Compassionate Sound?

"Puff Puff Puff~"

A pitch-black crow descended from the sky and landed on Lu Ran's shoulder.

It spoke human words and asked, "What happened?"

Everything that had just occurred had fallen squarely into Dou Zhiqiang's eyes.

Yet faced with the instructor's question, Lu Ran remained silent and gave no reply.

Because he was listening to the Gods' Voice Transmission.

At the same time, several teammates gathered around, their hearts full of doubt, unable to understand why the battlefield had suddenly changed.

They had only glimpsed a few clues and knew that this bizarre scene was connected to Lu Ran.

"Student?" the Black Crow spoke again.

At last, Lu Ran slowly said, "Immortal Goat Divine Technique: Compassionate Sound."

But Dou Zhiqiang believed Lu Ran was talking nonsense.

Compassionate Sound had such an effect?

What kind of joke was that?!

The pitch-black crow fluttered lightly backward and transformed into human form. "The Vicious Hound Clan is cruel by nature. They would never feel even the slightest pity for you."

Taking ten thousand steps back, even if the vicious hounds had truly fallen under your spell, they could not possibly have reacted like that.

Was that pity rising in their hearts?

They had been completely hard-controlled!

The battle had nearly reached white-hot intensity. It was the very moment when blades met and blood was drawn. Under those circumstances, two vicious hounds had turned to look at you at the same time?

Lu Ran said, "The mournful cries of weak creatures can summon the protection of their kin, and can also draw the gaze of hunters."

"Oh?" Dou Zhiqiang was somewhat surprised. No matter what, he had not expected Lu Ran to say something like that.

Lu Ran looked at the Iron-Faced Instructor. "Since you cannot awaken the goodness within living beings, then use the evil within all creatures instead."

Dou Zhiqiang's expression became more serious than ever as he listened intently.

"It cannot exactly be called evil." Lu Ran thought for a moment before continuing. "After all, only human society speaks of respecting the old and caring for the young.

"In nature, it is the old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled that get killed."

Dou Zhiqiang nodded thoughtfully, a rare trace of approval in his tone. "Easy to understand."

Lu Ran looked at the instructor. "The Immortal Sheep gave me some guidance. I cannot say any more than that."

Dou Zhiqiang pondered for a long while, then nodded again. "I understand. Continue."

The student could not speak deeply of it because it involved the Immortal Sheep Sect's secret technique.

In truth, Lu Ran had already said enough.

"Puff Puff Puff~"

Dou Zhiqiang transformed into a crow once more, flapping his wings as he flew into the night sky.

As the instructor departed, the teammates all turned to Lu Ran.

"Brother Lu, that was insane!" Deng Yutang strode forward and gave Lu Ran's shoulder a hard slap, his face full of delight.

At first, Deng Yutang had been drawn in by Lu Ran's bearing and had insisted on joining this team.

During the class conflict, the weak Lambkin had lifted a wooden chair and charged straight at the powerful Prison Devil Believers.

Deeply influenced by Swords Drawn, Deng Yutang loved that feeling of "when narrow paths meet, the brave win."

Now, Lu Ran's performance had excited Deng Yutang even more.

Go on, translate it for me.

What the hell! Was called! A surprise!

Lu Ran was not some Little Lamb with nothing but fighting spirit.

He was a Big Lamb Leg!

The kind that sizzled with grease and smelled utterly delicious~

"Luck, luck." Lu Ran waved his hands repeatedly, though his thoughts were racing.

As expected of my own President Overbearing Sheep.

This special use of Compassionate Sound was truly overbearing!

"Compassionate Sound can be used like that?" Wu Shanshan muttered softly. "That really opened my eyes.

"Now I finally understand why Yanzhiren insisted on snatching you away."

Lu Ran claimed that he had received guidance from the Immortal Sheep, and that could not be false.

The question was, why had no other Celestial Goat Believers ever used this technique?

Why was there not the slightest related information online or in books?

In Wu Shanshan's mind, this could naturally only be the product of Lu Ran's exceptional talent and peerless comprehension!

