Chapter 95: Orchid Finger

Chapter 95: Orchid Finger



The Moon Gazer who came to assist was a believer of the Demon Binder Sect.

He raised his hand towards the window, casting a spell, and summoned a blood-red chain inside the house.

"Crack~"

As the blood-red chain coiled around the window handle, it slowly turned, opening the window from the inside.

Witnessing this, Lu Ran nodded in approval.

The Demon Binder Sect's divine technique was indeed formidable! It could imprison demons and also open windows and pick locks.

Could you handle this?

Hmm... It should also be able to play some bondage games, right?

"Thank you," Lu Ran dismissed his chaotic thoughts and nodded in gratitude to the man.

"You're welcome. Hurry back inside."

"Okay." Lu Ran approached the window, pretending to climb through it.

Chen Jing suddenly spoke up, "You haven't told me how you knew our exact location in the black smoke."

Lu Ran turned to look at the naked man, "This question is the answer to the previous one."

Chen Jing was puzzled, "What?"

Lu Ran grinned, "Now you know why the patrol team insisted on coming to ask for my help."

"Huh?" Chen Jing stared at Lu Ran in confusion.

Lu Ran suddenly reached out towards the window.

It was as if he had foreseen the future or had eyes at the back of his head.

Although he was facing Chen Jing, the hand he extended towards the corner of the window accurately grasped a furry cat's head.

This little thing just loved to squeeze through any opening, didn't it?

The last time Lu Ran opened the door to send off Jiang Ruyi, Little Li Hua also meowed and rushed out.

Life had been too comfortable, making them forget how dangerous it was outside.

"Mmm"

Little Li Hua, with her head held and face covered, made a muffled sound.

Lu Ran climbed through the window, "Take care, you two!"

"Alright, kid." Chen Jing turned and walked away, "Just wait for your demerits!"

Lu Ran hurriedly turned back towards the window, "Um, my hearing is pretty good.

It's been enhanced through training, and I have a talent for this!"

Chen Jing turned back and grinned, "Haha, can't you speak properly?"

Lu Ran: ". "

He closed the window and twisted the handle tightly.

Lu Ran released the cat's head, and Little Li Hua meowed in protest, her tiny paws wiping Lu Ran's wet face.

Lu Ran, soaked from head to toe, put on the yellow raincoat and headed straight outside.

As he passed by the wardrobe, Lu Ran paused.

He opened it and found that besides his own clothes, there was indeed a yellow raincoat hanging inside.

"Wow," Lu Ran muttered as he finally took a step towards the bathroom.

Every time he went on a mission with the Great Nightmare, he managed to bring back one of her raincoats.

His wardrobe was already small.

If this continued, it would become her wardrobe.

Lu Ran rinsed the raincoat he was wearing, wrung it dry, and hung it up before taking a relaxing hot shower.

It wasn't until twenty minutes later that Lu Ran finally emerged from the bathroom.

Towel in hand, he dried his wet hair and plopped down on the small bed.

He casually picked up his phone and started scrolling through the messages in the group chat, only to find it bustling with activity.

A few days ago, after Chang Ying added a few people as friends, she also created a separate group chat.

It seemed she didn't want the class teacher to see their conversations.

Lu Ran scrolled through the messages and realized that Chang Ying was quite the chatterbox!

She was as lively as an automated talking robot.

But this was tiring for Tian Tian, who didn't know how to refuse others.

After all this time, Tian Tian had been responding to Chang Ying's messages intermittently.

"Why are you guys chatting here instead of praying at the shrine?" Lu Ran asked.

Lu Ran's words finally freed Tian Tian from the conversation.

Upon seeing Lu Ran, Chang Ying immediately sent several messages:

"Lu Ran is here!"

"The clanging outside is making my heart race."

"How's it going over there? Are there many demons?"

"I think I heard the Soul Shattering Demon's bellow again. It's so scary!"

Lu Ran looked at the screen, pondering for a moment, but he didn't share his experience with the patrol team.

"I encountered a Fang-faced Man, a Straw Demon, and a Black Lantern over here."

Chang Ying: "Oh, thankfully it's raining every day in our place. Black Lanterns and Straw Demons would be a terrible combination!"

Tian Tian: "@Lu Ran, don't stay by the window, it's dangerous!"

Seeing this message, a smile appeared on Lu Ran's face.

"Okay."

"Lu Ran" patted "Tian Tian"

Tian Tian: (￣︶￣)



Chang Ying: "@Lu Ran, I remember you specifically ordered me not to stay by the window.

Is it like, 'The official can light the lamp, but the commoners can't start a fire'?"

Lu Ran was stunned, feeling that this proverb didn't quite fit the situation.

Hmm, never mind.

"Go pray at the shrine, and hurry up with your cultivation. Have you all reached the third stage of the Stream Realm? Are you chatting here?"

This sentence seemed to have triggered someone.

Deng Yutang, who hadn't spoken up until now, suddenly typed:

"Almost there!"

Lu Ran: ". "

He put down his phone and went to the shrine, sitting down cross-legged.

A faint mist emerged, but Lu Ran's cultivation was far from peaceful.

After all, on this full moon night, battle raged in Rain Alley City, with explosions and roars echoing everywhere.

"Divine Sheep," Lu Ran suddenly spoke, looking up at the small shrine, "What do you think about me activating the Black Lantern sculpture?"

Lu Ran thought for a moment and continued, "The Black Lantern Clan has healing evil techniques.

They can also release black smoke to confuse enemies and cause explosions.

These are all early-stage techniques, but can I already master them?"

"It's possible." Suddenly, a deep voice echoed in his mind.

From this simple four-word response, Lu Ran heard another four words—a lack of enthusiasm.

