Chapter 132: Ran's Teaching
Chapter 132: Ran's Teaching
Outside the Bamboo Village, at the edge of the bamboo forest.
The four-person squad observed for a moment before plunging into the lush bamboo forest.
Although this Demon Cave was peaceful and serene, there were still demonic beings within the forest, so everyone remained cautious.
"Whoosh~"
A gust of wind blew through, causing the bamboo trees to sway gently, and the bamboo leaves rustled.
"Huff"
Lu Ran walked at the side of the group, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling.
While the others carefully searched for the Bamboo Demon, Lu Ran secretly enjoyed the fresh fragrance of the bamboo.
"It's too quiet here, any signs of trouble?" Chang Ying asked in a low voice.
Even in this tranquil environment, she didn't shout loudly.
"No." Deng Yutang replied honestly.
"The Bamboo Demon and the bamboo trees look so similar." Tian Tian spoke up, "But don't worry, the Bamboo Demon isn't that strong."
"That's true." Chang Ying nodded, "At worst, we'll just get hit by a stick~"
Deng Yutang let out a cold huff and took the lead, "So I'm going first, right?"
Chang Ying chuckled, hoisting her giant axe, "I'd like to clear the way, but Ran won't let me!"
Lu Ran suddenly spoke up, "There's one over there."
"Huh?" Chang Ying hurriedly asked, "Where? Where?"
She quickly moved to Lu Ran's side and followed the direction he was pointing, carefully observing for a moment before her eyes lit up.
Bamboo Demon! This type of demon had a humanoid form, tall and slender, with a body made up of clusters of green bamboo.
It wore a bamboo leaf cloak and a bamboo-woven hat.
Under the hat, there was a green face, with a bamboo-woven mask covering the lower half.
Its eyes were quite eerie, emitting a green glow, which was quite frightening.
"Those eyes are scary, but it doesn't seem that strong." Chang Ying muttered.
"Shh~" Deng Yutang whistled, tapping a nearby bamboo tree with the Heaven's Spear, "Hey!"
Chang Ying also raised her hand and waved it around, "Over here, over here!"
"Hmm?" A Bamboo Demon in the distance turned its head towards them.
Upon seeing that they were humans, its green eyes shone even brighter.
"Huff~"
Suddenly, a thin bamboo stick appeared in its segmented hand.
Bamboo Stick Spell! Immediately, the stick was used as a spear, fiercely thrown towards them.
"Clatter!" Perhaps due to the dense bamboo forest or the Bamboo Demon's poor aim, the flying bamboo stick was blocked by the bamboo trees, ricocheted around, and eventually fell to the ground.
"Pfft~" The moment the bamboo stick hit the ground, it shattered into wisps of green smoke.
Everyone: "."
Do you have to be so realistic?
You're a demon, and you're acting cute in front of us?
"Hmm!" The Bamboo Demon grunted and roared, taking a big step forward, summoning another bamboo stick in its hand.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
As it moved forward, it tapped the bamboo trees along the way, creating an unusually crisp sound.
Tian Tian quickly spoke up, "This Bamboo Demon is probably summoning its companions. The book says this is how the Bamboo Demons communicate!"
Chang Ying nonchalantly said, "Let it call then!
The more Bamboo Demons, the better. One isn't enough for us to share."
Tian Tian: "."
If it were any other demon, the group might have immediately rushed to stop it or turned to flee.
At the very least, they would have been on high alert.
But facing the adorably ugly Bamboo Demon—
"Whoosh~ Whoosh~"
The Bamboo Demon drew closer, and its stick suddenly smashed downwards.
In an instant, two bamboo leaves flew off the top of the stick, like flying blades, piercing towards Lu Ran.
Flying Bamboo Leaf Spell! Although they were described as flying blades, their speed and force were rather pitiful.
"Whoosh~ Whoosh~"
Lu Ran lifted the Radiant Blade and swung it in front of him, creating a blade flower.
The black ice blade's edge flashed, instantly slicing the two bamboo leaves, which gently fell to the ground.
"Tsk tsk~" Chang Ying's eyes sparkled, and she clicked her tongue in amazement.
This flower-slicing move was truly impressive.
She had thought Lu Ran would easily dodge the attack.
But to her surprise, Lu Ran stood in place and precisely sliced the thin bamboo leaves.
Especially with Lu Ran dressed in black, standing in the misty bamboo forest, he resembled an ancient swordsman.
If he had worn a bamboo hat, he would have looked even more like a swordsman from ancient times.
"Hmm!" The Bamboo Demon finally burst out of the dense forest, its bamboo stick smashing down.
Lu Ran immediately raised his blade to block it.
But instead of using the blade, he blocked it with the flat of the blade.
With a light 'dong' sound, the demon and Lu Ran's weapons met, and the scene froze.
The group was surprised by this scene, as they were familiar with Lu Ran's combat style, which relied on agility to overcome strength.
Additionally, given Lu Ran's slender build, people naturally assumed he was weaker in terms of strength.
However, that wasn't the case!
Whether it was the tall Chang Ying or the robust Deng Yutang, in front of Lu Ran, they were all like younger brothers.
Only when Deng Yutang summoned the power of the Crimson Veil Ancestor, temporarily enhancing his physical attributes, could he match Lu Ran.
Lu Ran's Soul Splitting Power was no joke.
"Hmm!" The Bamboo Demon exerted force, grunting, determined to push down the blade.
