The pervasive aura of dark energy gradually dissipated. As the dust settled and the winds dispersed the debris, the previously overcast skies cleared, allowing the golden sunlight to bathe the entire square.
The cultivators from various sects below were stunned by the unexpected turn of events. The extraordinary talent in the world of swordsmanship, who had amazed the entire cultivation world for centuries, had fallen like this. And the mastermind was now holding the lifeless body so tightly…
“This scoundrel has no conscience, not even sparing his own master…”
The disciples of the Floating Light Sect were furious, their voices filled with resentment as they demanded, “Hand over the peak master’s body!”
“Yes, hand it over!”
Lu Ran, however, seemed as if he hadn’t heard their demands. He continued to hold the lifeless body in his arms, appearing silent and icy, with bloodshot eyes and an almost deathly pale complexion.
Wasn’t the master originally planning to kill him?
But why did he do this…
Ye Llingsha was also puzzled for a long time, and finally took a long time to understand the changes. She then kneeled beside Lu Ran carefully and asked, “My Lord, would you like me to deal with these people first?”
At this moment, several powerful factions from various immortal sects were seriously injured, and they were no longer a match for them. It would be an opportunity to annihilate them all.
Although these cultivators harbored intense hatred for this fiend, they also understood that the current situation was extremely unfavorable for them. To avoid unnecessary casualties, no one dared to act rashly.
“Let’s… retreat,” Lu Ran’s eyes gleamed with cold determination as he scanned the area around the square.
Those cultivators watched him with fear and hatred, but none dared to approach.
Heh… truly a group of hypocrites, acting differently in front of their faces and behind their backs.
Only the master was different…
In this world, only he protected him. But now, the only person who had been kind to him… was forced to die by his own hand…
Lu Ran lowered his gaze to the person in his arms, his eyes filled with pain and confusion. For a moment, he seemed to have lost his sense of purpose, not knowing why he was still alive and what it all meant…
It felt like he had returned to a time long ago, when his master had handed him the Hidden Edge Sword.
The expectation and pride hidden in those eyes, how could he ever forget them?
In these hundred years, he has been striving relentlessly to become stronger at every moment, all for the purpose of standing before this man again. He wanted to see him regret his past actions and pay the price for it. He wished to ensure that this man would never be able to abandon him again.
But why, now that he had become powerful enough, could he still not hold onto the person he wanted to keep?
Meng Xueting stood up with his eyes filled with redness, pointing his sword at Lu Ran. “If you have even a shred of humanity left, if you cherish the kindness of your master, hand over his body.”
Lu Ran’s lips trembled silently, his heart aching. After a long pause, he looked at Meng Xueting with cold eyes. “Out of respect for my master, I don’t want to fight with you.”
Meng Xueting sneered, “How ridiculous! You’ve tormented him throughout his life, and now you’re not even letting him rest in peace in death?”
“Yunkai once had a strong and unwavering heart and a bright path ahead of him. It’s all because of you! One hundred years ago, during the battle in the Demon Realm, Yunkai shouldn’t have shown mercy and spared you, the evil disciple. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a tragic state with his soul utterly destroyed.”
A hundred years ago.
Lu Ran suddenly trembled, and his mind was sharply pricked by that one sentence. He raised his head abruptly and looked at Meng Xueting, asking, “A hundred years ago?”
Meng Xueting had no patience for further conversation and swung his sword in a dazzling white light directly towards Lu Ran.
Lu Ran, however, did not evade. He stood his ground and caught the sword, the powerful spiritual energy almost cutting through his palm. Yet, Lu Ran did not even furrow his brow. He whispered, “What do you mean by a hundred years ago?”
Meng Xueting, who had never encountered such a situation in all his years of combat, looked at Lu Ran, his face fluctuating between pale and blue, and he couldn’t say a word.
Lu Ran waited for a moment, but when he received no answer, he didn’t press further. He just held the coldbody tightly in his arms. After a long time, he finally let out a melancholic laugh.
So, all this time, he had been wrong from the very beginning?
Whether it was a hundred years ago or now, his mentor never wanted to kill him. Even at the cost of his own life, he was willing to help him break free from this cruel and absurd destiny.
But, the one responsible for this whole incident was himself.