The Immortal Sheep had created the divine technique, while Lu Ran, its believer—

Had forcibly processed and modified a God's spell?

Ah, what a headache.

Wu Shanshan's thoughts were a complete mess.

After this assessment, should she leave the team and start anew on her own?

Jiang Ruyi looked annoyed. "If you could use a divine technique to this extent, why did you not tell us earlier?"

"Uh..." Lu Ran choked up, not knowing how to explain.

"Let's change tactics." Beauty Jiang let Lu Ran off the hook. Gentle as she was, she did not want to make someone uncomfortable. "We'll split into two teams."

Wu Shanshan immediately followed the line of thought. "Right! First Squad lures the vicious hound in. Ran Bao stays farther away and distracts the vicious hound."

Lu Ran flicked the drops of blood from his blade and walked toward the vicious hound's corpse.

Heh.

Women!

Just now, you told me not to cause trouble, and now you are calling me Ran Bao again?

No wonder you could dominate the top three of the grade. You were purely a score slave.

"I'll draw the vicious hound's attention." Deng Yutang stepped forward without hesitation.

"Fine." Lu Ran sliced open the vicious hound's skull with one slash, suppressing his nausea as he reached inside to search for the Magic Crystal.

Everyone had a first time.

Once Lu Ran had killed more demons, he probably would no longer feel like vomiting.

Before long, Lu Ran found a bloodstained Rhombus Crystal Chip inside the vicious hound's skull.

A vicious hound Magic Crystal!

It was dark gray and translucent, no larger than a fingernail, with threads of energy flowing within it.

Though vicious hounds were demons, the Demon Race cultivated the same energy as the Human God Two Races.

Therefore, absorbing Magic Crystals could replenish the Divine Power of Human Race Believers.

But Lu Ran would not absorb it directly. After all, the Magic Crystal had to be kept for the mission hand-in, and Divine Power was relatively abundant in the Demon Lair, so he could replenish himself there.

"What a pity about this corpse." Lu Ran looked at the vicious hound whose head and body lay in separate places.

If they had Divine Power Beads, they could completely drain this demon corpse dry and squeeze out every last bit of energy contained in its body.

The Divine Power drawn from a Dog Corpse was roughly equivalent to the energy contained in its Magic Crystal.

And the rewards for this school assessment's rankings were Divine Power Beads of varying quality.

"It won't go to waste." Jiang Ruyi said softly. "The school only allowed us to bring Weapons and forbade us from bringing Divine Power Beads. Naturally, that was so the corpses could be left to the military."

Wu Shanshan urged, "Let's find the other vicious hound's Magic Crystal, then keep moving?"

The school had only given them three hours. For teams aiming for ranking points, every second naturally had to count.

After putting away the two vicious hound Magic Crystals, the four-person team quickly set off again and soon encountered another vicious hound.

More accurately, a vicious hound had found them.

This Skinny Dog was incredibly sneaky!

Already pitch-black, it had hidden in the dark wilderness without making a sound.

By the time everyone noticed it, it had actually been following behind them, ready to launch a Sneak Attack at any moment.

"I'll do it!" Deng Yutang rushed toward the Rear of the Team.

"Follow the plan." Wu Shanshan drew her bow and nocked an arrow, speaking excitedly as she eagerly anticipated the team's new tactic.

"Let's go." Jiang Ruyi led Lu Ran away from the torch-lit path and quickly moved sideways.

Restricted by the rules, the two could not venture deep into the wilderness and could only remain within the illuminated area, so they did not go far.

The military had not even issued lighting equipment, precisely to prevent students from leaving the torch-lit path and cut off any thoughts of exploration at the root.

"Anything?" Jiang Ruyi faced the torch-lit path, her back pressed against Lu Ran's, vigilantly surveying their surroundings.

"It's quiet." Lu Ran faced the utterly dark wilderness and felt a chill run through him.

"Ha!" Deng Yutang let out a loud shout in the distance, drawing the vicious hound's attention.

"The vicious hound is charging toward Deng Yutang." Jiang Ruyi reported the battlefield situation. "Get ready."

