This was because after he met Ye Jin, he had heard Ye Jin talking about her mother¡¯s death more than once. Therefore, no matter what, there was no doubt that Ye Jin¡¯s mother had passed away. However, now that this dead person was standing in front of him, how could Lin Ran not be puzzled? After a few minutes, Lin Ran came back to his senses and asked suspiciously, ¡°But aren¡¯t you dead?¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just lucky?¡± Xue Gie smiled sadly. Then, she opened her collar and slowly raised her head, revealing the ferocious scar across her fair neck. After showing it, Xue Gie lowered her head and subconsciously pulled up her collar. ¡°Back then, when Sun Ge came to kill me, I thought that I was dead for sure. I didn¡¯t expect to be saved by someone later on. Since then, I¡¯ve been living incognito.¡± Xue Gie slowly explained in a calm tone, as if she was talking about someone else. ¡°However, after thinking about it carefully, I realized that perhaps because of my husband, Sun Ge intentionally let me off.¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows. ¡°You mean¡­ Sun Ge deliberately let you live?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just don¡¯t want to believe that he¡¯ll kill me.¡± Xue Gie smiled, her clear eyes revealing a hint of motherly love. ¡°After all, he was only six years old when my husband took him in as a disciple. It can even be said that I raised him up.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lin Ran looked at Xue Gie and asked, ¡°You said that you have a presumptuous request to make. What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same thing as I said before.¡± Xue Gie replied in a low voice, but her attitude was not as aggressive as before. ¡°I want to borrow your head.¡± Lin Ran was speechless. He took a deep breath and asked helplessly, ¡°Why are you so obsessed with my head?¡± ¡°Because this is a very important part.¡± Xue Gie said seriously, ¡°I own the person who saved me a favor, so I have to do something for him. Only by completing this task can I reunite with my husband and daughter.¡± ¡°In order to complete this task, I have to take advantage of the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty. Therefore, last night, I made an agreement with the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty to take your head before dusk today¡ª¡± At this point, Xue Gie suddenly knelt on the ground and pressed her forehead against the ground as she said sincerely, ¡°Lord Lin, please allow me to reunite with my family.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Lin Ran finally couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°You want my life just so that you can reunite with your family. Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Xue Gie looked up in confusion, as if she didn¡¯t understand what Lin Ran meant. Lin Ran couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath on her. He turned around and pointed at the unconscious Ye Jin. ¡°Your daughter is here. You can reunite with her whenever you want. Just do something else to repay the person who saved you.¡± Xue Gie shook her head. ¡°No, this is the only way. Only by completing this task can I be reunited with my family.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do it another way!¡± Lin Ran waved his hand again and frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted my head just to make the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty help you? You don¡¯t have to suck up to him now. I¡¯ll help you do whatever you want!¡± ¡°You?¡± Xue Gie frowned slightly, looking troubled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it?¡± Lin Ran was so angry that he laughed. He tightened his grip on the Yin-Yang Sword, and an invincible sharp sword intent instantly surged out. ¡°With my cultivation at the seventh level of the Half-Saint Realm, is there anything in the world I can¡¯t do?¡± Even though Lin Ran was not hostile at this moment, Xue Gie¡¯s face still turned pale when she was faced with his sharp sword intent. However, even so, Xue Gie still shook her head with difficulty. ¡°You can¡¯t do it! This has nothing to do with cultivation. Even if you¡¯ve already shattered the void and ascended, you still don¡¯t have the power to mobilize an entire army of a country!¡± ¡°Mobilize an entire army of a country?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes flickered, and the endless sword intent calmed down. A strange smile slowly appeared on his face. ¡°Who said I don¡¯t have it?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Xue Gie was stunned. Although she didn¡¯t know what Lin Ran meant, Lin Ran¡¯s confident expression made her feel like she had seen a new hope. ¡­ In the magistrate¡¯s office of the Iron City. In the hall, ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±, who was dressed in Fluttering Cloud, was sitting at the table. He was writing something with a brush in his hand. From time to time, he would stop and think for a moment, as if he was unsure of something. At this moment, a figure walked in. As soon as he entered the hall, he knelt on the ground. