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The school bus swayed and bumped its way west, leaving Rain Alley City behind.

Lu Ran cradled the Xiaguang Saber in his arms, his shoulder pressed against the window as he silently watched the rain outside.

"Lord Wuya!"

"Ah, I see it." The classmates in the bus chattered noisily.

Lu Ran lifted his gaze and saw a colossal statue looming in and out of view amid the misty rain.

God Wuya!

This was a Beast God, pitch-black from head to toe and resembling a crow.

It stood atop a massive stone pillar dozens of meters high, its head raised in a cry, wings spread as though ready to take flight.

Those enormous outstretched wings blotted out the sky and sun, their aura vast and majestic!

Wuya was not highly ranked, merely a Seventh Rank God, but Wuya Believers were all highly sought after.

The Wuya Sect's divine arts specialized in scouting, disrupting enemies, and transformation. No team would reject an outstanding scout.

The Wuya Believers' shortcomings were also obvious: their offensive power was lacking, and their specialization was terribly lopsided.

"We're finally here." Wu Shanshan reached toward the seat in front and tugged at the Red Turban wrapped around Deng Yutang's head.

"What is it?" Deng Yutang turned to look at the girl.

Wu Shanshan said, "Once we enter Evil Dog Village, you'd better shout a few times and fill us up with Battle Intent."

Deng Yutang smiled instead. "We haven't even entered the Demon Lair yet, and you're already scared?"

Wu Shanshan snorted, grumbling inwardly, I'm worried someone will get scared and flee before the battle.

Lu Ran might have advanced ahead of everyone due to his talent, but how he would perform in real combat was another matter entirely.

Lu Ran had indeed faced Prison Devil Believer Kou Yingquan head-on, but in Wu Shanshan's eyes, Kou Yingquan had ultimately been human, not a Demon Race creature that took lives.

"Beep~ Beep~"

The convoy of school buses passed through layer after layer of checkpoints and entered a Military Camp. Once the vehicles came to a stop, the students filed out one after another.

Many students froze where they stood, gazing up at the enormous Divine Idol.

Wherever a Divine Idol stood, everything within a hundred li was military ground. Ordinarily, it was difficult for people to witness a god's True Appearance from such close range.

"Number 91!"

"Number 95!"

"Number 98!" Voices rang out through the Rain Curtain.

"They're calling us." Deng Yutang spotted a Soldier and immediately walked over.

"I am the accompanying instructor for this training exercise, Dou Zhiqiang." The Male Soldier looked solemnly at the four students reporting in and continued,

"After entering Evil Dog Village, you will have three hours of free activity.

Under normal circumstances, I will not interfere with any of your actions.

However, once I issue an order, you must carry it out unconditionally. Any violator will result in the entire team being sent back immediately."

The Four-Person Group listened to the rules one by one. Only several minutes later did Teacher Dou lead them into the building.

The students were like bumpkins visiting a grand estate for the first time, finding everything they saw novel and fascinating.

Lu Ran was certain that the enormous stone pillar at the center of the hall was the very pillar Lord Wuya stood upon.

A Spiral Staircase had been built around the stone pillar, winding downward into the underground depths.

Led by Teacher Dou, the group stepped onto the Spiral Staircase and descended. The deeper they went underground, the denser the Divine Power around them became.

"The Demon Lair Gate." Lu Ran held the railing of the Spiral Staircase and leaned over to look below.

"It's so beautiful." Wu Shanshan craned her neck and murmured softly.

Pictures online could never compare to seeing it with one's own eyes!

Far below, in the deeper darkness, there stood an enormous interdimensional Spatial Door.

It was as deep and beautiful as a vast starry sky, yet also like an oval curtain of dark fabric spread flat across the ground.

Such a mysterious Wonder was enough to leave anyone dumbstruck.

Meanwhile, the stone pillar beneath God Wuya's feet plunged straight into the Starry Sky Curtain.

Dou Zhiqiang ordered, "Quiet, all of you! Stay close. If you're afraid of heights, close your eyes and hold onto the shoulders of the person in front of you!"

Everyone fell silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to speak again.

Then, as they stepped into the Starry Sky Curtain one by one—

Whoosh!!

A night wind suddenly rose, whipping Lu Ran's clothes into a wild flutter.

The surroundings abruptly changed. Day became night, and the underground depths became a hundred meters of high altitude.

The four stood upon the staircase high in the night sky. Looking down along the stone pillar, the true ground lay a full hundred meters below.

The higher one stood, the farther one could see.

In the pitch-black night, Lu Ran lowered his head and saw a Stone City!

Countless torches painted the city in blazing red.

