Chapter 195: Year After Year

Chapter 195: Year After Year

A gentle cough echoed through the microphone, capturing everyone's attention.

The male teacher's voice sounded again, "You may begin."

Jiang Ruyi composed herself and gazed across the field, her hand reaching behind her to grasp the hilt of her sword, "This battle might not be as exciting as you think."

Lu Ran was intrigued by the girl in the white skirt.

Jiang Ruyi wasn't one to speak without reason.

Could she really be that confident?

The girl drew out her black ice longsword, which had been sheathed behind her back, and held it in front of her.

Through the translucent, icy blade, her beautiful eyes met the figure across from her, "You borrowed this from me."

Lu Ran smiled, "I could give it to you, but this is my family heirloom. If I give it to you, I'll have to..." He paused, considering the crowd around them.

Changing the subject, he said, "If you don't come back soon, I'll have to report to the Shenmin Bureau and have you arrested at the Jade Gate Pass."

Jiang Ruyi smiled and playfully spat at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran thought for a moment, "Do you really want it?"

His words were abruptly cut off as a gasp of surprise rose from the audience:

"Me?"

"A Shenbing?"

"Oh my god, it's a Shenbing! Has Class Monitor Jiang cultivated a Spirit Armament?"

"I can't believe I'm seeing a Shenbing in a high school campus!"

On the judges' podium, Jiang Ruyi suddenly released her grip on the sword hilt.

The black ice sword hovered in mid-air, standing by the girl's side.

Wu Shanshan was left speechless, her eyes wide as she witnessed this scene.

As one of the only two students in the school who were followers of the Second Rank Deity Jinglai, Wu Shanshan was well aware of Jiang Ruyi's innate talent.

Even though Jiang Ruyi had become a disciple of the Third Rank Deity Jade Inscription Sect, Wu Shanshan had always compared herself to Jiang Ruyi.

Now, seeing Jiang Ruyi's progress, she felt that the gap between them had widened significantly.

It was common knowledge that believers who went to the Divine Statue for cultivation had a high chance of rapid progress.

However, this achievement seemed too astonishing!

At such a young age, she had already cultivated a Shenbing?

How was this possible?

Lu Ran's heart was filled with both surprise and joy, "Now, I can't get it back even if I want to."

The Cool Night Sword, inherited from his mother, was closer to cultivating a Spirit Armament than the Radiant Light Saber left by his father.

When Lu Ran received the Cool Night Sword from Qiao Yuansi, he had felt a sense of anticipation as he returned to Rain Alley City and stood at the entrance of his apartment building.

At that moment, neither the Radiant Light Saber nor the Jie Ye Sword had reacted, but the Cool Night Sword vibrated in response to Lu Ran.

From that moment, it was clear that the Cool Night Sword had developed a certain level of spirituality under the influence of Lu Ran's mother.

After Jiang Ruyi's five-month absence, she had managed to forge a Shenbing?

This was not right!

Now, the Cool Night Sword only recognized Jiang Ruyi as its master, and the family heirloom could only belong to her.

It was too late to change things.

"Huff!"

Suddenly, a wave of energy surged, and a shadow emerged from within the Cool Night Sword.

It was unmistakably the image of Jiang Ruyi.

She gazed at Lu Ran with her beautiful eyes, and her figure flickered and disappeared in an instant.

Although she was looking at Lu Ran, her dreamlike shadow left a lasting impression on everyone.

"I'm sorry, but I have to use the Cool Night Sword," Jiang Ruyi apologized, "She has been waiting for this day for a long time."

As she spoke, Jiang Ruyi extended her finger and gently tapped the sword's body, "Be gentle."

"Buzz!" The Cool Night Sword trembled slightly and abruptly turned its blade towards Lu Ran, stabbing straight at him.

"Oh?" Chang Ying, among the spectators, let out a soft exclamation.

She felt the Radiant Light Saber in her arms tremble, and in an instant, it flew out of her embrace.

The next moment, a streak of dawn light streaked across the sky above the crowd, like smoke and mist, resembling a delicate veil.

"Ding!!"

The sound of metal clashing filled the air as the sword and saber collided.

The saber and sword instantly flew apart, hovering on either side of the judges' podium.