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the emperor!¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± didn¡¯t raise his head. The brush in his hand did not even stop for a moment. He smiled, ¡°Sun Ge, there¡¯s only the two of us here. There¡¯s no need for such formalities, right?¡± ¡°The walls have ears. It¡¯s always good to be careful.¡± Sun Ge chuckled and stood up. He walked a few steps closer and asked softly, ¡°How¡¯s the list?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost done.¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± said as he wrote, ¡°But I don¡¯t think I can trust Lin Ran completely. At the same time, in order to prevent him from seeing through our plan, I want to add some unrelated people to confuse him.¡± ¡°That makes sense. It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry!¡± Sun Ge nodded in agreement. Suddenly, he chuckled and asked, ¡°I noticed that you seem to know Lin Ran very well!¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve just met him a few times before.¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± smiled and suddenly stopped writing. When he looked up at Sun Ge, his narrowed eyes revealed a hint of scrutiny. ¡°You seem to be very interested in Lin Ran?¡± Chapter 346 - 346 Surrendering to the Light? 346 Surrendering to the Light? The moment he was stared at by ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±, Sun Ge immediately felt his heart tighten, but he still maintained a calm expression. ¡°I guess so? After all, we¡¯re going to work together. It¡¯s not wrong to know more about him.¡± Without waiting for ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± to speak, Sun Ge continued, ¡°By the way, you¡¯ve interacted with him a few times before. What do you think of this person?¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± stared at Sun Ge for a while more before retracting his gaze and shaking his head. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure. This person is unpredictable and often makes people confused. If I have to define him¡ª¡± At this point, ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± suddenly stopped. He thought for a few seconds before saying in a low voice, ¡°I can only say that he¡¯s not easy to deal with.¡± ¡°I feel the same way.¡± Sun Ge nodded in agreement. Then, he sighed and patted ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± on the shoulder. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry too much. Although he said that he wants to kill you, there¡¯s still room for negotiation.¡± ¡°Oh? What do you mean?¡± Sun Ge analyzed with a serious expression, ¡°The reason why Lin Ran wants to kill you is because you killed his friend. However, wars happen every day in this world. People will die in every war. As the deputy general of the Heavenly Saint Border Garrison, he definitely understands this.¡± ¡°So I think we can stop treating him as an enemy for the time being. As long as we do our best in this cooperation, he won¡¯t show no mercy, right?¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± narrowed his eyes and didn¡¯t say anything, as if he was thinking that what Sun Ge said made sense. Sun Ge walked around the desk and came behind ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±. He placed his hands on Chen Tianqi¡¯s shoulders and massaged him. ¡°Actually, after spending the past few days with him, I feel that Lin Ran is a good person.¡± ¡°Chen Tianqi¡±¡®s body stiffened. ¡°It sounds like you two have become friends?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just stating the fact.¡± Sun Ge smiled and pulled out a saber and placed it on Chen Tianqi¡¯s neck. His originally relaxed expression instantly turned cold. ¡°But you¡¯re definitely not my friend. Who are you?¡± Feeling the coldness on his neck, ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± did not react at all. He did not even move his eyelids. He only narrowed his eyes and chuckled. ¡°Put down the saber quickly. This kind of joke is not funny.¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡± Sun Ge replied coldly. He moved the saber slightly in his hand, and the sharp blade instantly cut through Chen Tianqi¡¯s skin, leaving a shallow wound. After a short silence, Chen Tianqi¡¯s expression finally darkened. ¡°I really underestimated you¡­ How did you find out?¡± ¡°From details.¡± Sun Ge said calmly, ¡°I realized this morning that you¡¯re a little different from usual, but what made me certain is what you said just now.¡± Chen Tianqi asked in confusion, ¡°Oh?¡± Sun Ge pressed down on his shoulder and said coldly, ¡°Your evaluation of Lin Ran is that he¡¯s not easy to deal with, but Tianqi is arrogant by nature and will never say such a thing. Even if Lin Ran is indeed very capable, he will only say that he has some tricks up his sleeve!¡± At this point, Sun Ge¡¯s saber cut Chen Tianqi¡¯s neck a little more. ¡°So who are you?!