A man and a deity, blade against blade.

The young man of the Human Clan hovers in mid-air, pressing down with one hand holding a blade, while the deity Nu Ying in a bow stance wields her blade upwards to block.

Their eyes pass over the crossed blades forming an "X," locking gazes with one another.

"Human Clan, you have many skills," Nu Ying suddenly exerted force, pushing upwards with her blade.

The difference between those strong in the First, Second, and Third Levels of the Heavenly Realm isn't much from the perspective of spellcasting, but the physical strength differentiates greatly!

Nu Ying's flesh and blood body is undoubtedly at the Third Level of the Heavenly Realm.

Lu Ran is at the Second Level of the Heavenly Realm.

He only feels a tremendous force attacking him, Nu Ying's strength is extremely brute, something he cannot resist.

Just at this moment, Lu Ran fills his hand with Fierce Heavenly Power, stabilizing his leaning backward posture immediately.

How perceptive is Nu Ying?

Naturally, she detects the sudden surge in the young man's strength!

She narrows her eyes slightly, suddenly releasing her force, while turning sideways and reaching out.

The sideways move allows the downward-slashing blade to just graze past her chest. The reaching out is to seize Lu Ran's head directly amid his downward chop.

"Swoosh~"

Lu Ran's silhouette flickers, Nu Ying's palm grabbing only air.

Without a moment's pause, Nu Ying seemed not to need to react, directly turning and slashing upwards with her blade.

"Clang!!"

Once again, a sharp sound, as the Eight Desolate Blade clashes heavily with the Chi Ji Blade.

The young man of the Human Clan indeed appeared behind her, just as before, once again flashing to her back.

This seems to be his combat habit.

Nu Ying's expression remains unchanged, as if she has completely read the young man with merely a single exchange.

Her sharp eyes suddenly look to the left, where Lu Ran's other hand holds the Dawn Blade, already slashing horizontally.

Even more terrifying, the blade's tip drags out a thin and long sword trace.

Previously, Nu Ying might judge this lengthy 18-meter wind trace, as coming from the North Wind Sect's Residual Wind Trace.

But now, Lu Ran has used the Instant Teleportation Technique, showing strength beyond the Great Realm, Nu Ying can't quite determine what skill it is.

After all, the mysterious young man before her seems to know everything.

"Crash!"

Nu Ying reacts swiftly, with a kick, she flies backward in a reclining posture.

The long sword trace sweeps right above her face.

What a fright! What a thrill!

Yet Nu Ying's face remains unchanged, as if she anticipated the scene, she reclines backward through the thick mist, continuously swinging her blade.

Red arcs of the blade are rapidly thrown out, directly targeting Lu Ran's face.

Just as Nu Ying tightens her grip on the blade ready to stab behind, she suddenly senses a terrifying energy rushing forward.

Nu Ying's heart trembles!

She lacks the Pupil Skill, unable to see through the mist sea but she can sense a threatening aura closing in.

The utmost danger!

Even though Nu Ying has fought countless battles, long engaged in frontline struggles, it's been a while since she caught the scent of "death."

Not to mention the Third Level Heavenly Realm body, even the true form of Divine Sculpture here would likely be shattered.

The Chi Ji Blade flew abruptly to the side.

Nu Ying tightens the grip, shifting sideways with the Divine Weapon.

"Whoosh!!"

A huge flame pillar forcefully blasts a tunnel through the mist sea, incinerating all gray mist along its path.

The fierce battlefield falls silent in an instant.

Dozens of meters by the flame pillar's side, a woman emerges from the mist sea, revealing her tall figure.

She holds the high ponytail behind her head, gently smoothing her slightly messy long hair, gazing far at the young man engulfed in flames:

"So this is your secret, the reason you can hunt down God Demons."

Lu Ran says, "This is my capital to fight alongside you."

Nu Ying quietly looks at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran continues, "I will eventually overthrow the rule of the strong divine beings, and obliterate the stubborn fools in the God Demon camp, transforming them for my use.

