"What realm are you from..."

Before she could finish her inquiry, the woman's expression became incredibly stiff.

As the distance closed, she discovered to her astonishment that these were a group of seventeen or eighteen-year-old youths?

High school students?

With all the recent turmoil inside the Black Lantern Demon Cave, how did high school students manage to infiltrate it?

"Don't panic, start with the specifics!" Deng Yutang shouted loudly.

"We, we were caught by..." The middle-aged woman spotted the presence of the Copper Armor Guard and her eyes immediately lit up.

Right!

Since this group of high school students were permitted to enter the Demon Cave, it meant their strength had to be formidable!

This team was likely a frontline squad from some high school in the city!

With that thought, the woman ran even faster, "My daughter has been taken control of, controlled by the Yin Fire Cage!

She can only stand there in her water flow armor!

Unable to fight or flee..."

On hearing this, everyone was taken aback.

Evil Technique·Yin Fire Cage was a spell the Black Lantern clan could employ in the River Realm.

"A single person is controlled?" Deng Yutang quickly deduced, "That means it's a Black Lantern from the River Realm·First Rank.

At most, River Realm·Second Rank?"

If the Black Lantern was of the River Realm·Third Rank, it would be equipped with the Evil Technique·Yin Lamp Array.

That kind of spell was a group control technique, and nobody would be able to escape!

"Yes, probably River Realm·First Rank! What's your realm? Can you help us?" As the woman spoke, she couldn't help but keep glancing towards the Copper Armor Guard.

"We're in Stream Realm, second and third rank," Deng Yutang said, turning his head to look at Tian Tian, "Command?"

"Stream Realm, second and third rank..." The middle-aged woman's heart sank.

Although she had been mentally prepared, knowing that these high school students couldn't be that strong,

hearing their realm still caused her heart to sigh with lament.

"Chang Ying, you take the rear with the Copper Armor Guard and draw the enemy's attention," Tian Tian, kind-hearted as she was, couldn't stand by and watch someone die, "We'll go take a look!"

Such a decision was clearly made subconsciously.

It was only after Tian Tian's words had fallen did she remember to look for Lu Ran.

"Alright!" Chang Ying waved her hand grandly, and the Copper Armor Guard immediately broke off from the fight, beginning to draw the enemy's attention.

"This way, this way!" the woman hastily beckoned to everyone, somewhat desperately seeking help in her panic.

These students were the closest people around, and the battlefield waits for no one!

She wouldn't have time to find other reinforcements now, would she?

"What kind of Believers are you all?" the middle-aged woman asked between heavy breaths as she led the way.

"Divination Sign, Sword Lotus, and Red Cloth!" Chang Ying responded loudly and continued to stride forward.

"Good, that's fantastic!"

Listening to the names of one deity after another, hope rose again in the woman's heart.

"Eh?" Tian Tian, with her short legs, watched in amazement as Chang Ying ran past her at a great pace.

"I'll carry you." Chang Ying looked back at her commander and immediately stretched out a long arm.

"Mm." Tian Tian let out a light cry.

Her petite body was scooped up by Chang Ying and tucked at her waist.

Tian Tian felt strange, but... now was not the time to dwell on it.

"We also have an Immortal Sheep Believer," Deng Yutang's voice came from ahead.

"Good... uh, Immortal Sheep Believers are pretty good too," the woman stammered, then hastened to add, "Young man, you must be a Red Cloth Believer.

When we engage, you open up the Red Cloth Domain to help us divide the battlefield!"

"Can do," Deng Yutang immediately nodded, "How much further?"

"Just ahead, right ahead!"

After a short sprint, the woman suddenly pointed to the distance, "There, can you see it?"

Deng Yutang looked up and saw that on a distant torch-lit path, there was a large area of pitch-black smoke spreading.

Deng Yutang's expression grew solemn.

The situation was far more severe and dangerous than imagined!

The striking density of the black mist was the hallmark of the Black Lantern clan's Evil Technique·Smoke Fire Cage.

The Black Lantern clan was peculiar; they had no facial features, and it was unknown how they sensed the world.

This meant that the Black Lanterns wouldn't be affected by the smoke.

But not so for the Human Clan!

Deng Yutang and his peers couldn't see clearly onto the battlefield; charging blindly into the black mist would be tantamount to suicide!

The Black Lanterns, that type of Evil Demon, were highly explosive.

And Deng Yutang and his group were in the Stream Realm, totally lacking water flow armor; if they touched a Black Lantern, their bodies could be blown to pieces!

"Please help, young man!" the middle-aged woman was exceedingly anxious, "Auntie only has this one daughter!

Auntie begs you, you must help me... that's right, Divination Sign Believer!

Miss, send your soldiers in first, Auntie's going to cover your retreat!"

"Chang Ying, send in the Copper Armor Guard!" a voice came from Chang Ying's waist, "Deng, hurry and call for Lu Ran!"

"Brother Lu!" Deng Yutang bellowed, peering into the dark night, "Brother Lu?"

That dense black mist battlefield was no place for humans.

Apart from the fearless Copper Armor Guard, only Lu Ran could go in!

"Where's Lu Ran?" Chang Ying also started shouting, gesturing ahead to command the advance of the Copper Armor Guard.

"Boom!"

"Boom!!" From the thick black mist, a series of intense explosion sounds emerged, causing everyone to tremble with fear.

More terrifyingly, the noise attracted more Black Lanterns to gather.

