Chapter 144: Ambition!

Chapter 144: Ambition!

"Heaven's Pride, Heaven's Pride!"

Lu Ran gazed at the calm lake, his thoughts racing.

The program organized by Great Xia's official authorities was undoubtedly prestigious.

With the entire nation's efforts, selecting a small group of individuals to participate, how could the quality possibly be low?

Just the name of the program was enough to make talented youths from all over Great Xia rush and compete fiercely. To be blunt, you didn't even need to excel to be recognized!

As long as you were chosen, wouldn't that mean you were acknowledged as "Heaven's Pride" by the Great Xia officials?

Aside from the various benefits participants could gain, the key point was that behind each person stood a deity!

Lu Ran's thoughts became even more active as he considered this.

Such a significant project would undoubtedly be open to the entire nation and even the world, making its influence unprecedented!

Would there be deities involved behind this project as well?

All along, the deities within Great Xia had mostly recruited believers only from within the country.

Now it seemed that at this particular juncture, the deities were preparing to expand outward and export their influence.

After the program's broadcast, those from foreign lands, upon witnessing the strength of Great Xia's believers, might be drawn to come and pledge their allegiance.

For deities, humans were humans, regardless of skin color or race.

As long as you were of the human race, you could provide the unique faith power of humanity, and the deities could feast upon it!

"Tsk tsk~"

Lu Ran pursed his lips, unsure if his thoughts were correct.

But the growing strength of the demon clan was evident.

Various signs repeatedly indicated that the deities were indeed expanding their recruitment.

"Deng Yuxiang!!"

A loud shout snapped Lu Ran out of his thoughts.

Deng Yuxiang and Lu Ran turned simultaneously, looking towards the lakeside.

There, Sun Zheng Fang stood with a solemn expression, commanding sternly, "What are you doing? Take your hand away and stop covering the camera!"

Deng Yuxiang: "."

Lu Ran looked at Deng Yuxiang and saw a rare expression on her face.

Nightmare wasn't very happy, but she was holding back her temper.

This was interesting~

After such a long time, this was the first time Lu Ran had seen Nightmare being scolded.

There was no doubt that Deng Yuxiang was a true powerhouse, and as a Sword Cultivator, she was a killing machine.

It was no exaggeration to say that given one minute, Nightmare could make Sun Zheng Fang die sixty times over.

Hmm... with some effort, perhaps even more than sixty.

Sun Zheng Fang had always been polite to Nightmare, but today...

It was evident that 'Heaven's Pride' was indeed a significant project, and Sun Zheng Fang was bringing out his authority as the old captain.

"Hmm?" Deng Yuxiang naturally noticed Lu Ran's schadenfreude-filled gaze.

She remained expressionless, removing her hand from the camera and casually placing it on Lu Ran's shoulder.

"Ouch!" Lu Ran hissed, sucking in a breath of cold air from the pain.

He almost thought his shoulder would be crushed by her grip.

Wow~

No wonder she was the pinnacle of the River Realm and one of the first Great Xia's Heaven's Pride to be selected!

What strength!

This was too much!

"Smile?" Deng Yuxiang's lips curled up in a barely noticeable smile as she spoke softly.

"Sorry, sorry," Lu Ran quickly apologized, "So many people are watching, don't reveal your true nature... cough, just behave yourself.

You're not just representing yourself now.

You're representing your school, the Divine Citizen Bureau, the North Wind Sect, and the basic quality of Great Xia's citizens."

Deng Yuxiang felt the weight of these titles pressing down on her.

The string of titles was indeed heavy.

She wanted to say something but seemed hesitant.

Finally, she raised a finger and touched her lips, her slightly narrowed eyes carrying a hint of sternness.

Lu Ran promptly closed his mouth, knowing when to stop.

He could sense that Deng Yuxiang was feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Hmm... even more interesting~

"You two, come here," Sun Zheng Fang called out again.

"Oh!" Lu Ran exclaimed in surprise.

Nightmare swiftly grabbed Lu Ran, and the two of them moved across the lake, leaving behind a parabolic path amidst the swirling frost and snow, before landing steadily on the shore.

"Ouch," Lu Ran quickly took a few steps back, deciding not to provoke Nightmare for the time being.

"Come over here and bring your camera too," Sun Zheng Fang instructed Lu Ran as he headed towards the pier house.

"Do I need to bring mine too?" Lu Ran immediately followed.

Sun Zheng Fang smiled, "Only letting Little Deng wear it, you're not the protagonist anymore?"

Lu Ran: "."

Right!

Lu Ran entered the pier house and saw a familiar figure as well.

"Brother Wei," Lu Ran greeted.

Unable to distinguish between dragon and tiger, calling out the surname was the safest bet.

Wei Long nodded, "I'm here."

Lu Ran asked, "Where's your partner?"

Wei Long replied, "Little Tiger has returned to his own team. Tonight, I'll be guarding you."

"You're a smart one," Sun Zheng Fang, a sharp individual, chuckled, "Not showing any timidity, and you've already figured out our identities."

"Hmph," Deng Yuxiang followed them into the house, coldly huffing, "He's got plenty of cunning tricks up his sleeve."

There was no mockery in the woman's words, but rather a hint of praise?

Lu Ran, as others had assessed, deduced, "It seems there won't be any special incidents tonight?"

