Chapter 106: Happy and Hurting

Chapter 106: Happy and Hurting

Running for their lives.

Amidst the raging inferno, a small group of people sprinted desperately.

Their faces were covered in soot and dirt, and some even had their clothes on fire.

But at this critical moment, no one dared to stop running. Everyone knew how precious this escape route was.

"Slap! Slap!"

Lu Ran gritted his teeth against the searing pain, running while patting out the flames on his burning arms.

To be honest, Lu Ran felt like he was going crazy.

Not because he was in pain, but because he was also incredibly happy. It wasn't that the little lamb was enjoying the burn, thinking it would turn into a delicious roasted whole lamb.

But because, during their breakthrough, Lu Ran's Black Lantern Infernal Sculpture had been rapidly leveling up!

Stream Realm, Fourth Stage.

Stream Realm, Fifth Stage, River Realm, First Stage!

Even at this moment, as Lu Ran had just escaped, his Black Lantern Infernal Sculpture was still absorbing abundant nourishment.

Above his head and behind him, the sound of exploding Black Lanterns filled the air.

These easily combustible creatures formed a terrifying chain reaction.

The explosion of one Black Lantern could affect a small area around it, and this small area could influence a much larger group!

The Black Lantern Clan seemed to have entered a "self-destruct program."

And with that, a large number of Black Lantern souls surged towards Lu Ran's location.

However, Lu Ran didn't lose his head. He continued to lead the team in a mad dash, moving further away from the battlefield.

This time, he had hit the jackpot!

In just one battle, he had advanced his Black Lantern Infernal Sculpture from Mist Realm, First Stage to River Realm, First Stage.

This was beyond Lu Ran's wildest dreams, and he began to worry if the Demon Sovereign would notice the change.

"Here! Here!" A middle-aged woman suddenly cried out for help.

After escaping the fire, everyone's vision returned to normal, and the middle-aged woman also spotted a squad of soldiers running to their aid in the distance, along a path lit by torches.

Strangely, above the soldiers' heads, a formation hovered in mid-air? The formation was circular and semi-transparent, resembling a massive map.

Moreover, it was a "dynamic 3D" map, with mountains and rivers flowing endlessly.

"Huff!"

Suddenly, an astonishing amount of energy burst forth from the enormous map.

The heavens and earth seemed to tremble! The next moment, Lu Ran couldn't help but be amazed.

He saw soldier after soldier descending around the squad, as if they had been teleported.

Bean Sprouting Soldiers?

No!

These soldiers had diverse appearances and wore identical uniforms, clearly real, flesh-and-blood humans.

Evidently, the enormous virtual map was a teleportation array!

"Put out the fire! Quick, put out the fire!" the leading soldier shouted.

The water gun sprayed water onto the burning clothes, and Chang Ying's scorching body cooled down under the water stream.

Chang Ying couldn't feel refreshed, though; her body was severely burned, causing her excruciating pain.

As the two groups met, the military soldiers had already increased to forty or fifty, a tenfold increase in numbers! This teleportation array was truly extraordinary.

"Immediately treat the wounded!" the leading soldier continued to command.

Several soldiers quickly extended Paulownia leaves, covering Lu Ran and the others.

"Are there any other cultivators?" the soldier asked loudly.

"No, we didn't see anyone else." The middle-aged woman immediately replied, wearing a bamboo leaf dress and with minor injuries.

"Tell me about the Demon Nest!"

"The Demon Nest, we think, because we saw black mist being sprayed, and a large number of Black Lanterns emerged from the mist!"

"It is indeed the Demon Nest. Did you see the exact location of the Demon Nest?"

"No."

After a brief exchange, the soldier shouted orders: "Your squad, take them to the nearest Stone City! Others, follow me!"

Under a pile of Paulownia leaves, Lu Ran's voice suddenly rose: "The Demon Nest should be on the left side of the torch path!

I saw the black mist coming from the left side of the graveyard."

Within the soldier team, there were naturally those who could see through the darkness, such as the Crow Believers.

However, regardless of the value of the intelligence Lu Ran provided, he would reveal it without hesitation, never keeping it to himself.

"Good." The soldier responded, leading the troops forward.

"Whoosh!"

Lu Ran struggled to push aside the Paulownia leaves covering his body and looked ahead.

Each soldier displayed their unique abilities, and the entire force split into smaller teams. Over a dozen squads rushed towards the roaring battlefield.

"Let's go!" a female soldier said.

Lu Ran felt the Paulownia leaves on his body tighten, wrapping around him and lifting him into the air.

The soldier squad hurried forward, and amidst the bumps, Lu Ran felt a surge of vibrant life force rushing into his body.

This Green Phoenix Follower had considerable strength! Her healing methods were not limited to "healing" but also included calming everyone's minds and replenishing their vitality.

Soon, they arrived at Stone City.

After another round of checking injuries and reporting the situation, the six were forcibly ordered by the military to leave the Demon Cave.

Escorted by a group of soldiers, they traveled without rest, crossing one black grave ridge after another, and finally, they returned to the main city of Stone City without further incident.

As Lu Ran and the others circled the stone pillars and climbed the stairs, they saw more and more cultivators being summoned back to this location.

Apparently, everyone had been forced to leave the battlefield.

Outside the main building at the feet of the God of the Wild Drum, the crowd gathered.