If this continued, even the trapped members of the Human Clan with water flow armor would sooner or later be blown to smithereens.

The Copper Armor Guard charged ahead, directly heading for the black mist battlefield.

Tian Tian struggled to the ground and pushed out nine lotus petals from her hands, flying towards the mass of Black Lanterns entangled with the Copper Armor Guard.

"Right!" The middle-aged woman clenched her fists, repeatedly comforting herself, "The Copper Armor Guard doesn't need eyes to see the world.

He must find... Ah?"

The middle-aged woman suddenly cried out in shock!

In her line of sight, a figure emerged, sweeping out sideways from the dark graveyard?

The person was dressed in black, ghost-like, with eyes blinded by a red cloth, wielding twin blades.

Under his feet, dense white mist was ejecting, his pace extraordinarily fast!

"Brother Lu!" Deng Yutang's eyes lit up.

He had been anxious before, but seeing this figure, Deng Yutang was completely reassured.

"Has Lu Ran arrived?" Tian Tian, facing backward to block the pursuers, quickly asked.

"He has!" Chang Ying gaped, dumbfounded, "He just... went in?"

The situation within the black mist was invisible to everyone.

But beyond the black mist, everyone could see clearly!

So many Black Lanterns were drifting there, as if a lantern array!

For the Copper Armor Guard to charge into the black mist cluster, it would have to put in quite an effort!

Yet, that red-blindfolded figure carved a bizarre path for himself within the lantern array, darting back and forth, zigzagging, and then he plunged into the black mist!

"Good heavens!" the middle-aged woman was completely stunned, "What... what was that?"

Deng Yutang said gravely, "The Immortal Sheep Believer I mentioned earlier."

The middle-aged woman looked shocked, "Ah?"

"Rumble!"

Suddenly, an explosive sound erupted from the thick black mist.

The vibration made everyone tense.

No one knew that this commotion emanated from the Evil Technique·Soul-Splitting Demon Hoof!

On the battlefield engulfed in black mist, Lu Ran stomped heavily on the ground.

The violent surge of air sent Black Lanterns flying in all directions, as if clearing the field!

"Boom!"

"Boom..." The group of Black Lanterns reacted in a chain, exploding one after another after taking damage.

"Lu Ran!"

At the torch-lit path, Chang Ying couldn't help but step forward, calling into the black mist.

Deng Yutang's expression grew even more solemn as he gripped his long spear tightly.

"Whoosh—"

The sound of rushing air came again.

The middle-aged woman reacted with both alarm and joy!

She saw the young man in black, carrying a slender figure, shooting out from the black mist.

"Quick!" Chang Ying abruptly raised her hand.

As if invisible threads extended from her fingertips, she manipulated the distant Copper Armor Guard.

The Copper Armor Guard immediately charged forward, sweeping his long spear from side to side, fiercely clearing the way for Lu Ran.

"Whoosh—"

Mist sprayed from Lu Ran's feet as he brushed past the Copper Armor Guard.

In an instant, the Copper Armor Guard spread its arms wide, becoming a flesh shield to confront the oncoming barrage of explosive airwaves.

"Rise!!"

As the wind carried waves of black mist surging towards them, Deng Yutang let out a fierce shout and grabbed a large flagpole in his hands.

Red Cloth Divine Skill·Red Cloth Domain!

The flagpole was planted firmly into the ground, and a red cover immediately stretched out.

Everything, along with Black Lanterns and the thick black mist, was completely isolated outside.

Lu Ran immediately changed his posture, from charging forward to sliding sideways, even stabbing his blade into the ground to significantly slow his momentum.

"Whew~"

A gust raised dust, and the figure slowly came to a halt.

"Xianxian!"

The middle-aged woman rushed over anxiously and took her daughter from Lu Ran's shoulder.

"Wow, Lu Ran!" Chang Ying also hurried over, supporting Lu Ran's shoulders and inspecting him, "Are you alright?"

"I am," Lu Ran finally removed the red cloth from his eyes but didn't look at the others; instead, he walked towards the left, ahead of him.

"Brother Lu?" Deng Yutang noticed Lu Ran's odd behavior.

"What's wrong?" Chang Ying immediately followed, joining Lu Ran at the edge of the Light Red Cover.

All Chang Ying could see beyond the torchlit path in the graveyard was the Black Lanterns that fluttered in their direction.

She naturally thought that Lu Ran was watching the pursuers.

But that wasn't the case!

Ever since they had approached this battle group, Lu Ran had been smelling an extremely intense Ghost Energy!

But because he had to save someone in the black mist, he had to blindfold himself first, listening carefully.

Now, Lu Ran was finally able to look over, and with this look...

Lu Ran felt a shiver run down his spine!

What had he seen?

Was that... was that an ancient mansion?

In the darkness, on the edge of the distant graveyard, stood a large old-fashioned Chinese mansion.

The ominous mansion gates were wide open!

On the gates hung several pitch-black lanterns, gently swaying.

Streams of black mist were spilling out of the mansion gates.

From within the courtyard, columns of black mist soared into the sky, drifting out in all directions like threads.

Gusts of yin wind blew, and the ghostly presence was overpowering!

"Holy shit..."

Lu Ran's Adam's apple moved up and down.

Such an ominous old mansion gave Lu Ran a tremendous visual shock.

In his mind, he even imagined the sound of cold, solemn, and penetrating funeral suona music!

Unwittingly, he had goosebumps all over.

This, this...

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