¡± A drop of blood rolled down his neck and seeped into Fluttering Cloud like a drop of ink in water, but ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± didn¡¯t seem to feel it. ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± laughed mockingly. ¡°Who else can I be but your emperor?¡± ¡°Emperor?¡± When Sun Ge heard this, his expression changed drastically. Then, he felt a strong sense of regret! He should have known that if the ¡°Chen Tianqi¡± in front of him was really someone else in disguise, the only one who looked identical to Chen Tianqi was the current emperor, Xuan Wushang! Thinking of this, Sun Ge hurriedly let go and retreated. He knelt on the ground and shouted in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m the leader of the guards in the magistrate¡¯s office called Sun Ge! I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!¡± Xuan Wushang chuckled. His fingertips brushed past the wound and it was stained with blood. He said indifferently in an emotionless tone, ¡°Do you know that just this wound is enough to get your entire family wiped out?¡± ¡°I know!¡± Sun Ge knelt on the ground and replied, ¡°But my parents died when I was young. It was my master and his wife who raised me¡ª¡± At this point, Sun Ge¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°After I became an adult, I was ordered to kill my master¡¯s wife and was kicked out by my master. Even if Your Majesty wants to wipe out my family, I¡¯m the only one.¡± Xuan Wushang suddenly chuckled. ¡°Minister Sun, you don¡¯t have to be so frightened. I was just joking.¡± ¡°Joking?¡± Sun Ge subconsciously looked up and saw the wound on Xuan Wushang¡¯s neck. ¡°I injured you. Aren¡¯t you going to punish me?¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t do it on purpose, why should I punish you?¡± Xuan Wushang said seriously, ¡°Although what you and Chen Tianqi did is considered treason, it¡¯s also for the sake of the people of the Iron City.¡± ¡°I have an inescapable responsibility for what has happened. If I had understood the situation here earlier, you wouldn¡¯t have to kill your master¡¯s wife. I¡¯m the one who let you down!¡± Sun Ge hurriedly knelt on the ground. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to blame you.¡± ¡°Minister Sun, there¡¯s no need to be afraid.¡± Xuan Wushang smiled and personally reached out to help Sun Ge up from the ground. He asked, ¡°If you want to redeem yourself, I can give you a chance. What do you think?¡± ¡°Redeem myself?¡± Sun Ge looked puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m slow-witted. Please enlighten me, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually very simple. Lord Sun, you just have to follow the plan you and Chen Tianqi came up with previously¡­¡± At this point, a faint smile appeared on Xuan Wushang¡¯s face. ¡°However, at the final stage, I need you to make a small sacrifice.¡± Sun Ge hesitated and did not say anything. Although Xuan Wushang¡¯s attitude had always been very kind, the look on his face made Sun Ge feel that this matter was not as simple as it sounded. Chapter 347 - 347 The Lesser of Two Powers 347 The Lesser of Two Powers In the imperial study of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, in the palace. ¡°What did you say?!¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan slapped the table and stood up. The corners of her mouth were trembling slightly from anger. ¡°You actually let him stay in the Great Yong Dynasty alone? Don¡¯t you know how dangerous that place is?!¡± Opposite the desk, Huo Qiyun looked aggrieved. ¡°Empress Sister¡­ This was not my idea. Why are you angry at me? Moreover, don¡¯t forget how high his cultivation is. In the entire Great Yong Dynasty, not many people can challenge him, right?¡± ¡°How dare you talk back to me!¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan scolded angrily and picked up the inkstone, wanting to throw it at him. However, after hesitating for a moment, she put it down and threw a jade talisman at him. ¡°Take a look for yourself!¡± Huo Qiyun caught the jade talisman and injected his divine sense into it. Instantly, a large amount of information surged into his mind. A few seconds later, Huo Qiyun understood the message. Then, he looked shocked. ¡°Liu Hongshan is from the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. However, I¡¯ve already asked the Five Elements Imperial Guards to speed up the investigation.¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan¡¯s face darkened. She paused for a moment before saying coldly, ¡°But from the information he provided, most of it matches.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s expression changed. ¡°But if what Liu Hongshan said is true, doesn¡¯t that mean¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan nodded, unable to hide the deep worry in her eyes. ¡°Lin Ran and even the Heavenly Saint Dynasty are in a very dangerous situation, and he still doesn¡¯t know where the danger comes from!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll set off for the Great Yong Dynasty immediately! There are still a few hours left. I should be able to make it in time if I travel at full speed!