Beyond the city, paths pieced together from torches twisted and stretched like fiery dragons, extending to the very end of the Night Sky.

Looking down from High Altitude, Lu Ran could even see several other brightly lit Stone Cities kilometers away.

Mysterious and beautiful, magnificent and spectacular.

This needed BGM!

Lu Ran had already imagined the opening theme of Game of Thrones~

Demon Lair No. 386, Evil Dog Village!

"Keep moving and continue downward!" Dou Zhiqiang reminded the students, clearly not intending to let them stop and admire the view.

A height of one hundred meters was equivalent to at least thirty stories in human society.

"Puff Puff Puff~"

"Puff Puff Puff!" As everyone descended the staircase, they happened to encounter a flock of crows flying upward along the stone pillar.

There was only one type of Demon Race creature in Evil Dog Village: the Vicious Dog Clan. In other words, the flock of crows had been transformed from human Soldiers.

Presumably, they were returning to Earth to rotate off duty?

Lu Ran's face was full of envy as he looked up at the crows flying freely.

Being able to fly was secondary. The key was that transforming into crows was incredibly cool!

Especially since Rain Alley City was often rainy.

Crows paired with gloomy skies and cold rainy nights were simply a perfect match!

After a long while, the Four-Person Group finally reached the ground and set foot on the land of Evil Dog Village.

"Stay close, pick up the pace!" the Iron-Faced Instructor commanded loudly, leading the four straight toward the western city gate.

Lu Ran was filled with admiration. As he walked, he looked around at his surroundings.

These stone houses, watchtowers, city walls, and other structures had naturally been built by the human Army Corps.

It was said that when the human Soldiers attacked this Demon Lair in the early 1980s, the casualties had been horrendous!

It had been a tragic history written in blood and tears.

In the end, amid a Sea of Blood and Mountain of Corpses, people built a shabby little outpost.

Like a small boat tossed amid Surging Waves, it withstood wave after wave of frenzied attacks from the Demon Race Vicious Hounds.

That little outpost was the renowned Evil Dog Village, which was now the grand Stone City Lu Ran stood in.

Several decades had passed. The little village was gone and high walls had risen, but the name "Evil Dog Village" remained.

"It is now 10:03." Dou Zhiqiang led the group to the city gate. "In three hours, I will take you out of Evil Dog Village.

You may explore within the city, where it is relatively safer.

If you wish to leave the city to hunt Vicious Hounds, you may search around the city walls or follow the torchlit paths. You are not allowed to leave the illuminated areas.

You may now act freely."

As soon as he finished speaking, energy surged around Dou Zhiqiang.

"Puff Puff~"

Under everyone's gaze, the instructor abruptly transformed into a crow and soared into the sky.

This only made Lu Ran more envious.

Following the black crow's figure, he saw Stars glittering in the night sky, stunningly beautiful.

In the direction from which they had come, the towering stone pillar looked as if it had punched a hole through the night sky a hundred meters above.

The sight was rather eerie!

"Let's leave the city." Wu Shanshan was the first to suggest it.

The team's ranking points were earned by killing Vicious Hounds.

The accompanying instructor was the proctor, and he would record each of their performances.

"Let's go!" Deng Yutang was extremely excited. He strode forward in great strides toward the city gate.

"Deng Yutang, why don't you shout first?" Wu Shanshan followed after him.

Deng Yutang refused. "There are other classmates nearby."

A person's Spiritual Will could naturally affect Combat Strength.

Having come from a modern city to this torch-lit Stone City beneath the wavering Night Sky, who would not feel uneasy?

Not to mention there were Vicious Hounds roaming the village!

"You—" Wu Shanshan grew anxious, but it was inconvenient to say it outright. She instinctively glanced at Lu Ran.

Yet Lu Ran showed no fear at all. There was not the slightest sign that he wanted to back out.

"What?" Lu Ran happened to meet the girl's gaze and could not help feeling puzzled.

"N-No, it's nothing." Wu Shanshan shook her head repeatedly.

Jiang Ruyi's brows drew together slightly. With her delicate sensitivity, she seemed to have noticed something.

However, now was not the time to discuss it. She patted Lu Ran's shoulder. "Let's go. We'll head farther out. Time is tight."

"Okay." Lu Ran immediately quickened his pace.

Starting from the western city gate, more than twenty torchlit paths stretched outward like fiery snakes crawling toward the boundless wilderness and barren hills.

After observing for a moment, they chose a path no one had taken, lest they run into another student team.

As they advanced, they could hear bursts of barking from beneath the Night Sky, vicious and menacing.

"Over there!" Deng Yutang raised the Tianchen Spear. "Is that one?"

