Upgrading a weapon to a Divine Weapon takes no more than a few hours.

While Lu Ran was still conducting the interrogation, he sensed the surrounding mystic fog growing thinner and thinner.

Big Nightmare was successful?

"Sect Leader!" Not long after, Deng Yuxiang pushed the door open and entered with large strides.

Lu Ran couldn't help but feel his eyes light up.

The woman had first avenged her enemies and then successfully cultivated a Divine Weapon upgrade. At this moment, she was radiant with confidence.

Her aura was overwhelming!

Bear in mind, the council hall was shrouded in total darkness.

But when Lu Ran saw Deng Yuxiang, he felt she was dazzlingly bright.

Good, good, good...

Thinking back to the aftermath of the battle in Beifeng City, how broken and pathetic Deng Yuxiang had been.

Now, this beautiful camellia flower has finally bloomed anew.

Credit goes to yours truly!

Delighted~

Lu Ran silently rejoiced.

Deng Yuxiang did not possess night vision. Yet, as a powerful Martial Artist, she could sense someone's gaze fixated on her.

Unwavering.

As if appreciating her?

"Sect Leader." Deng Yuxiang approached Lu Ran and called out softly.

"Ah... Is it done?" Lu Ran snapped back to reality.

"Yes." Deng Yuxiang drew out the broken blade, releasing her grip.

The broken blade, approximately 1.3 meters long, hovered silently mid-air.

The Night-cutting Blade now exuded a unique aesthetic.

The hilt was only about 20 centimeters, while the blade measured around 1.1 meters. Both the bottom of the hilt and the tip of the blade were slanted and jagged.

At first glance, it looked like a shattered blade.

But upon closer inspection, this seemingly disposable blade, meant for scrapping and re-forging, was now a Divine Weapon?

"Whew~" A sudden surge of energy rippled forth.

From within the broken blade emanated a shadow—Night-Slaying Blade Spirit!

In an instant, the temperature in the council hall plummeted, akin to falling into an icy cavern.

Lu Ran silently clicked his tongue, staring at the blade spirit before him—it was like meeting a death god incarnate...

Soon, Lu Ran noticed something peculiar in his heart.

The appearance of the blade spirit mirrored Deng Yuxiang to a striking degree, resembling her by nine parts.

Yet this blade spirit... was fragmented?

To date, Lu Ran had encountered many Artifact Spirits from Divine Weapons and Magic Artifacts, but he had never seen one covered in fissures!

This?

"She's quite unique." Lu Ran murmured softly.

"Yes." Deng Yuxiang responded gently, naturally aware of the Night-Slaying Blade Spirit's state.

The blade spirit stretched out its limbs, wrapping its ethereal form around the inverted Night-cutting Blade.

The slow, deliberate movements left Lu Ran quietly anxious, fearing the spirit might shatter entirely...

Humans are indeed visual creatures.

Lu Ran quickly realized—this was a blade spirit. As long as the Divine Weapon remained intact, how could she possibly break?

Hmm... Let's just consider it a special skin.

It was beautiful in a strangely eerie way.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Lu Ran carefully observed.

The cracks running across the blade spirit's form were eerily reminiscent of the shattered blade from the battle in Beifeng City.

Later, Deng Yuxiang had handed it over to the disciples of the Heavenly Star Sect for repairs to the blade's fractured network.

Yet, Deng Yuxiang had not fully restored the Night-slaying Great Saber to its original, imposing 2.8-meter length.

Perhaps she intended to always remind herself of that bitter defeat?

"You..." Lu Ran extended a hand, trying to hold the fragmented hand of the blade spirit. "Why this appearance?"

Unfortunately, the blade spirit was ethereal.

Lu Ran's hand passed through her palm.

It's well known: a blade is the extension of its wielder's thoughts.

The so-called "Artifact Spirit mirrors the master" naturally signifies more than physical resemblance.

The blade spirit, overflowing with murderous intent, sensed Lu Ran before her. Her previously stiff facial features slightly softened; even her gaze became gentler. She softly replied:

"Should I not be like this?"

Lu Ran: "..."

The feeling was eerily like talking to another Deng Yuxiang.

Moreover, this Deng Yuxiang seemed deadlier in intent.

