But strangely, even after searching every corner of the City Lord’s Mansion, he still found no trace of Ye Ran.
Just then, the remaining disciples caught up and surrounded him.
They constantly shifted their formation, using themselves as the foundation of an array to trap Lu Li inside.
“You’re asking for death!”
The murderous aura around Lu Li began to spiral out of control.
The moment he drew his sword, the blade was instantly engulfed in the Blazing Spirit, transforming into a sword of fire. Even the sword energy carried traces of flame.
The disciples struck by his attack were immediately consumed by the fire. Soon, a gap appeared in the formation.
Before the others could seal it, Lu Li reached the opening and cut down the disciples around him, breaking free.
But Lingxu had prepared thoroughly. Everywhere Lu Li went, countless formations lit up on the ground, and more disciples gave chase.
Lingxu’s goal didn’t seem to be killing Lu Li, but rather stalling him—preventing him from finding Ye Ran, making him increasingly anxious, and draining his strength.
And indeed, the tactic was effective.
Unable to locate Ye Ran, Lu Li grew more desperate. He began to show openings, and his pace of escape slowed.
But what Lingxu didn’t know was that on the other side, Ye Ran had already taken Meng Xuan hostage and escaped the stone chamber.
Fortunately, Meng Xuan was naturally suspicious. Fearing that Lingxu might go back on his word, he had secretly dug a hidden exit from the chamber. No disciples guarded it, so the two left without trouble.
“Junior sister, I’ve brought you out. Can you let me go now?”
The moment they emerged, Meng Xuan immediately begged for his release.
“Shut up!”
But Ye Ran knew that Meng Xuan was cunning. If she let him go now, he would likely find someone to recapture her.
She pressed the blade closer to his neck. Terrified, Meng Xuan fell silent.
Ye Ran slowly oriented herself, planning to leave the City Lord’s Mansion first.
After all, the mansion was now filled with danger. If she didn’t escape quickly, she might be caught and used as leverage against Lu Li.
Having lived in the mansion for several days, Ye Ran had a general sense of its layout. Finding her way out wasn’t hard.
The difficulty lay in avoiding the patrolling disciples—especially with Meng Xuan, a ticking time bomb, by her side.
But as if fate were working against her, she hadn’t gone far with her hostage when footsteps sounded nearby.
Ye Ran quickly hid with Meng Xuan behind a rockery. But just then, Meng Xuan began shouting at the top of his lungs.
“Help! Help!”
His cries were jarring in the stillness.
The footsteps immediately quickened, heading toward their hiding spot.
Before Ye Ran could flee, several figures appeared before her. Seeing them, Meng Xuan grew even more agitated. Ignoring the blade at his neck, he screamed for help:
“Save me! She’s in league with the demon lord! She’s trying to take me hostage to rescue him!”
At this, the figures rushed forward and quickly surrounded Ye Ran.
“My good disciple?”
To her surprise, a familiar voice reached her ears.
She looked up and saw that her own master, along with the disciples of Liuyun Peak, had surrounded her.
Li Qiuyu’s expression was complicated. Ye Ran didn’t know what to do or how to explain.
After all, her master had treated her very well on Liuyun Peak. She really didn’t want to come into conflict with her.
“Master, I—”
“How dare you spout such nonsense and slander my good disciple!”
Before Ye Ran could finish, Li Qiuyu suddenly shouted. The next moment, she drove her sword into Meng Xuan’s chest.
Now utterly powerless, Meng Xuan could only watch helplessly as the blade pierced his heart. Then he collapsed in defeat.
The scene stunned Ye Ran. She looked at Li Qiuyu in disbelief.
Li Qiuyu withdrew her sword and tossed a storage pouch to Ye Ran.
“Take these protective artifacts. When you’re out there, always take care of yourself. Today, your master never saw you.”
With that, Li Qiuyu stepped aside, signaling for Ye Ran to leave quickly.
Ye Ran hadn’t expected her master to protect her so unreservedly. She quickly bowed deeply to Li Qiuyu.
