The True Witch

Jiang Ran listened, stunned for a moment.

Currently, the only beings he had encountered in the Abyssal Void that could speak fell into three categories.

Humans, Ancestral People, and Exotic Beasts.

Looking at the old man before him, Jiang Ran desperately wanted to associate him with the Ancestral People of some nation from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, or perhaps some kind of Exotic Beast.

But looking at the other party's attire, and that faded Nuoxi Opera Mask.

Another thought couldn't help but well up in his heart.

Could that person... still be alive!?

The old man seemed to perceive Jiang Ran's confusion.

He chuckled and stood up from the bluestone.

"Do not misunderstand, I am not the First Sage."

Hearing this, Jiang Ran's scalp tingled slightly, and he asked softly, "Who are you...?"

The old man did not answer immediately.

As if lost in memory, he slowly raised a withered hand, pointed to the faded Nuo Opera Mask on his face, and said softly:

"When the First Sage was alive, the Shamanic culture in the Chu Region flourished, yet demons and monsters ran rampant.

There were One-Eyed Peeper entities ravaging the mortal world, adept at seizing souls; there were Eavesdropping Follower beings with ears as large as fans, specializing in stealing human speech; and there were winged Night Walker creatures that often snatched infants... all of them were Evil Entities."

"The First Sage assumed the position of the Great Shaman, wielded the Nuo Opera Mask, danced the Nine Songs, and communicated with heaven and earth through his spirit.

In those years, he purged countless tribes and suppressed numerous evils.

There was once a battle where the First Sage stepped alone into the borderlands of the Netherworld, confronting ten thousand ghosts for three years, day and night, finally driving back the evil spirits with a single performance of Soul Summoning, protecting the peace of the local people."

The old man paused, his voice beneath the mask carrying an irrepressible sorrow:

"However, though the First Sage's power was great, he was ultimately a mortal.

At that time, the world underwent a drastic change; Deities descended from the void. The First Sage led three thousand Shamanic practitioners of the Chu Region to deploy the Nine Shao Array. After seven days of bloody battle, all the Shamanic practitioners perished, and the First Sage's soul was severely wounded."

"That battle... dyed the rivers of the Chu Region red, and corpses piled up like mountains.

The First Sage knew he could not win, yet he was unwilling to become a puppet of the Deities, nor could he bear to see the people of Chu slaughtered further...

So, clutching the Nuo Opera Mask he had forged with his life's blood, he sank himself into the Miluo."

The old man slowly turned his head, his eyes hidden behind the mask seemingly looking at Jiang Ran:

"His soul returned to heaven and earth, and the mask sank to the bottom of the river. The supernatural powers of the Nuo Opera Mask have been lost ever since."

Having finished, the old man sighed softly and asked:

"Do you think it is a pity for the First Sage?"

Jiang Ran remained silent for two seconds after hearing this information-heavy account.

If what this old man said was true.

If Qu Yuan was truly such a Transcendent who had once guarded the mortal world and fought until his final breath.

Then...

"It is a pity." Jiang Ran nodded gently.

Seeing this, the old man nodded with satisfaction.

He spoke softly once more:

"The Nuo Opera Mask was forged by the First Sage's heart's blood and can manifest thousands of incarnations.

You little ones have been conversing outside for so long; it was all within my sight."

The old man continued: "It can also communicate with heaven and earth, absorb the essence of the sun and moon, channel the will of ghosts and Deities; dancing with it can summon rain or clear skies, and keeping it still can suppress evil and soothe souls.

Such supernatural power—do you think it is a pity that it has been lost?"

Jiang Ran listened and nodded slightly:

"It is a pity."

As he spoke, Jiang Ran had already stepped into this space of his own accord.

His gaze swept over the blood pool.

The ceiling was covered in blood-colored patterns, and blood droplets were slowly seeping out from these patterns, dripping into the pool.

Seeing Jiang Ran walk to the side of the blood pool of his own volition, the old man smiled faintly:

"Then... are you willing to contribute your own strength for the revival of the First Sage and the reappearance of the Nuo Opera Mask in the world?"

As soon as the words fell.

"Zzzzt...!"

The radio at Jiang Ran's waist suddenly crackled, transmitting the slightly urgent voice of Captain Zhou:

"A large number of masked corpses have suddenly swarmed the perimeter of the Ancient Tomb. We can no longer break through and must advance through the right-hand passage to regroup with everyone... Zzz... Watch out..."

