When Ye Ran looked up at Lu Li again, her face was radiant with excitement—she clearly loved the bracelet.
“Try touching it, junior sister.” A faint smile tugged at the corner of Lu Li’s mouth.
Curious, Ye Ran reached out and touched the bracelet. The moment her fingertip made contact, the little flower inside glowed faintly, as if responding to her.
“It lights up!”
Her joy grew. She couldn’t resist touching it a few more times. The flower answered her each time without complaint.
“I’ve infused the flower with a trace of my spiritual sense. Every time you touch it, I’ll feel it. This way, it can stay with you in my place.”
Lu Li’s voice came again as she played contentedly.
His words made her eyes brighten even more.
“So, when you’re away, if I touch this bracelet, you’ll come back to me right away, won’t you, senior brother?”
This time, Lu Li didn’t answer immediately. He pulled her into his arms. After a pause, he said:
“Yes.”
His voice held a heaviness, but Ye Ran was too lost in her joy to notice.
She touched the bracelet again, then rose on her toes and kissed his lips.
“I love this bracelet so much. Thank you, senior brother!”
“As long as junior sister is happy.”
Lu Li patted her head, a smile on his lips.
But soon, his expression darkened. His aura turned sharp.
“What’s wrong?”
Sensing the shift, Ye Ran tensed.
“They’re here.”
His gaze turned toward the foot of the mountain. Ye Ran understood immediately.
Lingxu and his people had come.
They had been preparing for this day. Finally, it had arrived.
The thought that it would all be over soon made Ye Ran’s pulse quicken. She drew her sword.
“Let’s go down and kill them all.”
She started down the mountain, but Lu Li caught her wrist.
“No rush. Let them all enter the mountain first.”
With a wave of his hand, an image appeared before them, showing the scene at the mountain’s base.
Lingxu was leading a large group into the mountain. Among them were many familiar faces.
Ye Ran had seen them during the sect tournament—leaders of other sects. Shen Zuihuan was among them.
Lu Li’s recent absences had been designed to spread word of his return across the cultivation world. Anyone with ill intentions would act.
And Lingxu, who had coveted the Blazing Spirit for so long, would never let it fall into someone else’s hands.
True to his nature, he had gathered others, pretending to promise them a share of the Blazing Spirit while secretly planning to claim it for himself.
Lu Li’s guess was correct.
Lingxu had brought hundreds of people, each with considerable cultivation.
Even standing at the mountaintop, Ye Ran could feel the pressure emanating from below.
Though Lu Li had assured her they were no match for him, facing them still made her nervous.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”
Sensing her tension, Lu Li squeezed her hand.
By then, everyone Lingxu had brought had entered the mountain.
With a wave of his hand, Lu Li activated all the barriers at the base, forming a solid shield that trapped everyone inside.
They sensed the anomaly immediately, but blinded by their desire for the Blazing Spirit, they ignored it.
Lu Li made no effort to hide his presence. Everyone below could clearly sense him at the summit.
They rushed toward the top, scrambling over one another.
Ye Ran watched their twisted, ugly faces in the image.
“Senior brother, they’re here.”
The moment the first wave reached the summit, Ye Ran tightened her grip on her sword and warned Lu Li.
But Lu Li was faster. Before they could even fully arrive, a wave of his hand sent them tumbling down the cliff.
Screams filled the air. Those behind began to hesitate, approaching more cautiously.
“Useless! The demon lord is right there! Capture him!”
Lingxu, having just arrived, began shouting at the hesitant crowd.
His scheme was clear: let the others die first, and when most were gone, he would swoop in and claim the prize.
But what Lingxu hadn’t anticipated was that these people had gathered solely for profit and didn’t fully obey his commands.
Seeing that Lu Li had killed dozens with a single move, they began to hesitate, each wanting the others to die first.
Lingxu’s anger contorted his features, his beard nearly askew.
Realizing that their cowardice would allow Lu Li to slaughter them all, he pressed on:
“I hereby promise: whoever captures the demon lord first will receive the largest share of the Blazing Spirit.”
At his words, the crowd surged forward like madmen, unleashing a torrent of attacks at Lu Li.
Worried, Ye Ran raised her sword to help, but Lu Li pulled her behind him.
“Don’t worry. Stay by my side.”
His sword flew from his hand, multiplying into dozens of blades that deflected every attack.
In an instant, half the attackers were dead.
This was beyond Lingxu’s expectations. He hadn’t realized Lu Li was this formidable.
“Keep going! Whoever captures the demon lord gets thirty percent of the Blazing Spirit’s power.”
As the crowd’s morale waned, Lingxu raised the stakes.
Now even the sect leaders and elders joined the fray.
Their involvement slowed Lu Li—but only slightly. Even the strongest among them couldn’t touch him.
Ye Ran’s tension eased into calm.
She stayed close behind Lu Li, dealing with anyone who tried to ambush him.
She knew that if she were captured, she would become his weakness.
Protecting herself was the greatest help she could give.
Understanding this, anyone who sought to grab her found they couldn’t even touch a single finger.
In moments, only a fraction of the original crowd remained—mostly Lingxu’s men.
Seeing the time was right, Lingxu signaled his people to strike.
But before they could reach Lu Li, he appeared before Lingxu and seized his throat.
“Old fool, I’ve been busy with the others. I almost forgot about you.”
His hand tightened. Lingxu’s face reddened.
But instead of fear, Lingxu’s expression showed smugness.
“It’s not over yet.”
A red glow appeared in his palm. The next moment, a sword pierced Lu Li’s chest from behind.
Ye Ran stared at her own hand in disbelief. She couldn’t believe she had hurt Lu Li.
As she stood frozen, Lu Li expelled the sword and turned.
Meeting his gaze, Ye Ran panicked.
“Senior brother, I—”
“He tampered with you. It’s not your fault.”
To her surprise, Lu Li spoke first.
His absolute trust warmed her heart. She threw down her sword and moved to check his wound.
But her body betrayed her again. She bypassed Lu Li and went to Lingxu.
Lu Li’s expression darkened. He lunged to save her, but Lingxu pressed a sword to her throat.
“Come any closer, and this blade might slip.”
Lu Li stopped. His eyes at Lingxu were ice-cold.
“Let her go.”
His voice carried such overwhelming pressure that even Lingxu trembled.
But Lingxu’s excitement only grew.
“Of course I will. But whether you can save her depends on your skill.”
The moment he finished, the man beside him raised a mirror. Its surface glowed white, as if leading to another place.
Before Lu Li could act, Lingxu threw Ye Ran into it.
Without hesitation, Lu Li followed.
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