Jiang Ruyi widened her eyes slightly, and the crowd below fell into an eerie silence.

But soon, the entire field erupted with excitement:

"Holy crap! Two Shenbings?!"

"Lu Ran has a Shenbing?!"

"What??"

"Lu Ran was holding back before! When he fought against Ma Tianchuan and Wu Shanshan, he never summoned his Shenbing."

"No, my friend! Are you focusing on the wrong thing?"

A student clasped his hands to his head, his face filled with disbelief, "These are Shenbings! Shenbings!"

"To see two of them in a place like this, so remote and poor..."

On the side of the judges' podium, the school administrators exchanged glances, feeling both delighted and secretly astonished.

This batch of students was truly exceptional!

If this had happened in the capital or Chang'an, it wouldn't have been so surprising, but it was happening in the small and run-down Rain Alley City.

"Clap!"

Lu Ran caught the flying Radiant Light Saber.

The black ice sword's body shimmered with radiant light, dazzling everyone's eyes.

Lu Ran twirled the saber, gazing at Jiang Ruyi with a smile, "No need to be gentle, the teacher just said that faking a match will result in point deductions.

Your points are already low."

He wasn't going to let Jiang Ruyi go easy on him when they fought.

"Alright," Jiang Ruyi looked at Lu Ran, her eyes sparkling with determination, and her fingertips gently nudged the sword.

The Cool Night Sword suddenly accelerated, stabbing straight at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran immediately threw the Radiant Light Saber towards the sword.

In an instant, the saber and sword entangled fiercely, battling as one.

The saber and sword, originally belonging to Lu Ran's parents, finally met again on the battlefield after more than a decade.

However, they were no longer allies but opponents.

And the Spirit Armaments' spirits were no longer Lu Xing and Qiao Wanjun.

Time passed, and years went by.

The couple first experienced separation and then death.

The Radiant Light Saber and the Cool Night Sword passed into the hands of the next generation.

These carefully cultivated weapons finally shone with unparalleled brilliance in the hands of Jiang Ruyi and Lu Ran.

It seems that the newcomers are destined to be protected by their predecessors.

The outcome for the new recruit is different from that of the old.

"Ding~ Ding~"

The clashing of blades and swords filled the air incessantly.

"Ssss—"

Lu Ran's feet stirred the mist below, and with the Jie Ye Sword in hand, he intentionally avoided the battle group of swords and blades, charging towards Jiang Ruyi.

Jiang Ruyi flicked her slender fingers forward, and among the four white jade tablets swirling around her, one with a blue-violet electric current immediately flew forward.

Jiang Ruyi was no longer the girl who needed to draw talismans on the spot.

The four white jade tablets surrounding her were the Divine Art: Jade Inscription Array! It allowed the Jade Inscription followers to prepare talismans in advance and use them at any time.

At the same time, the surrounding jade talismans also provided powerful defensive capabilities for their master.

Anyone who dared to approach Jiang Ruyi would be faced with a choice: either be sealed by frost, shattered by explosive flames, electrocuted into a crisp, or ground into dust by the sand tide.

Moreover, this Jade Inscription Array also granted the caster the ability to fly.

It was indeed a formidable technique!

"Zizi~ Zi~"

Lu Ran's figure suddenly swayed, not daring to take it lightly, he quickly dodged away from the Lightning Shackling Charm.

As expected, he heard the sound of electricity crackling from his side.

The white jade tablet did not touch the ground but exploded in mid-air.

The River Realm Divine Spell: Lightning Shackling Charm did not need to hit its target; the caster could detonate it at will.

Furthermore, the River Realm Divine Spell was no longer single-target damage but area-of-effect damage!

The Lightning Shackling Charm directly exploded into a "blue-violet electric ball."

The diameter was at least five meters! Within the spherical area, countless electric currents crisscrossed chaotically, causing everyone's hearts to jump in fear!

"You're really holding back, Little Ruyi?" Lu Ran turned his head towards his side and shouted.

Jiang Ruyi casually lowered her hand, and a Lightning Shackling Charm quietly appeared between her fingers, filling the gap in the Jade Inscription Array.

She slightly tilted her head, and her usually gentle and serene demeanor now had a hint of playfulness:

"I'm afraid of match-fixing, you'll get deducted points."