Before the message could finish, Jiang Ran raised his hand and cut the radio feed.

He looked up at the old man, a look of apology on his face:

"My apologies, what were you saying just now?"

The old man was stunned, not even having the chance to repeat himself.

"Oh." Jiang Ran seemed to suddenly remember, then calmly shook his head:

"I refuse."

The old man seemed unable to process this, just about to say something.

But he was interrupted by Jiang Ran again:

"Right..."

Jiang Ran asked in a casual tone, as if he had suddenly thought of an interesting question, "The Evil Entities you mentioned earlier, do you mean people from the One-Eyed Kingdom or the Feathered People Kingdom? And who are these so-called Deities you speak of? Are they still alive?"

Upon hearing these two questions, the old man seemed to freeze.

Then, his voice deepened, carrying a hint of displeasure:

"Young man, you..."

"Don't rush, there's more." Jiang Ran interrupted again, continuing his interrogation, "What exactly happened back in your time? How did the Transcendent Association go extinct?

If you answer my questions, I might just be willing to contribute."

Hearing this, the old man fell silent for a moment.

The atmosphere beside the blood pool gradually solidified.

In the end, the old man shook his head and sighed, his voice filled with disappointment:

"Forget it... How could the likes of you understand the achievements of the First Sage."

As soon as the words fell.

Click, click, click...

The ten masked figures that had been kneeling all this time suddenly began to move slowly.

They raised their heads, their hollow gazes beneath the Nuo Opera Mask fixed on Jiang Ran.

Their movements shifted from stiff to fluid.

Seeing this, Jiang Ran's eyes remained calm.

The reason he dared to walk in here alone and remain composed in the face of these eerie existences was simple.

Before entering, Captain Zhou had explicitly stated.

There was absolutely no existence above the First Realm within this Ancient Tomb.

Jiang Ran did not know how Captain Zhou had confirmed this, but the moment he saw these masked figures, and even upon first encountering this mysterious old man.

His Combat Intuition did not transmit that sense of oppression one feels when facing an insurmountable existence.

This confirmed Captain Zhou's judgment.

Since everyone here was of the First Realm...

Then there was nothing to fear.

It was just a pity.

The other party was not as easy to talk to as he had imagined and had not revealed more through his questions.

Since the old man was no longer hiding his ulterior motives, Jiang Ran naturally wouldn't stand there like a fool waiting for them to complete their encirclement.

The next second.

Hum!

A plume of blood-red smoke erupted from his body!

With Eight-Step Cicada Chase pushed to its limit, Jiang Ran's figure vanished from his spot, reappearing before the nearest masked figure.

The masked figure had just fully stood up and had not yet had time to make any move...

"Roar!"

The sound of a dragon's roar and a tiger's howl exploded in the confined space.

Jiang Ran's right fist was wreathed in black flames, a Dragon Form phantom coiling around his arm as he slammed a punch into the center of the target's skull.

"Bang!"

The head separated from the body, spinning as it collided with the distant rock wall, smashing a web of cracks into the stone before slowly sliding down.

And as Jiang Ran had expected, the masked figure acted accordingly.

The Nuo Opera Mask on the head began to dissolve rapidly after death, turning into nothingness in just two or three seconds, revealing the withered, skeletal face beneath.

The old man beside them did not show the slightest surprise at this sight.

He merely pressed his palms together slightly, his withered fingertips forming a hand seal before his chest, and softly spat out a single word:

"Gather."

The next second...

The remaining nine masked figures sprang up from the ground simultaneously.

With movements perfectly synchronized, they landed in front of the old man, fanning out in a semi-circle.

Immediately after, one figure wearing a crimson, hideous mask stepped forward and charged toward Jiang Ran!

Dark red, lava-like luster surged over its arms.

The air twisted and heated up wherever it passed.

Meanwhile, the other eight masked figures remained in place.

One held its hands out, palms condensing icy blue ice crystals.

One was wrapped in cyan wind blades.

One had vine-like shadows spreading from the ground beneath its feet.

One had blinding lightning glowing in its eyes...

Ranged divine abilities.

Not only was there no panic in Jiang Ran's eyes, but the corners of his mouth even curled up slightly.

