Lu Ran had indeed slept heavily,

when his bleary eyes opened, it was already deep into the night.

"Hmm..."

Lu Ran propped himself up on the bed, only to feel his entire body ache.

He instinctively glanced at the clock on the wall, but couldn't make it out in the pitch-dark room.

Even though moonlight poured in from the window sill, it didn't help Lu Ran much.

A thought stirred in his heart, and memories of his dreams gradually flooded his mind.

In no time, his spirits had visibly lifted!

Clearly, the past twenty-one days of slaughtering dogs had brought Lu Ran some measure of success!

In the dream, the Evil Demon·Evil Dog sculpture had finally been activated.

"So..."

Lu Ran couldn't help but lick his lips.

The next moment, a surge of Divine Power erupted from within him.

Evil Technique·Evil Recognition!

Lu Ran's eyes widened!

It wasn't quite night vision, but he could now make out the face of the clock on the wall!

Midnight exactly.

Ha,

waking up early was not as good as waking up timely.

The moment he opened his eyes, it was just the right emo time!

"The evening breeze stirs the white hairs at your temples, smoothing over the scars left by memories, in your eyes, light and shadow mingle..."

Lu Ran's voice was soft and light.

With the assist of Evil Technique·Evil Recognition, his eyes shimmered faintly as he surveyed the furnishings in the room.

After a long while, Lu Ran stood and moved to the window, his fingertips lightly brushing the moonlit sill, relishing the strange sensation.

The moon on the horizon, the insects of a summer night chirping.

Slowly, Lu Ran closed his eyes.

Listening intently to the world enveloped by the night...

The grade of Evil Technique·Evil Recognition was still too low, merely mist-grade.

It couldn't achieve true night vision, or capture sounds that were too distant or too complex.

"We can slaughter more Evil Dogs," suddenly, a deep voice entered his mind.

Lu Ran jumped!

He was carefully listening to the night, and this sudden voice transmission was like the "jump scare" from a horror movie.

Lu Ran took a step back and approached the shrine, joining his hands, "Lord Immortal Goat?"

White Sheep Jade Carving: "Bring more Evil Dog souls to nourish the Evil Demon sculpture.

The stronger the Evil Dog Stone Sculpture, the higher the grade of the Evil Technique, the more types of Evil Techniques."

"I understand," Lu Ran nodded vigorously.

White Sheep Jade Carving: "Do not slack on your own cultivation.

The weak cannot perform advanced techniques eagerly."

"Yes!" Lu Ran nodded again.

The darkened small bedroom once again lapsed into silence.

Lu Ran waited a long time but, receiving no further instructions from the divine, he turned and walked to the desk to pick up his phone which had been charging all day.

As expected, during his 21-day disappearance, his phone had filled up with messages.

Besides his mother's caring messages, there were mostly messages from his sister Qiao Yuansi.

Starting from the 3rd day of the lunar month, she had begun urging:

"Are you done yet?"

Then almost every day a message:

"It's been over ten days, haven't you completed the task?"

"Why haven't you come out? Aren't you capable enough?"

"Stinky brother, you're really too weak! If you don't reply, I'll start calling you 'Stinky Little Brother'!"

"Today I ate a burger, I secretly threw away the lettuce, hehe~"

"T^T, mom found out, and I got a lecture."

"It's already the 8th of July, oh my cold-blooded and weak brother..."

"Stinky Little Brother."

Lu Ran swiped his finger to a stop, the screen freezing on the last message.

Looking at these three words, Lu Ran's expression turned a bit strange.

Hmm... in this regard, my sister is quite like me.

Purely antinomian!

Lu Ran glanced at the time, then tossed the phone back on the desk.

I'll call her tomorrow to report my safety.

He returned before the shrine, sat cross-legged, and entered into a mode of cultivation.

Quietly, a wisp of mist drifted out from the shrine, curling around the Human Clan believer, nurturing his flesh and blood body.

Interestingly, sleeping made Lu Ran's body sore.

Yet, cultivating Divine Power greatly alleviated his physical fatigue.

The night passed without further word.

At dawn the next day.

"Eh ah~~~"

Lu Ran stretched fiercely, his joints emitting several crisp pops.

"Lord Immortal Sheep, good morning," Lu Ran offered his greetings before straight rushing for his phone.

As his mother usually woke up early, he needn't worry about disturbing her rest.

Sure enough, the phone was picked up after just a few seconds.

"Ranran?"

"Mom, sorry for making you worry," Lu Ran stood by the window, watching the brightening sky, "The task was rather strenuous, I only barely completed it on the last day."

"Did you sleep all day yesterday?"

