Lu Ran posed this question, but his eyes were fixed on Gu Yunkai, as if he was trying to find something in Gu Yunkai’s usually emotionless gaze. It was as if he was searching for a glimmer of hope in the midst of despair, despite the absurdity of such an expectation.
However, that faint glimmer of hope was quickly overshadowed by the surging cold hatred that welled up from the depths of his heart. He didn’t need to offer this man another chance to choose. Wasn’t it clear by now how ruthless and cruel this person was?
“What’s the matter, no words to say?” Lu Ran’s lips curled slightly, but his face remained frosty, with a chilling smile. “That’s why I detest about you the most, Master – your extreme hypocrisy.”
He was finally very powerful now, and he had obtained everything he had longed for. In this world where strength was paramount, no one could defy his commands. Everyone was nothing more than ants before him.
It seemed that the immortal master had never been spoken to in such an unabashed manner before. After Lu Ran finished speaking, he noticed a brief moment of stiffness in the other’s expression. Lu Ran smiled, his eyes filled with malice and coldness.
“Alright then… If you’re truly concerned about me posing a threat to the Floating Light Sect, then perhaps you shouldn’t utter such discouraging words,” Lu Ran said. “As a prisoner, you should have some self-awareness, shouldn’t you?”
Gu Yunkai’s gaze flickered, but he didn’t speak. He turned his face away, looking out of the window.
Seeing him remain silent, Lu Ran’s expression darkened. However, as he looked at the side profile of the person before him, he seemed to have second thoughts. He clenched his fingers and suppressed whatever he had been about to say. Instead, he just snorted and turned to lie down on the bed.
[Host, I’ll take a picture in your current posture.]
Click! The sound of the photo being taken was heard, and Chu Yan retrieved the image. In the picture, the person had a tall and slender figure, a delicate profile, and exuded an aura of coldness that kept people at a distance. Indeed, there was a touch of an otherworldly charm about them.
[Host, the male lead is asleep. You don’t have to maintain this posture. You can go to sleep as well.]
[Asleep? That’s impossible. He must be pretending. How can I, a high and cold white lotus flower with a heart that cares for the world and is willing to die for principles, fall asleep in such a situation?]
Although Lu Ran was closing his eyes, his attention was still focused on Gu Yunkai. He could feel that Gu Yunkai had not rested at all. In fact, he even had the sensation, or perhaps it was a hallucination, that Gu Yunkai’s gaze had fallen on him at some point.
…
The scene shifted, and outside, a vast expanse of snow-covered the world as fluffy snowflakes fell gently. However, the air still carried the scent of blood.
Inside a cave, the cold was bone-chilling, even though Lu Ran had set up a barrier. It felt as though a cold wind was penetrating through the cracks, causing unbearable discomfort. He gazed with deep concern at the pale face of the person in his arms, their skin as white as paper, and his black eyes were filled with worry.
There was no trace of color on the person’s face, not even on their cheeks or lips. If Lu Ran couldn’t still sense their breath, he might have thought he was holding a corpse.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Lu Ran laboriously took out a pill from his pocket and placed it in the person’s mouth. He then helped them sit up and began channeling his spiritual energy to heal their injuries. After a while, he felt the person’s body temperature rise significantly. Lu Ran’s heart rejoiced, and he called out, “Master!”
Lu Ran woke up calmly from his dream, with only a lingering ache in his chest.
However, when he opened his eyes, it was still the middle of the night, and the moonlight was still shining brightly. Lu Ran slowly sat up in bed and noticed that Gu Yunkai was indeed sleeping on the nearby couch. After all, with all his spiritual power sealed, he was now no different from an ordinary mortal.
He needed sleep, he needed rest.
Bathed in moonlight, Lu Ran stood by the bedside for a long time. His gaze moved from Gu Yunkai’s closed eyes to the wounds on his body. After struggling for a while, he finally took out a bottle of medicine from his pocket and placed it by the couch.
…
The next day when Chu Yan woke up, he saw the medicine that Lu Ran had left for him, but there was no one in the sleeping chamber.
It seemed that Lu Ran had only verbally attacked him last night and had taken the opportunity to get some rest. Now, he had probably gone somewhere else to lick his wounds.
[Is this really a day for raising pigs? Or is it like raising a domesticated pig? While this kind of life isn’t bad, when will my little disciple come?]
[Little disciple? Host, are you talking about Fu Qingzhou?]
[Yes, besides Lu Ran, it’s this little disciple who cares about me the most. I’ve been missing for so long; he definitely won’t stay obediently at the Cloud Crane Peak.]
Gu Yunkai took the medicine that Lu Ran had left for him. Not long after, the door to the chamber was pushed open, and a female demon cultivator entered, carrying a food tray. She placed the steaming meal on the table and then said to Gu Yunkai, “Starting from today, you can order anything you need, Master.”