¡± As Huo Qiyun spoke, he was about to walk out when he heard Emperor Sheng Yuan sigh heavily with mixed emotions. ¡°It¡¯s useless. There¡¯s no time.¡± Huo Qiyun¡¯s footsteps froze in midair, and tears suddenly welled up in his eyes. ¡°But we can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing! That¡¯s Lin Ran! Even if there¡¯s only a one in a million chance, I have to give it a try!¡± ¡°Huo Qiyun!¡± Emperor Sheng Yuan shouted in a low voice, and tears welled up in her eyes, but her face was filled with determination. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that this is not only a crisis for Lin Ran, but also for the entire Heavenly Saint Dynasty! Now that Lin Ran is gone, you¡¯re the only one I can rely on!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Huo Qiyun wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn¡¯t. He retracted his footsteps and gritted his teeth. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡­ In an unknown forest outside the Iron City of the Great Yong Dynasty. As Xue Gie explained, Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed from confusion to shock. ¡°You said that the person who saved you is called Liu Ruxi?¡± Lin Ran widened his eyes and asked in shock. He did not expect to hear the name of an acquaintance in such a story! Xue Gie nodded, her clear eyes filled with confusion. ¡°Lord Lin, do you know my savior?¡± Lin Ran subconsciously wanted to nod, but after some thought, he shook his head. ¡°I do know someone called Liu Ruxi, but I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯re talking about the same person.¡± Xue Gie did not dwell on this question. She changed the topic and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve already explained the situation clearly. Lord Lin, you said that there¡¯s another way. Please enlighten me.¡± Lin Ran pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything. Perhaps ¡°Liu Ruxi¡± did not completely trust Xue Gie, so she only asked her to hide beside Xuan Wushang and try her best to gain his trust. As for why she did this and what she wanted to do next, she did not mention it at all. I Xue Gie, or rather, ¡°Liu Ruxi¡±, only wanted to borrow the power of an emperor, it wasn¡¯t impossible for Lin Ran to go back to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty and discuss it with Emperor Sheng Yuan. If Xue Gie could kill Lin Ran, with such contributions, Xue Ji could obtain a lot of trust from Xuan Wushang. However, this put Lin Ran in a difficult position. He would definitely not hand over his head. In just a moment, Lin Ran realized that he couldn¡¯t follow Xue Gie¡¯s train of thought. Although this woman looked normal, she seemed to be in a hurry to reunite with her family. Her methods of solving problems were too extreme. ¡°Obtain trust¡­ Obtain trust¡­¡± Lin Ran muttered softly and suddenly slapped his forehead. ¡°I have an idea!¡± Xue Gie¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What idea?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you yet.¡± Lin Ran pretended to be mysterious and chuckled. Then, he suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°By the way, is there anything else you didn¡¯t say about being saved back then?¡± Xue Gie thought for a moment and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve said everything I can think of.¡± Lin Ran sighed. ¡°Alright, if you think of anything else, remember to tell me immediately. Hand over the antidote now.¡± Seeing the confused look on Xue Gie¡¯s face, Lin Ran pointed at the two unconscious people and said angrily, ¡°Are you going to let them sleep like this forever?¡± Xue Gie took out an apricot-colored handkerchief and was about to hand it to Lin Ran when she suddenly retracted her hand. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lin Ran frowned and tightened his grip on the Yin-Yang Sword. If Xue Gie dared to make a move, Lin Ran would definitely strike back. After all, Ye Jin was unconscious and didn¡¯t know that her mother was still alive, so she wouldn¡¯t suffer the pain of losing her mother again. In an instant, Lin Ran thought of many things, but he realized that Xue Gie had no intention of turning hostile. She just tucked the apricot-colored handkerchief around her waist and carefully put on the mask. After putting on the mask, Xue Gie realized that Lin Ran was looking at her. She explained with a bitter smile, ¡°Lord Lin, don¡¯t worry. I just feel that it¡¯s not the time to reunite with my daughter.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Lin Ran smiled awkwardly. He accidentally saw a dark glint flash across Xue Gie¡¯s eyes and suddenly had an ominous feeling. Chapter 348 - 348 A Middle-aged Mans Heart Is As Deep As Wine, A Girls Feelings Are Always Poems 348 A Middle-aged Man¡¯s Heart Is As Deep As Wine, A Girl¡¯s Feelings Are Always Poems The ominous feeling disappeared in a flash. Lin Ran thought for a moment but couldn¡¯t figure it out. When he came back to his senses, Xue Gie had already put on her mask. Then, she walked to the unconscious Ye Jin and reached out. However, just as she reached out, she retracted her hand for some reason. Seeing this, Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Let me be straightforward. Trust is the foundation of cooperation. I need to ask you a question.