"Yes!" Jiang Ruyi held a sword in one hand while her other hand hung naturally at her side. Divine Power shimmered from her Fingertips as she gently traced something.

Divine arts also came in varying grades. Like Divine Power levels, they were classified with terms such as Mist, Stream, River, Jiang, and Sea.

Jiang Ruyi's divine art, Electric Shackles Talisman, was of the lowest Mist Grade. Its runes could not persist for long, nor could they enchant Weapons.

Thus, she could only draw them as she used them.

Compared to Class Monitor Jiang, Squad Leader Wu cast much faster.

Wu Shanshan had already removed the Hunting Bow slung across her body. She pinched the bowstring between two fingers, and the instant she drew it, a Water Mist Arrow had already formed.

Whoosh~

The blue water arrow shot forth, heading straight for the Vicious Hound exposed on the barren hill.

"Woof!" The Vicious Hound barked and swiftly dodged aside.

Unexpectedly, it did not charge forward immediately, but continued barking without pause.

Jiang Ruyi's expression turned grave. "Does it have companions?"

The Four-Person Group warily scanned their surroundings. Lu Ran suddenly spoke. "Front left, that little mound!"

Sure enough, another Vicious Hound poked its head out.

The Demon Race Vicious Hounds were entirely black and resembled the Fine Dog breed.

They could stand over 1.2 meters tall at the shoulder, with slender bodies, slender heads, slender legs, and slender tails.

In short, they were thin everywhere!

"They're coming!" Deng Yutang gripped the Tianchen Spear tightly with both hands.

Their current location was effectively near the human stronghold.

For these two Vicious Hounds to pass through layer after layer of defensive walls and appear here, the Soldiers had naturally let them in on purpose for the students to practice against.

Therefore, these two Vicious Hounds had to be weak. Like the students, they should both be Mist Stage weaklings.

Yet it was precisely these weakest Demon Race creatures that dealt everyone an enormous psychological blow!

The Vicious Hounds' terrifying speed, savage eyes, and the violent aura rushing toward them—

Watching a thousand videos online could never compare to facing a Demon Race creature in person just once!

"Ha!" Deng Yutang roared and no longer held anything back.

Divine art: Red Turban Order!

In an instant, the spirits of the four-man team surged. Their desire to fight drove the fear from their hearts and rushed straight into their minds.

"Don't move, you two!" Jiang Ruyi flicked her slender fingers forward, sending an electric current darting ahead.

The little lightning snake passed by Lu Ran and Deng Yutang in succession. As it flew forward, an illusory jade tablet flickered into view, bearing lightning runes as it stabbed toward the Vicious Hound.

"Woof!"

Vicious Hound No. 1, charging from the front right, was not only fast but agile and nimble.

With a single turn, it consecutively evaded both the Electric Shackles Talisman and the Water Mist Arrow, then pounced straight at Deng Yutang.

"The wails of weak creatures can also draw the hunter's greedy drool."

Suddenly, a Voice Transmission entered Lu Ran's mind.

"Ha!" Deng Yutang roared again, pouring Divine Power into the Tianchen Spear and viciously thrusting it into the Vicious Hound's Bloody Mouth.

Yet the strike did not pierce through its jaws. The Vicious Hound actually clamped its sharp teeth tightly around the Spear Tip.

"Up!" Deng Yutang took a step back, then fiercely raised the Tianchen Red Tasseled Spear, intending to fling the Vicious Hound into the air.

It was quite a clever plan.

The Vicious Dog Clan had no ability to fly. Once flung into the High Altitude, they would be lambs awaiting slaughter.

Dreams were beautiful, but the Vicious Hound's bite force was astonishing. It was not flung away at all!

"Hold on!" Wu Shanshan shouted. She had already drawn her bow and nocked an arrow, aiming at the Vicious Hound clamped tightly onto the spearhead.

"Whoosh~" The Water Mist Arrow shot out once more.

"Rrr!" The Vicious Dog Clan's battle instincts were especially terrifying; it had clearly sensed danger descending.

Its two front paws landed on the spear shaft. Then it released its bite, kicked off with its legs, twisted its head, and pounced toward the ground.

Lu Ran was reduced to a mere decoration.

Using the Tianchen Spear as a vaulting pole, the Vicious Hound leaped straight over Lu Ran.

Lu Ran was dumbfounded!

Damn, this Skinny Dog!

It was pulling off fancy moves now?

The key was, it had shown off right in his face and charged straight for the back line!

These days, even dogs knew to target the back line?

"Damn it." Deng Yutang's face turned livid. The second Vicious Hound had already pounced; he was stretched too thin to spare the effort to chase it.