Lu Ran almost wanted to ask whether this Night-Slaying Blade Spirit was the same one as before.

But after much deliberation, he refrained from asking recklessly.

"We already have our direction for growth," Deng Yuxiang casually raised her hand, "The blade spirit has conveyed her intent to me."

Her slender fingers skimmed across the ethereal blade spirit, tracing strands of energy.

"What is it?" Lu Ran looked at the woman.

Deng Yuxiang grasped the handle of the broken blade, and the Night-Slaying Blade Spirit obediently followed her master's thoughts, slowly merging back into the broken blade.

She whispered, "To restore the broken blade."

Lu Ran nodded thoughtfully.

From this moment on, the name "Night-cutting" would no longer simply mean "cutting through the endless night."

Night-cutting had become a proper noun.

Representing the Divine Weapon before its fall—the Night-slaying Great Saber.

Was this the envisioned direction for the Divine Weapon Domain cultivated by this master and blade?

Lu Ran speculated and then raised his query accordingly.

Deng Yuxiang was non-committal, merely slinging the broken blade on her back and walking behind Lu Ran's chair: "Are you upgrading?"

"Yes." Lu Ran saw Deng Yuxiang wasn't elaborating, so he stopped prodding.

Deng Yuxiang reached out and removed Lu Ran's bamboo hat. Her cold fingertips pressed onto his head, gently massaging.

Shameless indulgence!

By now, Lu Ran had already accepted this care with a clear conscience.

Technician Deng's massage techniques had evolved, now including not just temple rubs but gentle presses on his head.

It was rather soothing~

Reflecting on the years the two had spent together, it seemed both had grown accustomed to indulging one another?

Lu Ran closed his eyes and exhaled deeply: "I feel I'm about to level up too; I'm close to breaking through the cultivation bottleneck."

Deng Yuxiang: "Then let's head back earlier."

Now that Tiantu Mountain was in ruins and their grudges were lifted, it was indeed time for the two to return.

Lu Ran weighed the Soul Prison in his hand: "Once we extract all the intelligence, raid her belongings, we'll head back."

"Alright."

Deng Yuxiang understood Lu Ran wasn't in top form, so she took the initiative to assume interrogation duties.

With regards to their two captives, Luo Tiantu and Lady Kong, Deng Yuxiang interrogated them separately to guarantee the accuracy of their information.

In reality, the couple didn't dare lie.

This also indirectly proved the ruthless effectiveness of Lu Ran's methods.

A flicker of Soul Fire could subdue even Sea Realm Great Powers, leaving them no choice but to spill their secrets fully, terrified of enduring Soul Fire's searing agony again.

For over a decade, Luo and Kong had wielded dominance in this place. They were indeed walking treasure troves.

Lu Ran listened with fascination.

As the night passed, the Jade Talisman Divine Sculpture in Lu Ran's Sculpture Garden cemented itself at River Realm·Fourth Rank!

Clearly, the 8 Jade Talisman disciples Luo Tiantu had personally brought along were of vastly superior quality compared to those stationed at the mountain.

The prior 11 Jade Talisman disciples were only capable of elevating the Divine Sculpture to River Realm·First Rank.

Tiantu Mountain was unquestionably an organization with a rigid hierarchy.

For its lower-tiered members, they truly had no hope of gaining much advantage.

Since everyone was planning to head back, Lu Ran halted his absorption of the souls of Luo Tiantu and Lady Kong.

Holding two Soul Prisons in hand, he led the pair to completely plunder Tiantu Mountain before sending their souls into the Rebirth Money.

One day later, Tiantu Mountain burst into roaring flames.

Before setting the fire, Deng Yuxiang specifically sought Lu Ran's approval, expressing her desire to obliterate this place entirely.

Lu Ran consented, feeling quite sentimental:

"Luo Tiantu, oh Luo Tiantu, why did you provoke her?"

Not only does she kill you and imprison your souls, but she also raids your home and burns your mountain!

Big Nightmare was indeed a fitting codename...

When it came to enemies, this woman was downright ruthless!

And thus, the dominion of Luo Tiantu was reduced to ashes by Deng Yuxiang.

The Ran Sect members took the spoils and journeyed back to Cloud Sea Cliff.