¡± Xue Gie looked at Ye Jin for a while more before turning around and nodding at Lin Ran. ¡°Of course. Lord Lin, feel free to ask.¡± Lin Ran glanced at Ye Jin, who was still unconscious. ¡°I heard that you left her a relic?¡± ¡°Are you talking about that necklace?¡± Xue Gie said without thinking, ¡°It¡¯s a necklace made of Heavenly Iron. There are a total of 18 metal rods.¡± Lin Ran didn¡¯t expect Xue Gie to answer so quickly. He was stunned for a moment before nodding. ¡°There¡¯s another secret on that necklace. Do you know anything?¡± Hearing that there was a secret on the necklace, Xue Gie subconsciously glanced at Ye Jin. When she looked at Lin Ran again, there was clearly something strange in her eyes. ¡°Jin even told you this? It seems that she trusts you a lot.¡± ¡°Er¡­ maybe?¡± Lin Ran smiled awkwardly. For some reason, he felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by Xue Gie. Fortunately, Xue Gie did not stare at Lin Ran for too long. After a few seconds, she turned her gaze to Ye Jin¡¯s face and said slowly in a reminiscent tone, ¡°That necklace is engraved with reverse ciphertext that needs to be imprinted to be deciphered. However, this is not a problem for Jin, so you should already know the content, right?¡± Lin Ran nodded. Now, he was completely certain that this woman in front of him was Ye Jin¡¯s mother! ¡°I have one more question¡­¡± Lin Ran continued, ¡°I¡¯ve already confirmed your identity, so if you don¡¯t want to answer this question, you can choose not to answer.¡± Xue Gie turned around and looked at him. Lin Ran hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively, ¡°The content of the ciphertext on the necklace is called Cloud Breaking Slash. Since you engraved it on the necklace, I want to ask you where you learned this thing.¡± Hearing the words ¡°Cloud Breaking Slash¡±, a difficult expression suddenly appeared on Xue Gie¡¯s face. ¡°This is a secret passed down in my family for generations, but no one has ever understood the meaning of it. If Lord Lin wants to ask how to practice it, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lin Ran nodded with a subtle expression. He had a vague guess, but there seemed to be many important parts missing, preventing him from connecting those dots. After thinking for a moment, Lin Ran said with a nod, ¡°I have no more questions. You can wake them up.¡± Xue Gie nodded, but she still didn¡¯t move. She just looked at Ye Jin¡¯s unconscious face in a daze. Her clear eyes under the mask were filled with affection. After about fifteen minutes, Xue Gie suddenly took a deep breath. Then, she picked up the apricot-colored handkerchief at her waist and waved it gently in front of Ye Jin, as if she was shaking something off. However, before Lin Ran could see it clearly, the shiny dust disappeared with Ye Jin¡¯s breathing. Then, Xue Gie waved the handkerchief in front of the young man a few more times. After that, she put the handkerchief away. At the side, Ye Jin opened her eyes in a daze. ¡°Where is this¡­¡± Ye Jin had just woken up and was still a little dizzy. When she saw Xue Gie Girl beside her, she was stunned for a moment before suddenly getting up from the ground. ¡°Who are you?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Jin saw Lin Ran sitting beside her. She was stunned for a moment before asking suspiciously, ¡°Is this your friend?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Lin Ran paused for a moment and nodded. ¡°She¡¯s here to help me. You can call her Auntie Xue.¡± ¡°Auntie Xue?¡± Ye Jin glanced at Xue Gie again, and the suspicion on her face deepened. After all, this woman looked very young. People would believe that she was her sister. How could she call her ¡°Auntie¡±? ¡°I¡¯ll call you Sister Xue!¡± Ye Jin then held Xue Gie¡¯s arm intimately. Although this was the first time the two of them met, since she was Lin Ran¡¯s friend, Ye Jin naturally believed her. Xue Gie didn¡¯t seem to expect Ye Jin to take the initiative to get close to her. Her body suddenly stiffened. At this moment, the severely injured young man slowly woke up. When he saw another peerless beauty beside him, his expression immediately became strange, as if he could not believe what he was seeing. Before the young man could speak, Lin Ran, who realized that he had woken up, leaned over and extended a finger. ¡°Listen carefully. I¡¯ll give you one last chance. Why is Liu Ruxi so sure that I¡¯ll save her?¡± ¡°Did you ask me this question before?¡± The young man looked at Lin Ran in confusion, as if he had yet to fully recover. Lin Ran didn¡¯t waste his breath on him. With a flash of white light in his hand, he summoned the Yin-Yang Sword and placed it on the other party¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Tell me or die.