"Hah!"

Hao Tian surged forward, thrusting his staff toward Lu Ran's face.

Lu Ran tilted his head slightly, and the tip of the staff brushed past his ear.

"Good!" Hao Tian's eyes blazed as he shouted.

He was naturally prepared for Lu Ran's signature abilities, but he hadn't expected Lu Ran's control over distance to be so precise!

The bamboo staff had been just one centimeter from Lu Ran's face.

The key was, this blindfolded youth wasn't even a North Wind Believer!

Truly divine!

Right, what kind of believer was he again?

Hmm...never mind, it's not important!

"Again!" Though Hao Tian's mind was racing, his actions didn't slow down in the least.

He immediately swept his staff sideways, aiming for Lu Ran's head.

"Thud!"

Lu Ran blocked the sweeping attack with his left hand holding a thin bamboo stick, his right hand's stick already thrusting toward the enemy's face.

As the saying goes, an eye for an eye!

"Huh?" Hao Tian promptly retreated a step, using the shaft of his staff to deflect Lu Ran's thinner stick.

The two exchanged a flurry of blows, immediately disengaging.

"I didn't see that coming, Brother Lu is quite strong in the arm, huh?" Hao Tian was quite surprised.

As a strong contender from the River Realm, he should naturally overpower Lu Ran in strength.

Hao Tian was also afraid that with one swing of his staff, he might accidentally send Lu Ran flying into the bamboo forest.

So, he subconsciously held back a bit, but he hadn't anticipated that Lu Ran would block so cleanly, even causing his palms to tingle!

"It's mutual," Lu Ran said offhandedly.

"Hmph." Seeing Lu Ran's calm demeanor, Hao Tian felt his temper flare.

After all, weren't they both Heaven's Chosen?

Hao Tian said, "Since that's the case, then I'll just add a bit more force! If Brother Lu can't hold up, make sure to let me know, okay?"

Divine Power surged within Lu Ran's palms, wrapping around the pair of thin bamboo sticks, "You too."

"Take this!" Hao Tian stepped forward swiftly, his long staff poking and jabbing continuously.

Face, chest, left shoulder, right leg.

Lu Ran was forced to keep retreating.

Tilt head, block, side-step, counter-strike.

And it was this counter-strike that caused Hao Tian's face to change.

Lu Ran's speed was simply outrageous!

His thin stick pointed directly at Hao Tian's chest.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

Hao Tian stepped back several paces, his face registering shock as he stared at the young man whose eyes were bound with a red cloth.

What...what is this?

Why is this possible?

For a moment, their sparring came to a standstill.

Hao Tian was utterly surprised, "Brother Lu, your speed is also incredible, huh?"

Lu Ran twirled his thin stick, repeating his earlier words indifferently,

"The River Realm, killable with just a word."

"Fine, I won't hold back then!" Hao Tian shouted sharply, raising his staff to advance once more.

A formidable Second-class God·East Ting Believer was certainly not to be trifled with!

Such believers were not only fiercely competitive but also prideful and arrogant!

Even if Hao Tian had a decent disposition, he couldn't avoid being influenced by the divine and act restrained in everyday life; but on the battlefield?

Under the banner of his weapon, all generals bow their heads!

"Take this!" As expected, Hao Tian's assault became three times more fierce, his thick bamboo staff even creaking with the force.

During sparring, both parties wrapped their bamboo sticks with Divine Power.

It's fortunate that they were using "Evil Bamboo" grown in the Demon Cave; had it been ordinary bamboo, their sticks would have shattered long ago.

"Crack!"

The sticks clashed, the sound crisp.

They went on the offense and defense with surges of Divine Power.

The wind and waves caused the bamboo forest to shake, and the leaves to dance—it was stunning to behold.

In a blink of an eye, more than a dozen rounds had passed, and the two fighters were locked in stalemate.

Such a sight enraptured Deng Yutang, who couldn't help but cry out, "Thrilling!"