I will unite the God Demon camp, leading them against external foes together!"

"Transform for your use?" Nu Ying says calmly.

Lu Ran slightly raises his gaze, looking over Nu Ying's head towards the distance.

Nu Ying turns her head to look, under the dim sky, amidst the distant mist sea, she sees a Goddess Sculpture appearing abruptly.

A moment later, it vanishes without a trace.

Nu Ying's eyes flicker.

There's actually a Divine Sculpture there?!

Not a common Stone Sculpture, but a real Divine Sculpture, even possessing a complete Divine Position!

Throughout, she hadn't noticed the existence of such a deity.

Recalling not long ago, the Martial Monk informed All Gods with a piece of news: a group of Human Clan scoundrels somehow found a way to devour Divine Souls, inheriting Divine Positions...

"Greedy Wolf?" Nu Ying turns to Lu Ran.

Lu Ran nods: "There will no longer be that greedy and cunning beast. Stepping over the bones of the Greedy Wolf onto the Divine Altar will be a loyal and dependable warrior.

One who will fight alongside us, together facing the Faceless Jade Venerable."

Nu Ying closely watches Lu Ran: "You people of the Human Clan should trust your fellow clan members more, why not ambush me, devouring my Divine Soul?"

Dull words echo from the Blood Crystal Mask of the Human Clan youth: "I heard, you're a pure warrior, craving loyal and powerful comrades.

I heard you were born with a mission.

To spend a lifetime only to slay the Faceless Jade Venerable."

Nu Ying's sharp eyes gradually turn fiery.

In the next instant, the flames on Lu Ran suddenly extinguish, his entire Divine Power shackled.

Nu Ying takes a swift leap forward, with her blade stabbing towards Lu Ran.

Lu Ran's body tenses, distinctly feeling that Nu Ying's power has grown more than a notch, even her action speed rapidly rising.

"Clang! Clang! Clang..."

The sound of blades clashing, intense and unending.

Lu Ran could feel a numbing sensation spreading through his palm with every forceful strike, forcing him to fight while retreating, dodging continually.

After all, there was a significant gap between their realms!

Nu Ying, at the Third Level of the Heavenly Realm, was even more ruthless than the form of the God Demon Residue!

Was it an illusion?

It was clearly not!

The God Demon Residue excelled in its realm, excelling in the grade of its technique, but at the start of their battle, the Nu Ying residue did not cast any technique, instead observing the mysterious human youth.

Even when the residue swung its blade, it slowly compressed the human youth's space to survive.

And though she accelerated her attacks incessantly, there was a limit to her speed.

After all, the God Demon Residue was an illusion, not truly "wielding the blade" but guiding the blade in her hand as her will desired.

The limit of the slashing speed depended on the Fourth Rank Divine Weapon, the Chi Ji Blade, not the God Demon Residue.

Now, it was different!

Nu Ying had a body of flesh and blood, a corporeal presence.

With her realm surpassing Lu Ran's by a significant margin, she truly wielded her blade in combat, infusing each strike with the strength and speed of her physical form.

"Whoosh~"

As the fog sea churned, blades flashed and shadows danced.

The Valkyrie ferociously pressed forward, forcing the human youth into a steady retreat.

Lu Ran's heart was in his throat!

Since the moment he successfully revered the gods, every battle had him covered in Water Flow Armor.

But now, his Water Flow Armor had dissipated, and any single slash could split him open.

Siding, stepping back, blocking, bending at the waist, springing back...

Lu Ran was pushing himself to the limit, yet he still couldn't keep up!

"Clang!!"

With the clash of blades, Lu Ran's hand trembled violently!

His tingling arm swung back as the Dawn Blade flew from his grasp, spinning obliquely backwards.

"Release the force, human," Nu Ying's voice was ringing and firm.