Lu Ran looked at the White Sheep Jade Sculpture in the shrine and tentatively asked, "Does the Divine Sheep dislike the Black Lantern Clan?"

The White Sheep Jade Sculpture replied, "They are all just stones, how can they have likes or dislikes?"

Lu Ran responded with a "Hmm."

The White Sheep Jade Sculpture continued, "If you want to learn healing techniques, it's better to go for a walk in the city.

Attract more souls of Green Phoenix followers."

Lu Ran fell silent.

He realized that the Divine Sheep wasn't expressing dislike for the Black Lantern Clan, but rather, it was suggesting that Lu Ran shouldn't stay at home tonight.

The White Sheep Jade Sculpture said, "On the fifteenth of every month, it's a day for you to gather resources."

This statement was undoubtedly correct.

On the night of the fifteenth, which was hated and feared by the world, was actually a "grand feast" for Lu Ran! Moreover, the Divine Sheep's words had a deeper meaning.

When it referred to "gathering resources," it was likely not talking about the souls of demons, but specifically the souls of divine followers! After all, if Lu Ran wanted to activate the demon sculpture, he could go to a designated demon cave and slaughter them.

But how could he activate the divine statue?

Lu Ran couldn't possibly go and kill human believers!

Therefore, if he wanted to collect the "energy" of the divine, he could only do so on the night of the fifteenth.

Lu Ran naturally didn't want to see his fellow humans leave, but in this cold and cruel world, things didn't always go according to his personal wishes.

The White Sheep Jade Sculpture said, "You can cultivate at any time, day and night, in the comfort of your home.

But on the night of the fifteenth, you shouldn't stay here."

"Disciple understands," Lu Ran replied in a low voice.

Perhaps satisfied with Lu Ran's response, or perhaps feeling that his tone was too harsh, the Divine Sheep once again sent a divine message, this time with a more gentle tone: "I know your temperament, and I won't force you to raise a butcher's knife against your own kind.

But strengthening yourself is something you should do! I'm not asking you to stop progressing, but to grow steadily."

Lu Ran still tried to justify himself, "This month's fifteenth, the school asked us to stay at home.

Next month, I'll definitely go to the shelter to stand guard! Although I won't be able to participate in many battles, I'll contact the Divine Citizen Bureau to see if I can join the patrol team."

This time, the Divine Sheep didn't respond.

But a wisp of mist floated out from the shrine, drifting towards Lu Ran's body.

A divine blessing?

It seemed that the Divine Sheep was satisfied.

Other believers in the world didn't know how long they would have to beg or what achievements they would need to attain to receive such a blessing.

But for Lu Ran, since he brought the divine statue home, he had experienced it several times.

Lu Ran calmed his mind and, with the help of the divine being, circulated the divine energy within his body.

Streams of divine power flowed through his body, much faster than when he cultivated on his own! These streams continued to expand Lu Ran's meridians and nourish his physical body.

Time passed, second by second.

The howling and rumbling sounds continued without pause, becoming more intense and terrifying.

After an unknown amount of time—

"Wuuu! Wuuu! Wuuu!"

The alarm suddenly rang out, piercing the rainy night.

Lu Ran's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly opened his eyes, looking up at the window.

The alarm was very distinctive, with its short and sharp sound. It was common knowledge that on the night of the fifteenth, when demons invaded the human realm, there might be special events.

If the alarm sounded in alternating long and short bursts, it indicated a "Night Parade of Ghosts."

If the alarm was short and powerful, it meant a "Demon Sovereign's Arrival"! This also implied that a demon from the River Basin Realm, or even a higher-level demon, had appeared in Rain Alley City!

Instantly, Lu Ran's phone buzzed with notifications as the various group chats lit up.

Lu Ran quickly got up, propped himself against the windowsill, and looked outside.

His bedroom window faced south, and there was a residential building not too far away, obstructing his view.

After searching for a while without success, Lu Ran immediately headed for the door, grabbing his phone on the way.

At this moment, the messages in the grade group were increasing at a visible rate!

"Shadow Opera Dan!"

"Damn, a Shadow Opera Dan?!"

"No way, how could such a demon appear in our small city? And it's even a high-level demon from the River Basin Realm?"

"Where is it? Where's the Shadow Opera Dan?"

"Over by the western city's sports center, it's huge! Wow, such a massive figure!"

"This isn't just a River Basin Realm, this shadow is clearly from the Sea Realm!"

"I've had enough of this shit! Forcing myself to be optimistic and cheerful in this fucked-up world! How the hell am I supposed to stay optimistic?"

"Calm down, classmate, don't do anything stupid."

"Yeah, there are Moon Gazers around, the city will be fine, we'll all be fine."

Lu Ran rushed to the north-facing balcony and peered out the window towards the northwest.

"Ah!" Lu Ran was stunned.

Such a massive shadow!

How big exactly?

It was comparable to the divine shadows that the students summoned at the Shrine!

Clearly, this shadow wasn't the actual body of the Shadow Opera Dan.

It was the phantom of an ancestor that the Demon Clan could summon when they were in the Sea Realm!

The Shadow Opera Dan, in her phantom state, stood tall in the night sky.

She wore an opera costume, her face heavily made up, and in her hand, she held a colorful fan.

Her slender and graceful figure should have been beautiful, but in the pitch-black night, it exuded a chilling aura.

"Wuuu! Wuuu! Wuuu!"

The deep and urgent alarm continued to echo through the small city, like heavy hammers pounding on people's hearts.

An atmosphere of panic completely enveloped the entire city.

The massive shadow of the Shadow Opera Dan loomed over the city below, her eyes scanning the tiny, terrified humans.

Slowly, she raised her hand and formed the Orchid Finger.

In the dead of night,

The shadow opera began.

There's still one more chapter at 10 p.m.

Please support with votes.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end