Lu Ran suddenly took a step forward.
"Thud!"
Lu Ran suddenly lifted his leg and kicked the Bamboo Demon back into the bamboo forest.
"Aren't we supposed to eliminate demons?" Tian Tian asked curiously, "It's weak, but it's still a demon, and it can kill people."
Lu Ran looked at the Bamboo Demon, "You misunderstood, I wanted it to call for more companions."
He spoke quickly, "We're close to the Bamboo Village, so we can retreat at any time without worry. With such advantageous terrain, why not use this place as a training ground and treat the Bamboo Demons as sparring partners?"
Deng Yutang raised an eyebrow, "Not kill them, but use them as sparring partners?"
Lu Ran nodded, "Killing Bamboo Demons won't get us any demon crystals, so we might as well practice our skills."
As he spoke, Lu Ran watched the approaching Bamboo Demon and decided to use the same tactic again.
After a couple of moves, the Bamboo Demon was kicked in the chest and sent flying back once more.
"Ugh!!"
The Bamboo Demon was clearly furious, its tall and slender body crashing into a cluster of bamboo, causing the leaves to rustle.
Lu Ran was truly impressed.
The Bamboo Demon had just climbed to its feet when it charged again! It was truly single-minded.
You damn fool, why don't you call for help? It's been kicked back twice, yet you still charge forward?
"Sure," Tian Tian nodded decisively, "We just entered the Demon Cave, and our energy is high, so it's a good time to train."
The school chose this Demon Cave to allow the students to relax.
But for Lu Ran, improving his strength was a matter of utmost importance, not a moment could be wasted!
It would be better if ten or eight Bamboo Demons surrounded him, forming a 'Shaolin Stick Monk Formation' to help him with special training!
"Can't we chop them down?" Chang Ying clutched her mountain-opening axe, feeling a bit regretful.
Lu Ran said, "Our assignment is to chop down bamboo, and we need to cut down a thousand evil bamboos. You can chop them all."
"I don't want to!" Chang Ying quickly took two steps forward, standing behind Lu Ran, and thrust her axe diagonally upwards.
"Thud!"
The Bamboo Demon's stick didn't hit the blade but was blocked by the axe.
Lu Ran: "..."
He snapped out of his thoughts, looked up, and saw the female savage standing right next to him, "What are you doing?"
Chang Ying giggled, "This silly one is mine to play with for a while."
Lu Ran said, "Be careful!"
Suddenly, Lu Ran hugged Chang Ying's waist and dodged to the side.
"Sss! Sss!"
Where the two had been standing, thin, long bamboo shoots abruptly pierced the ground.
Evil Bamboo Ground Spike Spell!
But even if they hadn't dodged, it wouldn't have been a big problem.
The so-called 'ground spikes' lacked force, and the bamboo tips weren't sharp, resembling bamboo sticks.
This spell, upon reaching the River Rank, would transform the bamboo tips into sharp spikes.
Lu Ran's 'overreaction' was because he had gotten used to killing during the Night of the Fifteenth.
At the slightest hint of movement, Lu Ran would be on high alert; otherwise, he could easily meet his end.
"Haha, finally!" Deng Yutang immediately charged forward.
"Lu Ran," Tian Tian said softly, and it was clear she was hesitant.
"Hmm?" Lu Ran's hearing was exceptional, and he heard her clearly.
He let Chang Ying engage the enemy, and with his twin blades stabbed into the ground, he took out a red scarf from his pocket, "What's up?"
Tian Tian gathered her courage and said, "C-can you give me some pointers?"
"Pointers?"
"Yeah, on body movements and footwork," Tian Tian held her three-foot-long sword and looked up at Lu Ran.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Chang Ying chimed in, "You're like an eel, teach us, please?"
As she spoke, she held her mountain-opening axe and used its head to push the Bamboo Demon's face, pinning it against a cluster of bamboo.
"Ugh! Ugh!" The Bamboo Demon was almost infuriated.
But its bamboo body lacked strength, and it couldn't push the axe away. Instead, Chang Ying's axe pushed it into the bamboo thicket.
Lu Ran tied the red scarf into a butterfly knot at the back of his head, "Of course, as long as I can help you!"
Deng Yutang and Chang Ying's style was more aggressive, using long-range heavy weapons, which didn't quite match Lu Ran's combat style.
But Tian Tian could still learn from him.
Although she had been positioned in the center of the team with defensive techniques for protection, one could never predict what might happen on the battlefield. Even a slight increase in survival chances was worth the effort.
Lu Ran walked to Tian Tian's side and patted her head, "So, I'm taking on an apprentice?"
Tian Tian hesitated for a moment and said softly, "Is that okay?"
In the hearts of many, including Tian Tian, Lu Ran had already been 'deified'.
Lu Ran was indeed easygoing, and they were teammates, seemingly on equal footing.
But Tian Tian had always maintained a low profile, looking up to Lu Ran.
Especially after these few Nights of the Fifteenth, Lu Ran's extreme displays of power had made his image in Tian Tian's heart even more towering.
It also made Tian Tian feel like he was getting farther and farther away from her.
"It's settled then," Lu Ran suddenly raised his blade, pointing to the right, "Go, Tian Tian!
You're the one I've chosen!"
The Flame Master's class begins today.
First, recruit martial arts apprentices, and later, accept personal disciples! I need to find an opportunity to snatch Little Tian Tian away from the Deity of the Sword Lotus.
(End of Chapter)
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