¡± Feeling the coldness coming from the Yin Yang Sword, the young man¡¯s face instantly turned pale, but he still gritted his teeth and shook his head firmly. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you!¡± ¡°Then die.¡± After saying that, Lin Ran was about to slash, but before he could do it, he was pulled back from behind. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Xue Gie pulled Lin Ran and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t kill anyone in front of the child. I¡¯ve learned some interrogation methods. Why don¡¯t you let me try?¡± Lin Ran glanced at Ye Jin. Although he didn¡¯t think it was necessary, he could understand how a mother felt. Then, he raised the Yin-Yang Sword and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s best if you can get it out of him. If you can¡¯t, it¡¯s ok.¡± Xue Gie nodded slightly. ¡°Lord Lin, please take Jin somewhere far away.¡± Lin Ran agreed and pulled Ye Jin away. However, he didn¡¯t know what was considered ¡°far¡±, so he walked straight out of the forest.X Chapter 349 - 349 Friend and Foe 349 Friend and Foe After chatting for a while, Lin Ran was about to check how the interrogation was going when he suddenly heard light footsteps. He turned around and saw Xue Gie walking out of the forest. ¡°It¡¯s over so quickly?¡± Lin Ran raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Did you get anything out of him?¡± Xue Gie nodded, but there was a strange look in her eyes. ¡°You should listen to it yourself.¡± Lin Ran agreed and was about to set off when Xue Gie reached out to stop Ye Jin. ¡°That person is a little afraid of me now. Go by yourself. We¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± ¡°Afraid?¡± Lin Ran looked puzzled. He didn¡¯t hear anything just now. Xue Gie probably didn¡¯t torture the young man. Why should he be afraid of her? However, seeing that Xue Gie was holding Ye Jin¡¯s hand as if she wanted some time alone with her daughter, Lin Ran didn¡¯t think too much of it. He nodded and turned to walk into the forest. Before Lin Ran arrived at the empty space, he saw the young man lying on the ground with a deep cut on his neck. Lin Ran¡¯s expression changed and he quickly went forward. He realized that the young man was no longer breathing. There was a piece of freshly cut bark on his chest. On it were a few small words written in blood. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m going to reunite with my family.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Lin Ran cursed and threw the piece of bark to the ground. Before the bark fell to the ground, he had already flashed out of the forest. It was not until this moment that Lin Ran realized what Xue Gie¡¯s strange gaze meant. Unfortunately, he was a step too late. Outside the forest, Xue Gie and Ye Jin were long gone. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Lin Ran stomped his feet in exasperation. Lin Ran was frustrated. Although Xue Gie might not kill her own daughter, after seeing the young man die, how could Lin Ran dare to take the risk? ¡°Family reunion!¡± In his anger, Lin Ran suddenly thought of the message on the tree bark. Xue Gie didn¡¯t know that he had sent Ye Shixiao away. If she really wanted to reunite with her family, she would definitely go to the Iron City to look for Ye Shixiao! Thinking of this, Lin Ran¡¯s eyes narrowed. The Yin-Yang Sword instantly appeared in his hand. Then, he rode his sword and soared into the sky, turning into a stream of light that headed straight for the Iron City! With Lin Ran¡¯s full speed, the journey of more than ten miles was completed in an instant. Lin Ran flew into the city on his sword. Then, he cut open the roof of the Ye family¡¯s house and landed in the living room on the first floor. The charcoal fire in the furnace had long been extinguished. There was a faint smell of coal smoke in the air. Lin Ran was about to release his divine sense to search the surroundings when his heart skipped a beat. His expression immediately turned strange. ¡°Liu Hongshan?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a figure descended from the sky and fell through the hole that Lin Ran had just created. It smashed into the metal ground with a loud bang, causing the entire house to tremble! Almost at the same time, a strong smell of blood filled the air. Lin Ran took a closer look and his expression changed drastically. The person who fell from the sky was indeed Liu Hongshan, but the wounds all over his body made him almost unrecognizable. Liu Hongshan¡¯s clothes were all torn. His muscular upper body was almost covered in cuts. Even the shallowest one was more than half an inch deep. His entire left arm was cut off. Through the badly mangled wound, one could even see his beating heart! Lin Ran was stunned on the spot by such a tragic injury, not because he was afraid, but because he couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. Firstly, Liu Hongshan should be in the Heavenly Saint Dynasty at this moment. Why did he suddenly appear here? Secondly, even if Lin Ran¡¯s cultivation was comparable to Liu Hongshan¡¯s, he might not be able to severely injure him in a head-on confrontation. Who could¡¯ve injured him like this? Liu Hongshan, who was lying on the ground, suddenly coughed violently. Blood splattered out with every cough. It was obvious that his time was up. Lin Ran suddenly came back to his senses and hurriedly went forward to transfer internal energy to Liu Hongshan. ¡°What happened? Who beat you up like this?