Lu Ran immediately grabbed his saber and gave chase, shouting as he ran:

"Meeeh~~~"

Divine Technique: Compassionate Sound!

But the Vicious Hound plummeting toward the ground paid Lu Ran no heed. Its four legs clawed at the earth as it lunged straight at the two women.

Wu Shanshan and Jiang Ruyi both retreated, splitting apart to the left and right.

As Wu Shanshan backed away, she cried, "Hey! Lu Ran! Stop making things worse!"

Honestly, if the Compassionate Sound had not taken effect, Wu Shanshan would already have started cursing in the street.

How could such a savage and violent Vicious Hound possess even the slightest trace of compassion?

Bleating at it could only affect the nearby teammates. How could it make the Vicious Hound pause for even a moment?

"Not weak enough. Not desperate enough." Voice transmission entered Lu Ran's mind once again.

"Huh?" Lu Ran chased relentlessly, while the Vicious Hound was quite good at picking targets, choosing the prettiest girl in the team.

However, when the Vicious Hound saw electric light flickering at Jiang Ruyi's fingertips, it immediately began consciously dodging left and right, constantly shaking its head and twisting its body.

Footwork~

Footwork~~~

"Think back to how you felt when facing Yanzhiren on the God-Worshipping Platform."

"Think back to how you felt when you looked around and saw no gods appearing."

Lu Ran's mind buzzed. The low, majestic voice brought him back to the First of June in the Lunar Calendar.

"Die!" At the front of the team, Deng Yutang was burning with fury as he frantically stabbed at the second Vicious Hound.

The team formation was in utter chaos, and his teammates had fallen into danger. As the vanguard, he bore full responsibility.

The team's tactics should have been for Deng Yutang to hold the enemy at bay, with Lu Ran supporting him from the side and giving Jiang and Wu a safe environment to attack.

But now, everything was a mess!

"Whoosh~ Whoosh~"

The first Vicious Hound was chasing Beauty Jiang. Wu Shanshan, temporarily safe, swiftly drew her bow and nocked arrows.

She had somehow made the lowest-grade Divine Technique: Water Mist Arrow feel like rapid-fire shooting.

The Vicious Hound was incredibly swift and nimble. Chasing and dodging at the same time, it gave the human race a solid lesson.

Jiang Ruyi's face was stiff as she retreated again and again, not daring to casually throw out the Electric Shackles Talisman in her hand.

If she missed, drawing another talisman would take at least three to five seconds.

Yet the Electric Shackles Talisman in her hand would not last much longer either. If she did not throw it soon, it would dissipate.

Left, right, right.

Jiang Ruyi truly possessed remarkable poise. Even in such a critical moment, she remained calm, trying to find the pattern in the Vicious Hound's dodges.

"Meeh~"

At that very moment, a faint bleat quietly rang out.

Amid this chaotic battlefield, the teammates heard nothing. Only the two keen-eared Skinny Dogs noticed the wail of a frail creature!

Not only did the Vicious Hounds hear it, they uncontrollably whipped their heads around to look at the weak little creature.

Both pairs of dog eyes were filled with greed, drool flowing from their mouths.

For a dog that was constantly shaking its head, twisting its body, and sprinting forward, how could it possibly keep its balance after suddenly snapping its head back?

Jiang Ruyi's eyes narrowed, and she immediately flung out the Electric Shackles Talisman.

"Smack!"

Electric light burst in all directions as the jade talisman struck the dog squarely in the body.

Jiang Ruyi halted. Just as she was about to rush forward with her sword, a figure had already crossed paths with the Vicious Hound.

"Cī!"

The Xiaguang Saber, filled with Lu Ran's divine power, came slicing in at high speed with a sound of breaking the air.

The Vicious Hound was like tofu. Its dog head was severed in an instant—clean and decisive!

At the same time, Deng Yutang's battle had also ended, but he was deeply puzzled. The fighting had clearly been deadlocked, so why had the Vicious Hound suddenly looked elsewhere?

Deng Yutang looked back in confusion and saw Wu Shanshan with her little mouth open, while Jiang Ruyi wore a startled expression. Both were staring in the same direction.

His heart immediately tightened!

What happened to Brother Lu? Nothing bad better have happened!

Following the two women's gazes, Deng Yutang hurriedly looked over.

What he saw was Lu Ran's motionless back.

Under the wavering firelight, he held the Xiaguang Saber, drops of blood continuously falling from its blade edge.

Mm. Cool as hell.

Thanks to Fourth Roman Linden Emperor and Qing Baobao's Baby, the two Da Meng, for the rewards and so, so many monthly votes. I am endlessly grateful! Many thanks!

May you live long! Ura~