The spoils could be divided into four categories.

First: clothing and shoes. Second: gold and silver treasures. Third: various weapons. Fourth: Divine Power Pearls.

From Lu Ran's perspective, the value of the first two categories paled compared to the latter pair.

As for Divine Weapons and Magic Artifacts, they shouldn't expect too much.

If there was anything good, Luo Tiantu and Lady Kong would have surely kept it for themselves.

However, among all the weapons confiscated by the Ran Sect, Lu Ran actually discovered a Divine Weapon Seed!

It wasn't from Tiantu Mountain's armory but belonged to the Sky-piercing Halberd used by the female disciples from Dong Ting during the battle on the fifteenth night.

It's a pity that no one in the Ran Sect is proficient in using halberds.

Hmm... For now, let's take it back and store it in Cloud Sea Cliff's treasure vault.

Await a fated wielder!

Upon returning to Cloud Sea Cliff, it was already July 20.

The stationed guard, Jing Hong, was both thrilled and dazed, leading the Ghost General Team to welcome them.

Thrilled because Sect Leader had returned.

She knew well that there was no other organization in the Holy Spirit Mountain Realm like the Ran Sect.

Had something happened to Lu Ran and the others, her future days might have been filled with enslavement, tortures, or perhaps abandonment, left to rot in the wilderness.

Dazed because Lu Ran was draped in a Black Gold Emperor Robe.

A garment adorned with dragon and phoenix motifs, exuding aristocratic magnificence!

The large robe's trailing hem also bound a massive bundle of weaponry.

Steel clashing upon steel, creating sharp, rhythmic sounds.

This presentation was a deliberate decision by Lu Ran after much deliberation.

Initially, he'd wanted to wear a seductive and revealing Big Red Robe, using thousands of crimson threads to tie together a large number of weapons...

Hmm... But Lu Ran didn't dare.

Even cross-dressing has its degrees.

In front of his subordinates, wearing a Big Red Robe versus a risque scarlet dress are entirely different concepts!

A tad embarrassing~

Upon reaching their base, Lu Ran led everyone in divvying up... uh, distributing the spoils!

This campaign yielded over 200 Divine Power Pearls for the Ran Sect.

Adding that to what they already possessed, the Ran Sect had effectively achieved "Divine Power Pearl freedom."

Truth be told, if Luo Tiantu's team hadn't been obliterated by numerous Sea Realm techniques, the amount of Divine Power Pearls they captured could have easily doubled!

Following that, Lu Ran organized the clothing and shoes for distribution, intentionally giving more to Luo Ying.

She had children at home, after all.

For sect members at the River and Sea Realms, wearing straw clothes and shoes was no big deal.

But children, with their tender skin, would surely feel more comfortable in soft clothes and shoes from the Human World.

Luo Ying did not refuse and repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Lu Ran.

Sect Leader's concern for the children was well understood by all, and no one had any objections.

As for weapons and gold and silver jewelry...

Lu Ran declared that everyone could help themselves!

Yet nobody touched them. Only Jing Hong, at last finding a weapon she fancied, selected a Yanyue Blade.

As a small leader of the Evil Demon Squad, she spent her days leading forces stationed at the sea cliff with ample time to learn techniques from the Ghost General Clan.

Lu Ran wholeheartedly approved.

After everything was arranged, Lu Ran requested the souls of Luo Tiantu and Lady Kong from Deng Yuxiang.

He then retreated into his seclusion room through Instant Teleportation, carrying his reverberating headache.

The Jade Talisman Divine Sculpture in the Sculpture Garden was already at River Realm·Fourth Rank, and now with the souls of Luo Tiantu and Lady Kong...

Lu Ran was confident that his Divine Sculpture would advance to the Sea Realm!

"Ah~" Within the pitch-black seclusion room, Lu Ran lay flat on the ground.

Specifically, which rank within the Sea Realm would it level up to?

Come, Jade Talisman!

Don't spare any surprises...

Lu Ran emptied his mind, his gaze growing vacant, as he revisited the state he'd been in on Immortal Island during his sea expedition.

Adopting the mentality of a simpleton.

Awaiting a miracle.

...

Double voting period—please drop some monthly votes.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.