¡± ¡°Lin¡­ Ran¡­¡± Liu Hongshan recognized Lin Ran and forced a smile. ¡°I lied to you previously¡­ I had no choice. Please forgive me¡­¡± Lin Ran was so anxious that his eyes turned red. ¡°Tell me who hurt you! Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in the Heavenly Saint Realm? Did something happen to the Heavenly Saint Dynasty?¡± ¡°Xuan Wushang¡­ is a lunatic¡­ We¡­ were all deceived by him¡­¡± Liu Hongshan panted heavily and replied stutteringly. His eyes were still burning with anger. ¡°Hurry up and return to the Heavenly Saint¡­ I¡¯m already¡­ Ahem! I can¡¯t make it through. I¡¯ll leave the Heavenly Saint to you!¡± Before he could finish speaking, Liu Hongshan started coughing violently again. His entire body was bent like a cooked prawn, and he looked like he was about to cough his lungs out! ¡°Hey! Hold on! At least make yourself clear before you die!¡± Lin Ran shouted and was about to increase the flow of internal energy transfer when Liu Hongshan stopped coughing. His body became weak as if his bones had been removed, and the light in his eyes quickly extinguished. ¡°Hey! Wake up! Stop pretending!¡± Lin Ran patted Liu Hongshan¡¯s face. As expected, there was no reaction. However, Lin Ran still refused to give up. He raised his hand and pressed it against Liu Hongshan¡¯s chest, which was covered in wounds. He released his divine sense to heal Liu Hongshan, but the result was the same every time. This was a lifeless corpse. ¡°Is he¡­ really dead?¡± As soon as this thought appeared, Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Although he had wanted to kill Liu Hongshan for a long time, when Liu Hongshan really died in front of him in this way, he suddenly felt that it was unreal. However, what Lin Ran cared about the most was what Liu Hongshan said before he died¡ª ¡°Xuan Wushang¡­ is a lunatic¡­ We¡­ were all deceived by him¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up and return to the Heavenly Saint. I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯ll leave the Heavenly Saint to you.¡± These words sounded quite confusing at first because Liu Hongshan was from the Great Yong Dynasty! Before he died, he came all the way here to deliver a letter to Lin Ran. Was their relationship so good? Just as Lin Ran was in a daze, a low horn sound suddenly made him come back to his senses. Then, he heard a sharp voice echoing in the Iron City. ¡°The war has begun! Citizens of the Iron City, get ready!¡± Chapter 350 - 350 Ending 350 Ending Then, the sound of metal being forged began to ring throughout the city. Lin Ran looked at Liu Hongshan¡¯s corpse and frowned. What war? With whom? Which side was Liu Hongshan on? Why was Xuan Wushang a lunatic? Countless questions occupied his mind. Lin Ran felt that his head was about to explode! ¡°Xuan Wushang!¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes were red as he squeezed out a name from between his teeth. Although he had no clue, he knew that all the answers were on Xuan Wushang! ¡­ Amidst the sound of metal being forged, a black shadow swept past the empty street like a gust of wind and smashed through the door of the magistrate¡¯s office. Countless pieces of meat of different sizes were scattered in the originally spacious courtyard. However, even in this hell-like scene, Lin Ran only watched quietly without moving his eyelids. On the roof of the hall, a slender figure stood quietly. His elegant face made him look like a scholar, but the white robe he was wearing was already dyed red by blood. Seeing Lin Ran barge into the courtyard, a smile appeared on Xuan Wushang¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± Lin Ran asked expressionlessly and coldly. He slowly reached out with his right hand, but it was not his usual sword, but a long and narrow saber that was as black as ink. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just killed a few people.¡± Xuan Wushang smiled faintly as if it was a small matter. His gaze landed on the Black Shadow Saber in Lin Ran¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m the emperor of the Great Yong Dynasty. Can¡¯t I control the life and death of a few ants?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked.¡± Lin Ran looked at the corpses in the courtyard without any fluctuation of emotions in his deep eyes. ¡°What did you do?¡± Hearing the killing intent in Lin Ran¡¯s words, the smile on Xuan Wushang¡¯s face slowly disappeared. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked an unrelated question, ¡°Do you want to shatter the void and ascend?