“Thank you, Master!”
Knowing it wasn’t safe to linger—she would only implicate her master further—Ye Ran turned and fled.
Without Meng Xuan, she escaped swiftly and soon left the City Lord’s Mansion behind.
Meanwhile, the moment Ye Ran left the stone chamber, Lu Li sensed her presence and slowly made his way toward her.
By the time Ye Ran fled the City Lord’s Mansion, Lu Li had reached its outer edge.
Hearing the sounds of battle, Ye Ran rushed over and saw Lu Li entangled with a group of disciples.
The instant she drew near, Lu Li seemed to sense her. He looked over.
Reassured that she was unharmed, his rationality gradually returned. With a wave of his hand, a wave of fire engulfed the disciples who had been preparing to ambush him.
With his reason back, Lu Li became even stronger than before. The disciples who had occasionally managed to land strikes could no longer even get close.
Not one to linger, Lu Li dispatched the crowd, then immediately came to Ye Ran’s side and pulled her behind him.
“Is junior sister hurt?”
“No.”
Taking his cool hand again, Ye Ran’s heart finally settled.
“Good.”
The next moment, Lu Li lifted them both into the air and swiftly left the City Lord’s Mansion.
But Lingxu wasn’t willing to let Lu Li go so easily. He dispatched even more disciples to pursue him.
Strangely, Lu Li seemed to be toying with them. He would flee to one place, deliberately slow down to let them catch up, then vanish to another.
“Senior brother, where are we going?”
After hours of fleeing, Ye Ran began to notice something off. When he stopped to rest in an unknown mountain, she finally asked.
Lu Li smirked, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her.
“Is junior sister afraid?”
“Of course not. As long as I’m with you, even if all that awaits is endless running, I’ll go gladly.”
Ye Ran meant it.
In this strange world, she had no one but Lu Li. He was her closest person. Naturally, she would follow him.
“If following me means death, would junior sister still come?”
Lu Li twirled a strand of her hair between his fingers, as if asking casually.
“Yes.”
Ye Ran answered without a moment’s hesitation, her expression firm.
“Then don’t regret it, junior sister.”
A smile flickered in Lu Li’s eyes—but beneath it lurked a hint of manic excitement.
Just as Ye Ran tried to get a better look, his gaze sharpened. In an instant, he stood and pulled her up.
“They’re here.”
No sooner had he spoken than countless attacks rained down on them.
By now, Lu Li had grown accustomed to this. He dodged with Ye Ran and then quickly departed.
But this time, Lu Li no longer held back his speed. In the blink of an eye, he left the pursuers far behind. His direction was no longer aimless.
After losing the disciples, Lu Li headed south with Ye Ran.
They eventually arrived in a vast, remote mountain range.
Lu Li seemed to know the way. He led her around peaks until they reached a towering summit.
With a wave of his hand, a barrier parted, revealing a cave dwelling.
Inside, Ye Ran saw signs that someone had lived here—a stone bed, a stone table, everything one would need for daily life. It looked like someone had inhabited it year-round.
“Senior brother, how did you know about this cave?”
Ye Ran turned to him in amazement.
“This is where I secluded myself after that great battle.”
As he spoke, Lu Li skillfully activated the formations within the cave.
The moment the formations hummed to life, the dust vanished. A barrier appeared at the entrance, concealing the cave entirely.
Only then did Ye Ran fully relax.
She had been afraid the cave’s owner might suddenly return. Knowing it was Lu Li’s former retreat, she no longer worried.
After all, if he had secluded himself here for centuries, it must be safe.
But looking at Lu Li, covered in blood and grime, a pang of worry crossed her face.
“Senior brother, are you hurt?”
The scene of him being surrounded was still vivid in her mind. Seeing him in such a state made her anxious.
“No.”
Thankfully, Lu Li shook his head under her gaze. But before she could relax, he leaned close and pressed his full weight against her.
“But I want to bathe. I don’t have the strength. Will junior sister help me?”
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