Most social trainees had no idea what had transpired and could only curiously inquire about the situation.

Naturally, people discovered the most pitiful group—Lu Ran's team!

These students all had a terrified look on their faces, and their clothes were burnt to a crisp.

In the tattered areas of their clothing, one could still see the fresh flesh that had just grown back.

It must be said that healing divine spells are truly powerful.

If ordinary medical means were used, it's hard to imagine how long they would have to stay in the hospital and how much pain they would endure for injuries of this severity.

Moreover, even after recovery, they would likely need skin grafts.

"It's all right, it's fine, it's all right." The middle-aged woman hugged her daughter's tall and slender body, her eyes slightly reddened.

In the pitch-black demon cave, everyone's nerves had been on edge.

But upon returning to Earth and the human world, the woman's suppressed emotions finally erupted.

Describing what they had just experienced as a "narrow escape from death" would not be an exaggeration!

"Mhm." Xian Xian's body stiffened slightly.

She hesitated for a moment but eventually raised her hand and gently patted her mother's back.

The woman seemed to remember something and turned to look at the young men and women, "Thank you, thank you all!"

Now, she finally knew that in that dark graveyard stood a demon nest.

Because of this, the woman was even more aware that if Lu Ran had arrived later,

her daughter would have surely died there!

Not only would her physical body perish, but her soul might also be incinerated, enduring unimaginable agony.

"What's your surname, Auntie?" Lu Ran turned to look at the woman.

"Si, Si Caiqin."

Lu Ran took a deep breath, calming himself, "Auntie, without you, we wouldn't have been able to escape either."

"No, it's not like that." Si Caiqin shook her head repeatedly, "If it weren't for saving us, you wouldn't have approached the demon nest or put yourselves in danger."

"Demon nest?"

"Did a demon nest appear in the area we were training in?"

"Don't joke around, how long has it been since that thing appeared?!" Upon hearing the woman's words, the people outside the building immediately erupted in chaos.

After a brief moment of confusion, everyone realized another issue!

These young people who looked like students hadn't died?

They had actually fought their way out of the demon nest?!

Si Caiqin had no time to pay attention to the crowd; she looked at the disheveled group, "Auntie really doesn't know how to thank you."

As she spoke, she supported Chang Ying's arms with one hand, her face filled with concern as she looked up at the girl.

This girl, who had been at the forefront of the team, was the most severely burned.

The lotus petals couldn't cover Chang Ying's entire body, and even though she was tall, she had become a meat shield, protecting her teammates behind her.

"Auntie will take you to the hospital, let's go, let's go now." Si Caiqin hurriedly said.

"I'm already healed." Chang Ying lowered her eyelashes and spoke softly.

Her injuries were indeed healed.

But Chang Ying's body still ached, as if it were still being scorched by flames.

The life-and-death moment they had just experienced undoubtedly had a profound impact on the girl.

Chang Ying, who was usually carefree and cheerful, now seemed a bit dazed.

"I want to go home." Tian Tian extended her small hand and gently tugged at Lu Ran's clothes.

"I do too." Chang Ying turned to look at Lu Ran, "Lu Ran, I want to go home."

Tian Tian's simple words brought out all of Chang Ying's pent-up grievances.

Lu Ran nodded, "Okay, let's go home."

Hearing Lu Ran's words, Chang Ying nodded repeatedly, and Tian Tian's small hand tightened its grip on Lu Ran's clothes.

"You..." Si Caiqin's eyes were filled with concern, but she stopped short of saying anything.

"The military has healed us twice, we're fine now." Lu Ran looked at the woman, "We need to go home and rest."

"Then I'll take you there, let's go!"

"No need, our home is in Rain Alley City, in Wulihe Province."

"I'll drive you there." Si Caiqin came to Lu Ran's side and supported his arms, "Young man.

Auntie has troubled you, and I feel indebted to your parents. I'll send each of you home."

The middle-aged woman spoke with excitement, filled with both guilt and gratitude, not knowing how to express herself.

As a mother, Si Caiqin could better understand the worries of parents when their children were out in the world.

In the end, Lu Ran couldn't refuse her, and he nodded.

Si Caiqin immediately went to arrange for a car, while Xian Xian stood by Lu Ran's side.

"Thank you." Her expression was serious, and her eyes were filled with sincerity.

She was like a completely different person from the furious thunder god she was on the battlefield.

Lu Ran silently nodded without saying a word.

He stood quietly, his gaze gradually dispersing as he became lost in thought.

Indeed, Lu Ran had gained a lot from this demon cave expedition.

The Black Lantern Infernal Sculpture had risen to the top!

It had now reached the first stage of the River Realm, surpassing the Evil Dog Infernal Sculpture and the Soul Shredder Demon Sculpture.

Lu Ran could now equip the first four evil arts of the Black Lantern Clan!

Healing, Illusion, Black Smoke...

After returning home, Lu Ran could learn these from the demon sculptures.

With Lu Ran's advancement to the River Realm, he could also directly equip the Shadow Fire Cage evil art.

That terrifying single-target control technique.

The harvest from this training journey was too abundant.

However, at the same time, Lu Ran had also experienced an extremely dangerous life-and-death moment.

Perhaps,

Is this the required course for all believers in the world?

Lu Ran looked at his teammates, feeling very apologetic.

After all, he had chosen this place and insisted on coming here.

But they encountered a demon nest

Damn it!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end