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s eyes were filled with mockery. Breaking through the void and ascending was the dream of almost all martial artists. Unfortunately, it was not for him. As soon as Xuan Wushang finished speaking, he opened his arms against the strong wind and shouted with a fanatical expression, ¡°I¡¯ve been lying low for ten years for this unprecedented plan! As long as you and I join forces, we can shatter the void and ascend together.¡± At this point, Xuan Wushang suddenly pointed at Lin Ran. ¡°At that time, I can give you everything you want, including wealth, women, power, and reputation!¡± ¡°Do I look like an idiot to you?¡± Lin Ran looked at Xuan Wushang coldly. ¡°What makes you think you can definitely ascend?¡± ¡°Because of this!¡± Xuan Wushang raised his hand to show Fluttering Cloud, which was dyed red with blood. ¡°This saber¡ªoh, no, this divine artifact was left behind by an ancient Martial Immortal. As long as there¡¯s a huge amount of evil aura as a catalyst, it can split open the Heavenly Gate to help us reach the Immortal World!¡± Looking at the fanatic Xuan Wushang, Lin Ran suddenly figured out many questions. For example, why did Xuan Wushang hand Fluttering Cloud over to Chen Tianqi back then? Why did he stay in the dark dungeon for more than ten years? Why did Xuan Wushang always work with different people despite having a clear goal? Why did he ignore the grudges between the people he worked with? This was because what he was plotting had nothing to do with a certain party or even a dynasty. He just wanted to use these people to cause as much chaos as possible. The more chaos there was, the more evil aura there would be, and he would be one step closer to his goal! ¡°Is that why you want to join forces with me?¡± Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He said in an emotionless tone, ¡°Initiate a war to breed evil aura and let me, a martial artist at the seventh level of the Half-Saint Realm, take action?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Xuan Wushang replied excitedly. ¡°As long as you agree, I¡¯ll immediately use all the hidden chess pieces I¡¯ve set up in the past ten years. At that time, the seven countries in the world will be pulled into the flames of war!¡± ¡°The evil aura it produces is enough to lure out the Heavenly Gate, and all you have to do is wave your hand and we can reach the Immortal World!¡± ¡°It sounds¡­ not bad.¡± Lin Ran nodded thoughtfully, as if he was really tempted by Xuan Wushang¡¯s idea. Xuan Wushang was overjoyed when he heard this, but before he could continue, the smile on Lin Ran¡¯s face suddenly disappeared. Instead, he said in a disdainful tone, ¡°Unfortunately, you couldn¡¯t succeed.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Xuan Wushang¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡°Could it be that even you don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, but I can¡¯t believe you.¡± Lin Ran sneered and instantly activated the Mystic Gate Sword Technique. In a flash, he landed on the roof and looked at Xuan Wushang. ¡°This Fluttering Cloud isn¡¯t a divine artifact at all. It can¡¯t summon the Heavenly Gate.¡± Lin Ran sneered and said, ¡°And your so-called ¡®ancient Martial Immortal¡¯ is just an evil cultivator who failed to ascend.¡± ¡°Liar!¡± Xuan Wushang roared angrily. The scarlet Fluttering Cloud surged like a sea of blood that wanted to devour Lin Ran! Lin Ran¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he still said slowly in a calm tone, ¡°Gathering fog as bones, weaving clouds as clothes; eyes and ears are profound and true.¡± Xuan Wushang¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°How do you know the Cloud Breaking Technique?¡± ¡°To be precise, this is called Cloud Breaking Slash.¡± Lin Ran corrected him with a faint smile. As he spoke, a small piece of gauze cloth that was like a white petal rolled between his fingers. ¡°This is¡ª¡± Xuan Wushang¡¯s eyes widened, but it was too late for him to realize that something was wrong. As Lin Ran waved his left hand down, Fluttering Cloud, which was originally elegant and agile, suddenly tightened its grip. Xuan Wushang¡¯s expression changed as he hurriedly circulated his internal energy to resist, but Fluttering Cloud, which had once been at his beck and call, did not listen to his command at all! ¡°The Heavenly Dao is revealed. It¡¯s retribution.¡± Lin Ran said coldly, ¡°You brought this upon yourself.¡± With that said, Fluttering Cloud, which was like a scarlet sea of blood, suddenly surged violently. Then, with a bang, it exploded into a blood mist that filled the sky! With Xuan Wushang¡¯s death, this calamity was finally resolved. However, someone still had to clean up the mess he left behind. Lin Ran sighed helplessly and let the corner of Fluttering Cloud fall. His figure turned into a shadow and disappeared. For the next ten years, Lin Ran disappeared without a trace as if he had never appeared. However, the legend of the ¡°Nameless Sword God¡± circulated in the martial world¡­