"Yes," Lu Ran laughed embarrassedly.

Qiao Wanjun's voice remained gentle: "Next time after coming home, you can send me a message first, then rest."

"Got it," Lu Ran hastily replied.

Qiao Wanjun was succinct in her advice, then asked: "Can the Divine Power Pearl and weapons be upgraded?"

"Yes, I've been slaughtering like mad in Evil Dog Village," Lu Ran grinned, "I could even set up a stall as a butcher now!"

Qiao Wanjun chuckled light-heartedly: "At first, you needed the courage to pick up the butcher's knife.

Now, you must always remind yourself to treasure life.

Remember to distinguish the Evil Demon Clan from other creatures."

"Absolutely," Lu Ran responded seriously.

A powerful Believer inevitably stands amidst piles of bones, their hands steeped in blood.

The Evil Demon Clan is indeed very cunning.

Even if they can't kill you, during your repeated killings, your heart may also become tainted.

During his junior and senior years of high school, the class teacher tirelessly admonished the students countless times:

Despising life, becoming numb, all these are easy.

What Believers truly pursue is to maintain their true heart throughout the protracted battles.

"Okay." Qiao Wanjun was not too worried, after all, a divine being was watching over him, she continued, "Yesterday when I got home, Yuansi mentioned you."

Lu Ran felt a bit awkward: "I'll book a ticket in a while.

By the way, is that Burger King still open near our house?"

"Don't buy her anything, I've banned her from eating it this week," Qiao Wanjun continued, "Just come over.

It would be good for the two of you to spend the night of the fifteen together at home, I'd feel more at ease."

"I can't, Mom," Lu Ran immediately said, "I have to come back the day after tomorrow, I have a task on the fifteenth."

"A task?" Qiao Wanjun was surprised.

"It's like this..." Lu Ran explained in detail.

On the other end of the phone, Qiao Wanjun's frown deepened as she listened.

Believers, of course, could participate in the fifteenth's city guarding task.

But what people would face next was the extremely perilous fifteenth of July!

"A retest." Qiao Wanjun muttered to herself, her child earning such an honor should have made her proud.

But the reality was, she felt more anxious.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll be safe staying with the Moon Gazers," Lu Ran reassured.

"How could you not tell me about such a big event in advance?"

Listening to his mother's words, Lu Ran was silent, not sure how to respond.

Qiao Wanjun misinterpreted his silence, thinking her tone had been too harsh.

For this exceedingly strong-willed and independent son, Qiao Wanjun rarely scolded him, she even hesitated to speak harshly.

"It's because I've been too busy recently, I haven't paid you enough attention," Qiao Wanjun's tone softened, "You don't have to come here, just adjust well at home.

Remember, stay close to the Moon Gazers on the night of the fifteenth, don't make me worry."

"Of course!"

"About Yuansi, I'll talk to her," Qiao Wanjun sighed lightly, "Ranran."

"Yes?"

"Your father would be proud of you."

Lu Ran chuckled: "What about you?"

Hearing this, Qiao Wanjun also smiled, "Call me at 5 am on the sixteenth of July, I'll tell you then."

"Deal."

Lu Ran hung up the phone and put it down.

"The fifteenth of July." He muttered to himself, his hands braced on the window sill, gazing up at the clear sky.

Last month on the fifteenth, he had missed seeing the full moon.

Hopefully, he'll see it this time.

"Buzz~Buzz~"

His phone suddenly began vibrating.

Lu Ran looked at the unfamiliar number, curiously answering, "Hello?"

From the other end of the phone came a familiar female voice: "Little Lu Ran?"

Lu Ran paused for a second, three words slipping out: "Big Nightmare?"

Deng Yuxiang's expression turned quite interesting: "Hmm?"

Lu Ran: "..."

"Good, good, good!" Deng Yuxiang recovered her senses and burst out laughing, "Dare you secretly give me a nickname behind my back?"

Lu Ran hurriedly said: "You heard wrong, I said big dream... Dream Yan!

Sister, your celestial beauty, it's something only seen in dreams! Even prettier than Yan Zhi!"

Deng Yuxiang: ???

For a moment, Deng Yuxiang couldn't tell whether Lu Ran was complimenting her or insulting her.

"What do you want from me?" Lu Ran seized the chance to change the subject.

Deng Yuxiang snorted coldly: "I heard from Yutang that you guys completed the mission and have come back."

"Yes," Lu Ran's heart stirred, "Are you contacting me about joining the patrol team?"

Deng Yuxiang instead said: "I just want to get up and move around."

"Hello? Speak up, this damn phone, how can the signal be so bad... beep beep beep..."

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