Lu Ran stood up, and the square was a mess, filled with corpses, and the bloody sunset extended to the horizon.
All the cultivators watched the blood-soaked demon in fear, afraid that he might do something else.
However, Lu Ran didn’t even look at those people. He casually tore open a spatial crack, stepped into it while carrying the body in his arms, and disappeared.
*
In the battle at Red Cloud City, the immortal world suffered heavy losses. Additionally, Gu Yunkai, the peak master of the Floating Light Sect, perished in the battle. The heads of the Floating Light Sect and the Upper Xuan Sect were seriously injured. What was even more surprising was that the demonic forces did not pursue their advantage and inexplicably withdrew the thousands of demonic soldiers, not even attempting to capture Red Cloud City.
Furthermore, to everyone’s astonishment, the demon lord took Gu Yunkai’s body with him as well.
Afterward, rumors began to circulate that the demon lord had gone insane after the Red Cloud City battle, and he would eagerly rush to any place with spiritual treasures, causing chaos in the cultivation world for a whole century. Although the various sects expressed their strong desire to kill this demon, his cultivation level was extremely high, and no matter how they attacked, they couldn’t kill him. Even when severely injured, his wounds would instantly heal—a terrifying and abnormal ability that defied common sense.
Fortunately, it seemed that the demon lord had no interest in dominating the cultivation world, and he spent his days in the company of a lifeless body. His occasional appearances were always linked to the discovery of some precious treasure.
Otherwise, with his abnormal level of cultivation, the Purple Cloud Realm would always be in danger of turning into a bloody battleground.
The Floating Light Sect, in particular, was eager to capture and punish this demon lord. It seemed that no amount of revenge would satisfy their deep-seated hatred. They frequently sent people to the border of the demon realm to provoke him, yet the demon lord spared little mercy for other sects, showing some restraint only towards the Floating Light Sect, responding to these provocations with a hint of leniency.
As time passed, many people felt that there was more to the story, especially the cultivators who witnessed that battle. They vaguely suspected that there must be a hidden tale of love and hatred between Gu Yunkai and his wayward disciple.
Among those who understood the situation well were the subordinates within Lu Ran’s demonic palace, particularly Ye Lingsha. She even began to fear that if things continued this way, their once ambitious and powerful Demon Lord would inevitably descend into madness.
For the past few years, every day, he would use various stolen spiritual treasures and his own true spirit to maintain the undying state of that lifeless body. The rest of the time, he would spend with the already chilled corpse.
This is really challenging the moral values of the demon realm, but in recent years, Lu Ran has become increasingly capricious, so his subordinates have to tread carefully, living in a constant state of fear and anxiety.
[Host, how are you feeling…?]
[Can you be honest?] He left a trace of divine consciousness in place when he initiated the formation initially. However, due to the depletion of spiritual energy, the power of this trace of consciousness is extremely weak. If it weren’t for Lu Ran using true spirits every day to sustain it, it probably would have dissipated long ago.
But, strangely, he can hear Lu Ran speaking. Through these conversations, he has sensed that the young man’s mental state has significantly deteriorated. Fortunately, Lu Ran only talks to this body daily and hasn’t engaged in any inappropriate actions (seriously), and sometimes he even… cries with sorrow?
Nonetheless, Chu Yan has to admit that he actually has a small desire for recovery because he has never seen Lu Ran cry…
When he was a child, this little guy displayed an unusual level of coldness and maturity, never indulging in laughter. Even when he did smile, it was always a wry, emotionless grin. However, with his (unique) affection and genuine care, he gradually grew into an approachable young man, but by that time, he was already past the age for being spoiled and crying.
So, Chu Yan thought that witnessing Long Autian Lu Ran’s tears at this point should be a joyful sight.
He was thinking this when he noticed a change in his surroundings. The world around him turned completely white with the familiar peaks and valleys, making him instantly realize that he was on top of the Floating Light Sect’s Cloud Crane Peak.
Before he could fully grasp what was happening, a young child, around five or six years old, with a round face and baby fat, was running towards him, looking as innocent as could be.
After many years, seeing the childhood version of Fu Qingzhou, it was a bit difficult to recognize him.
“Master.” Fu Qingzhou’s round, shining eyes gazed at him, his pupils deep and black.
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