Lu Ran, gripping the Eight Desolate Blade with his right hand, blocked to his right side, while his left hand braced against the blade, allowing his entire body to dodge to the left.

The Smoke and Mist Silk, eager to save its master, took advantage of its position, the end wrapping around Nu Ying's wrist, with part pressing against the Chi Ji Blade.

"Rip!"

Nu Ying subtly turned her wrist, adjusting the angle of the Chi Ji Blade, slicing through, tearing the Smoke and Mist Silk into shreds.

A small strip of delicate satin was flung into the fog sea.

Lu Ran's pupils contracted slightly, as another surge of force from their clashing blades pushed him sideways nearly a hundred meters!

"Hah... hah..." Lu Ran struggled to steady his wildly beating heart, reaching for the Smoke and Mist Silk and grasping the smooth section that was cut.

The Smoke and Mist Silk lightly fluttered, indicating it was unharmed.

Over a hundred meters away, Nu Ying stepped on a small length of Smoke and Mist Silk, not sensing any signs of struggle beneath her foot.

She slowly turned her gaze to Lu Ran, "Did you hear? Release the force."

Lu Ran looked up to see the Valkyrie approaching step by step.

She was only half a head taller than Lu Ran, yet she seemed like a towering Divine Mountain, inching forward to crush him: "Your magic artifact can shatter, your Divine Weapon can fly away, your Divine and Evil Techniques can be taken.

But your combat skills cannot be."

Lu Ran tightened his grip on the Eight Desolate Blade and caught the swiftly returning Dawn Blade: "Are you... giving me a lesson?"

Nu Ying pushed off the ground, closing in quickly: "Didn't you want to be my comrade?"

Lu Ran decisively sidestepped, refusing to face the towering Divine Mountain head-on.

Nu Ying's feet stomped heavily, her blade swinging horizontally.

Lu Ran retreated again, using the Smoke and Mist Silk's help, propelling himself into the sky.

Nu Ying paused her onslaught, she lifted her gaze to the human youth, her eyes falling on the flying band wrapped around his waist.

The God Demon Residue possessed inherent flight abilities.

But Nu Ying's flesh-and-blood form lacked such abilities, and the Sect didn't possess any flying techniques.

For her to take to the skies, she had to rely on a Divine Weapon.

Once the battlefield moved into the air, Nu Ying would not only lose her footing but also have to wield the sole Divine Weapon enabling her flight in combat, severely diminishing her combat power.

Just as Nu Ying was about to speak, she saw Lu Ran descending again, standing amidst the fog.

"Go, leave the Domain of Silence and repair yourself," Lu Ran slightly tilted his head, rubbing his cheek against the soft Smoke and Mist Silk.

The Smoke and Mist Silk playfully snuggled with Lu Ran but ultimately obeyed its owner's command, flying off into the distance.

The third effect of the Smoke and Mist Silk: it can be infinitely extended.

This meant that even if only a small piece remained, given enough time, it could fully restore itself.

Nu Ying spoke, "Why didn't you follow your artifact's advice? It just made a wise decision for you."

Lu Ran looked at the Valkyrie, responding with her earlier words:

"Didn't I say I wanted to be your comrade?"

Nu Ying's gaze was piercing, a trace of admiration flickering in her eyes: "In truth, your combat skills can also be taken."

Lu Ran slightly furrowed his brow.

Nu Ying's poignant words left him apprehensive: "Gravely injured, limbs severed...

Your prized combat techniques can also be taken."

"You're ranked higher than me by a whole Great Realm, yet you still feel the need to use words to pressure me? Or are you just calling my choice foolish?"

"Quite the opposite." Nu Ying shook her head slowly, "There is something that can forever belong to you, something that can never be taken."

"What?" Lu Ran raised an eyebrow slightly.

Nu Ying offered no response, only her eyes ablaze with expectation, a profound smile playing on her lips.

As if she awaited something.

The next instant, she suddenly lunged forward!

The crimson blade pointed directly at the human youth's left chest.

...

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