"Mm." Lu Ran focused his mind and secretly circulated his Divine Power.

This special version of Compassionate Sound had relatively demanding casting requirements, involving one's mental state.

You could not merely pretend to be pitiful. You had to truly be weak and helpless, truly cry out in fear and panic.

Lu Ran felt that calling it Sound of Lamentation would be more fitting.

Come to think of it, other believers could only learn one divine technique at stages one and three of each Great Realm.

Yet Lu Ran seemed to have learned one extra divine technique?

After all, Compassionate Sound and Sound of Lamentation had completely different effects.

"Ran Bao?" Wu Shanshan's shout came from afar.

"Don't rush." Jiang Ruyi softly stopped her, calm as ever.

"Ran Bao?" Wu Shanshan had her bow drawn and arrow nocked, poised to fire. Seeing the vicious hound draw closer and closer, she could not help calling again, "Just make the sound already!"

But Jiang Ruyi silently watched the vicious hound sprinting toward them.

Closer, even closer.

"Woof!" The vicious hound roared as it leaped forward.

"Now." Jiang Ruyi finally spoke.

Lu Ran's emotions surged as he let out a sheep sound. "Baa~~~"

The faint sheep sound resembled an infant's cry.

The wilderness was already eerie, making the cry all the more hair-raising.

"Grr?" The vicious hound opened its Bloody Mouth and suddenly turned to look toward the wilderness.

Instinct made it, and instinct ruined it!

"Twng!" The bowstring trembled.

Wu Shanshan released her fingertips, and a Water Mist Arrow shot straight into the Dog Head, forcefully piercing through its skull.

Deng Yutang followed closely behind, driving the Tianchen Red Tasseled Spear fiercely into the lunging vicious hound and pinning it straight to the ground!

Just minutes ago, when facing a vicious hound's attack, the team's formation would still descend into chaos, even teetering on the brink of disaster.

Now, everything had become so simple.

All because of Lu Ran's presence, all because of his unique divine technique: Sound of Lamentation!

"The tactic worked!" Deng Yutang shouted excitedly, turning to look toward Lu Ran and Jiang Ruyi.

Lu Ran did not respond, because he sensed that something was wrong!

Beauty Jiang's breathing had quickened, her chest rising and falling slightly as her grip on her sword tightened.

"Class monitor?" Lu Ran vaguely realized something.

Deng Yutang and Wu Shanshan were farther away and had not heard the mournful cry, so they were not affected much.

Jiang Ruyi was different!

She had been standing back-to-back with Lu Ran the entire time and had heard the Sound of Lamentation crystal clear.

"Mm." Jiang Ruyi answered in a low voice, then turned to look at Lu Ran.

Before Lu Ran, she often blushed—but for the first time, her eyes had turned red because of him!

Jiang Ruyi considered herself absolutely not someone who bullied the weak, yet when Lu Ran cried out like that—

It directly stirred up the wicked fire in her heart!

He was weak. He was helpless. He had no ability to resist.

Trample Lu Ran, tear Lu Ran apart, eat Lu Ran...

None of those actions required paying the slightest price. They were even the optimal solution for survival.

Jiang Ruyi did not act because she was not a cruel vicious hound, but a person capable of self-control.

But if Lu Ran kept crying out, that would be hard to say!

"Baa~"

Jiang Ruyi was still trying hard to suppress the wicked fire when another sheep sound reached her ears.

The authentic divine technique: Compassionate Sound!

Jiang Ruyi's expression went blank, her emotions changing again and again.

The prey in her eyes gradually became a weak creature that needed help and care.

"Hah." Jiang Ruyi let out a deep breath, slowly lowered her head, and covered her eyes with one hand.

Guilt, embarrassment, anger, and all sorts of emotions flooded into her heart.

You awful guy.

You were really going to drive her mad.

"Feeling better?" Lu Ran looked at the silent girl with her head lowered and asked carefully, "How about I make the sound a couple more times?"

Beauty Jiang.

Do not tell me she had been played into breaking?

We could not afford to compensate for that!