It was evident that when Lu Ran took out the divine weapon, Jiang Ruyi's mood became especially delightful.

Her state seemed even happier than when she herself had forged the divine weapon.

Lu Ran weighed the Jie Ye Sword in his hand, his expression peculiar: "I have plenty of points, I'm not afraid of deductions.

Don't believe me? Ask the classmates; I might have even surpassed them by a hundred or two hundred points."

Everyone: ???

"Are you insulting me again?"

"No! I'm just a spectator, watching a sparring match, why did I get hit with a stun stick?"

"Damn, am I also part of your little play?"

"I object to this marriage! I strongly object!"

Jiang Ruyi glared at Lu Ran with a smile and casually waved her hand, causing a white jade tablet to fly over: "Be more modest."

Lu Ran's eyes narrowed.

From the sparks that burst forth, Lu Ran clearly understood that it was an Explosive Flame Charm!

Among all the divine sects and divine spells, Lu Ran was most familiar with the techniques of the Jade Inscription Sect.

He also knew the power of the River Realm Explosive Flame Charm!

Lu Ran dared not take it lightly and immediately dodged to the side.

Jiang Ruyi's gaze followed the Explosive Flame Charm, and her fingertip lightly tapped it.

"Boom!"

The Explosive Flame Charm shattered, and layers of flames rippled outwards.

It was like a wave of fire, surging and raging in all directions, with astonishing might!

Unfortunately, the River Realm Divine Spell could not allow the user to freely control or change the flight path of the white jade tablets.

However, the disciples of the Jade Inscription Sect were all late-stage experts!

If Jiang Ruyi was fortunate enough to advance to the River Realm, the white jade tablets would truly be like flying swords and wind sabers.

At that time, if the white jade tablets flew around and failed to kill the enemy, they could fly back, returning to the Jade Inscription Array and continuing to swirl around their master.

Very economical~

"Ssss—"

The phantom darted back and forth, and immortal mist rose.

Jiang Ruyi stood unmoving, her proud posture astonishing everyone, yet they also felt worried.

"Quick, dodge! Don't be careless!"

"That kid kills without blinking an eye. Wow!"

Suddenly, Jiang Ruyi pointed to the ground, and a white jade tablet wrapped in fine sand fell directly beneath her feet.

"Whoosh~~"

Streams of sand appeared out of thin air.

The battlefield environment changed instantly, and the fine sand surged like a mighty river.

Jiang Ruyi stood amidst the yellow sand river, rising and falling with the waves, calmly waiting for Lu Ran's approach.

Lu Ran indeed charged into the surging sand flow.

In an instant, streams of sand shot out from the river, lashing at the enemy like whips.

But Lu Ran...

"Ssss—"

From the moment Lu Ran darted at the edge of the river, he didn't touch the "water," rushing forward without hesitation!

Of course, Lu Ran also dared not touch the sand.

Even if he was extremely careful, he could still be entangled by the fine sand, dragged into the sand flow, and buried alive!

If he dared to touch the ground, he would surely sink and be unable to escape.

"As expected." Jiang Ruyi picked up the white jade tablet that drifted towards her, and frost spread across its surface, chilling to the bone.

In her sight, Lu Ran's figure grew infinitely larger.

Jiang Ruyi seemed not the least bit surprised by this scene.

This technique allowed Jiang Ruyi to keep her enemies dozens of meters away on various battlefields.

However, it couldn't stop him.

The girl showed no hint of regret or fear, and her faint smile seemed to be admiring Lu Ran's prowess.

She lightly pinched the Frost Charm with her slender jade-like finger.

Before the white jade tablet shattered, a sheep's bleat suddenly rang out:

"Baa~~~"

Jiang Ruyi's breath quickened, and her heart trembled! It was the authentic Divine Spell: Voice of Mercy!

Strictly speaking, this technique wasn't particularly powerful.

For those with great strength and unwavering will, no matter how much you cried and begged for mercy, it would have little effect.

Was Jiang Ruyi the type with unwavering will?

Of course!

But the problem was that the Divine Spell: Voice of Mercy had a terrifying characteristic—it was more effective against those you knew!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end