He took the initiative to meet the crimson-masked figure, and the two collided with a boom beside the blood pool.

Clang!!

Fist met fist, emitting a loud sound like metal striking metal.

The crimson-masked figure possessed impressive strength, roughly at the level of the late Blood Sensing Realm.

Its fist carried a scorching heat.

If it were an ordinary Transcendents, they would likely be torn to shreds by a single punch.

But after exchanging blows with Jiang Ran for only three rounds, it revealed the same flaw as the Hairy Person...

Their combat style was too rigid.

Although one could see they were techniques for life-and-death struggles, they lacked the most important spiritual essence.

In contrast, Jiang Ran's Dragon-Tiger Fist fought following the path of Freestyle Fighting.

It focused more on adaptability.

Just like now, the crimson-masked figure threw a punch straight at Jiang Ran's heart.

After Jiang Ran dodged to the side, he simultaneously gripped the opponent's wrist with his left hand and the edge of its mask with his right...

Rip!

The head was forcibly twisted one hundred and eighty degrees, the mask shattering along with the cervical vertebrae.

The second masked figure fell to the ground.

And just at this moment...

Those ranged divine abilities in the air had finished condensing and surged toward Jiang Ran in unison.

Jiang Ran was just about to activate Eight-Step Cicada Chase to retreat and dodge...

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

The blood pool behind him suddenly began to boil.

The blood churned, bubbles burst, and a thick, nauseating stench of blood permeated the air.

Immediately after...

Boom!!!

A Giant Muntjac head the size of a millstone suddenly lunged out from the blood pool.

Its eyes were blood-red, its sharp teeth were terrifying, and it opened its massive maw to bite down fiercely on Jiang Ran's back.

Caught in a pincer attack.

Jiang Ran's eyes sharpened, yet he showed no signs of panic.

Almost at the same instant...

Hum!!!

Brilliant golden light erupted from his entire body.

A five-meter-tall Furious Vajra Phantom rose from behind him, its arms wrapped in blood-colored Buddhist light, wearing a demon-subduing, furious expression.

Facing the Blood Pool Muntjac Head as it lunged to bite.

The Vajra Phantom clenched its right fist, Buddhist light and blood energy merging, and smashed it down.

"Go back!"

BOOM!!

The right fist of the Vajra Phantom, wreathed in blood-colored Buddhist light, collided violently with the deer-head reaching out from the blood pool.

The impact sent waves of blood surging across the pool.

The deer-head let out a pained hiss, forced downward by the sheer weight of the punch.

Along with the body that had yet to fully emerge, it was hammered back into the depths of the churning blood pool, sending a rain of gore splashing into the sky.

Just as Jiang Ran hammered the deer back into the blood pool, the long-range divine abilities from behind arrived with a roar.

They landed squarely upon the towering Vajra Phantom.

However...

When these divine abilities struck the Vajra Phantom, it was like a mere tickle, causing only a few ripples to stir across its surface.

Jiang Ran remained completely indifferent to this.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze falling upon the old man standing behind the masked figures.

The old man remained hunched before the bluestone.

He seemed unsurprised by the ineffectiveness of the long-range attacks or the retreat of the blood pool's giant deer.

From the moment Jiang Ran summoned the Vajra Phantom, his gaze had been locked firmly upon that majestic, glaring manifestation.

Within the hollow eye sockets behind his mask, it was as if he were lost in memory.

He slowly stood up, his withered frame appearing even more gaunt beneath his wide shamanic robes.

Looking at the Vajra Phantom, he murmured softly, his voice tinged with regret.

"Bearing multiple divine abilities, and having even obtained the true teachings of the Buddhist Sect... nourishing battle through battle, advancing all paths in tandem."

"At the dawn of this era, to think such a Heavenly Prodigy could emerge..."

"It is a pity, however, that you lack the proper reverence for the might of the First Sage."

"In the end... you are still lacking."

As his voice fell, the old man's archaic shamanic robes began to flutter without wind.

On the faded Nuo Opera Mask upon the old man's face... colors began to slowly emerge, tracing new patterns.

Then, the old man took a single step forward.

Just one step.

The aura emanating from the old man underwent a heaven-shaking transformation as he stared calmly at Jiang Ran.

"Youngster."

"Let me show you what it means to be... a true shaman."