Gu Yunkai stopped her and asked, “What if I want to go out?”
The female demon cultivator nodded, “The Demon Sovereign said it’s allowed.”
Gu Yunkai wasn’t surprised. Lu Ran probably thought that he couldn’t escape, or even if he did, he could always find a way to capture him again. So, there was no need to restrict his movements so much.
Faced with a table of delicious food, Chu Yan had to exert great self-control to resist his instincts.
[Host, why aren’t you eating? You need to eat to have the strength to resist and escape, right?]
[As a proud and unyielding high and mighty white lotus, I should be disinterested in tea and food right now. Besides, the more miserable I appear now, the angrier my little disciple will be when he sees me!]
The system 2333 couldn’t help but feel that their host must have participated in some palace intrigue world. Otherwise, why would he be so proficient in using all these messy strategies? Is he really a man?
[But even if Fu Qingzhou comes, do you think he can save you? This is the Demon Palace, it’s Lu Ran’s territory, coming here would be like offering himself up.]
[But there’s someone else, did you forget?]
Duan Chongque, after seeing Gu Yunkai once, had been lurking around the Demon Palace. In his view, Lu Ran’s weak point was his master, and given Gu Yunkai’s character, he would certainly not tolerate Lu Ran’s current brutal actions. Additionally, with the seal within Lu Ran’s body, utilizing this aspect would pose no problem in not only obtaining the position of Demon Sovereign but also completely eliminating him.
He was quite familiar with the boundary between the Demon Realm and the Human Realm. Back then, he had escaped from here with his trusted subordinates and eventually infiltrated Red Cloud City in disguise. Once he removed Lu Ran, his few trusted subordinates could quickly take over Red Cloud City.
However, before that, he needed someone’s assistance.
These past few days, a group of disciples from a Daoist sect appeared in the border town between the Demon Realm and the Human Realm. Despite their disguises, Duan Chongque recognized them. The reason was simple: Gu Yunkai, the Peak Master of Cloud Crane Peak of the Floating Light Sect, had been missing for so long. Even if there were no reports or news, as one of the most powerful cultivators in the Floating Light Sect and a strong candidate for the next sect leader, how could there be no movement within the sect after his disappearance?
Cleverly infiltrating the group under the pretense of being “taken hostage,” with Duan Chongque’s guidance, Fu Qingzhou and the others quickly entered the Demon Palace.
Around the main hall of the Demon Palace, there were guards patrolling everywhere. As they walked, Fu Qingzhou was contemplating where to start searching. Suddenly, he heard a warning sound, and torches began gathering in their direction.
“Somebody has intruded into the Demon Palace!”
Fu Qingzhou’s brow furrowed, and he conjured a sword in his hand. Without a word, he engaged in combat with the intruders.
On the other hand, inside the sleeping quarters, Lu Ran suddenly opened his eyes. He glanced at the moonlight outside the window and then turned his gaze to the person sleeping on the bed.
Gu Yunkai was still in deep slumber. As someone who had lost all of his spiritual power, he needed sleep to replenish his physical strength, much like an ordinary mortal.
At that moment, the light curtain hanging over the window gently swayed, and before the intruder arrived, a powerful aura accompanied by a sharp killing intent swept in.
Lu Ran furrowed his brows. He gripped the hilt of his hidden sword with his right hand, and before the blade was unsheathed, he redirected the attacking force. With his left hand, he rolled to the side, cradling Gu Yunkai in his arms, shielding him. He gazed coldly at the intruder, his pitch-black eyes revealing anger.
After he defeated Duan Chongque, he knew that his opponent wouldn’t simply give up. However, he hadn’t expected the intruder to endure for so long before making a move.
Duan Chongque knew that his current situation was not in his favor. Slowly, a pitch-black sword formed in his hand, and without hesitation, he unleashed a powerful sword qi that could cleave mountains and shatter rocks. However, Lu Ran seemed to have some reservations and had not yet drawn his hidden sword. The collision of their two powerful auras resulted in a massive explosion, scattering the dark energy along with countless thunder and lightning flashes. Tiles and stones flew in all directions.
Lu Ran sneered, “Overestimating yourself.”
He still hadn’t unsheathed his sword, but the immense pressure he emitted, with his palm as the blade, delivered a brutal blow. Everyone present, including more than a dozen demon cultivators who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, were blown away by the force, lying on the ground, coughing up blood.
Gu Yunkai watched Lu Ran’s overwhelmingly powerful strength, feeling a cold sweat forming on his own forehead.
Even though Duan Chongque had been thrown back and was coughing up blood from the intense pressure, he felt more confident now. He understood why Lu Ran hadn’t drawn his sword yet. If Lu Ran were to unsheathe his sword here, Duan Chongque knew he wouldn’t stand a chance. But with Lu Ran’s reservations, he had some confidence.
However, Duan Chongque had no reservations of his own.
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