The fact that Wei Hu was not with the team indeed conveyed this message.

Otherwise, the team configuration would not have been downgraded.

On the other hand, there was also a reason for Lu Ran's own situation.

Lu Ran believed that his performance on the 15th of last month was exceptional!

It could be described as a "Great Slaughter of the Four Directions," and such formidable power could indeed earn deeper trust from the Divine Citizen Bureau.

"You shouldn't say that," Sun Zheng Fang said as he handed over the equipment to Lu Ran.

Lu Ran took the mini camera, turned his head to look at Deng Yuxiang, and secretly thought it was a pity.

If there hadn't been a special incident, Deng Yuxiang's performance on the battlefield would have been greatly discounted.

It would be difficult to achieve outstanding results.

Deng Yuxiang, being extremely intelligent, understood Lu Ran's gaze and said softly, "Adjust your mindset."

Lu Ran: "Hmm?"

Deng Yuxiang once again covered the camera: "My personal performance isn't important. What matters is this city and the people in it.

If there were no demon invasions tonight, and I had no chance to showcase my abilities, that would be best."

Deng Yuxiang's words suddenly stopped.

Because Lu Ran, with the camera in his lowered hand, seemed to be secretly filming her from a slanted angle below, capturing Deng Yuxiang's tall figure.

"I understand," Lu Ran nodded heavily.

In the face of right and wrong, Lu Ran's thoughts were absolutely sound.

His feelings for this small town and the people still living in his hometown were no less than those of Nightmare.

If Lu Ran didn't possess certain qualities, with his level of demonic skills, he could only grow even more rapidly!

This wasn't just empty talk.

The Red Veil Follower Chen Jing was still alive, which was the best proof.

Otherwise, Chen Jing would have become fertilizer in Lu Ran's sculpture garden last month.

His inner convictions and concepts didn't need to be explained to others; Lu Ran had been silently acting on them and demonstrating them through his actions.

But Lu Ran wouldn't let go of the impression points Deng Yuxiang deserved.

One thing at a time.

Since he had already entered the game, he had to seize every opportunity and make a name for himself!

"Hmm," Deng Yuxiang pursed her lips but didn't say anything. She pushed the door and walked out.

Standing outside the door, she let out a soft sigh.

Deng Yuxiang wasn't even sure if Lu Ran was intentionally trying to entice her to say those words.

From inside the room, someone's voice could be heard: "Uncle Sun, you should suggest to the higher-ups that our group of war correspondents needs upgraded equipment.

It would be best if the cameras could be fixed to our heads; having them constantly shaking is not acceptable."

Deng Yuxiang stood in the icy snow outside the room, feeling a bit helpless but also warmed by the words.

Hearing this, she realized he was indeed doing it on purpose.

This guy...

As night fell, the snow stopped, but the wind and waves continued, blowing up layers of frost and cold air.

The four members of the squad walked along the deserted street, following the same patrol route as the previous month.

"By the way, sis, which university do you attend?" Lu Ran quickened his pace and came to Deng Yuxiang's side.

Deng Yuxiang: "..."

Ever since she had the camera, she always felt that every word Lu Ran said had a purpose.

"Sis?"

"You don't even know that, and you're asking me?"

"Isn't there only one spot for each university to participate in the war?" Lu Ran chuckled, "I'll be attending university next year, so I'm afraid I'll take your spot."

Deng Yuxiang slightly widened her eyes and looked at Lu Ran.

"Hahaha!" Behind them, Sun Zheng Fang burst into laughter.

Wei Long, who had always been serious, also smiled.

As for this rising star, his growth and performance along the way were well understood by everyone in the Divine Citizen Bureau.

"Wu Lie He University," Deng Yuxiang introduced herself.

"A good school," Lu Ran nodded.

In this world, universities named after provinces were the top institutions in their respective provinces.

"Come be my junior," Deng Yuxiang said casually, "Right now, it's just a trial broadcast, and there are few pilot schools.

In the future, each school shouldn't have just one spot."

"That's also fine. When the time comes, we'll form a twin star team, sis." Lu Ran asked again, "What are the rewards for this ranking?"

Deng Yuxiang thought for a moment and replied, "There are believer points and weapon equipment."

Lu Ran exclaimed, "Oh," and fell silent.

Nightmare had already cultivated his own divine armament, so other weapons were unlikely to impress him.

The most important things were the believer points and the enormous influence that the ranking could bring to his own divine gate!

If it were him,

As a follower of the Ninth-Rank Deity, the Celestial Ram, he would trample upon the followers of other deities like Sword One, North Wind, and Dong Ting, and clearly demonstrate his superiority to the world! How satisfying would that be?

What's this about public execution?!

Deng Yuxiang suddenly said, "I heard that the scores are cumulative, calculated on a yearly basis.

The final ranking rewards seem to include divine armaments and artifacts."

Lu Ran: "What did you say?"

Deng Yuxiang smiled at Lu Ran: "What's the matter? Are you finally interested?"

"Divine armaments and artifacts have artifact spirits, they're living beings!" Lu Ran expressed his doubt, "How can they be given as prizes?"

Deng Yuxiang shook her head, unable to explain further.

But the news was solid!

This also showed the importance Great Xia attached to this project.

Even divine armaments and artifacts, the most precious and rare treasures, could be offered.

A new month, a new beginning!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end