"Lu Ran! Lu Ran! Lu Ran!" Chang Ying cried out.

As his teammate, it was only right for her to cheer on Lu Ran.

But Lu Ran had every reason to believe that Chang Ying was probably more excited about that basket of duck wings...

"Eh? I just don't buy it!" Hao Tian, unable to gain the upper hand for so long, felt a blow to his pride.

He suddenly backed away, lifting one hand high.

Accompanied by a surge of energy, dark clouds rapidly gathered overhead.

"You guys!" Chang Ying was immediately displeased, "Why are you using Divine Technique now?"

Tian Tian whispered, "That's bullying."

Deng Yutang crossed his arms over his chest, "Looks like you've already lost."

Hao Tian's face stiffened!

Truth be told, he had indeed gotten carried away, fixated on breaching Lu Ran's defenses.

By the time he realized what was happening, dark clouds had already gathered over his head.

For a moment, Hao Tian froze, uncertain of what to do next.

Awkward!

Lu Ran spoke calmly, "It was you who felt my strength and wanted to spar.

Yet now, we've been exchanging blows evenly, and you're the one who's not happy."

Hao Tian stammered, "I...I..."

Lu Ran pursed his lips and smiled, giving Hao Tian a classic expression:

"Duck Wing Bro, you're a bit hard to serve."

Hao Tian's recent surge of arrogance and ferocity instantly deflated.

He looked somewhat embarrassed, "It's not like that, dude!

You can be strong, but you tm can't be this strong!"

An East Thunder believer, of course, could seek out the unique skills of a Stream Realm's underling.

But it had to be from a position of superiority, not one of equals!

These short dozen or so rounds completely overturned Hao Tian's perceptions, creating a huge mental disparity!

After all, he was one of the top ten students on his college campus, the one everyone looked up to.

And now, in this most inferior Demon Cave·Bamboo Sea, some random passerby could fight him to a standstill?

This has got to be some kind of joke!

Could it be that I attended a fake college?

That's not right! I went to Qiantang River University, which requires incredibly high scores...

Lu Ran remained indifferent, unafraid and steadfast, "Since you've summoned the dark clouds already, go ahead."

Hao Tian hesitated for a moment but still called down a bolt of lightning.

"Crack!"

It did not strike his opponent but himself.

"Zizz~Zizz~"

Suddenly, purple electricity crawled over Hao Tian like tiny snakes.

Divine Technique·Thunderstruck Phase!

As the name suggests, when an East Ting believer activates this technique, they can slightly assume some of the grandeur of Divine·Dongting.

This technique, with its unique effects similar to Red Cloth Divine Skill·Red Cloth Soul, significantly boosts Hao Tian's attributes under the aid of the purple current!

"Hmm..."

Lu Ran slightly looked up, listening to everything.

The sound of the wind, churning clouds, descending leaves dancing in the wind.

Each sound entered his ears.

Over the past seven days, Lu Ran had been working hard to enhance his skills.

He kept a secret in his heart, not sharing it with anyone.

He often listened to the sound of falling bamboo leaves.

Trying to trace those confounding descent paths.

Leaf by leaf...

Fluttering to and fro, pausing suddenly in mid-flight.

Swirling with the wind, dancing in ascent and descent.

Lu Ran wanted to understand something from them.

One, for being unpredictable and two, for going with the flow and leveraging the situation.

The presence of a strong enemy in this battle might just be the catalyst he needed.

"This ends here, Brother Lu!" Hao Tian's voice became increasingly firm.

"Don't shout." Lu Ran suddenly interrupted.

"Eh?"

"If you've used Divine Technique·Thunderstruck Phase, then you can't use Divine Technique·Thunderclap next," Lu Ran crouched down, gripping his twin bamboo sticks.

Divine Technique·Thunderclap, a type of battle cry technique.

For an East Thunder believer, a shout can be as startling as a thunderclap, potentially stunning and immobilizing the listener.

It was a technique that countered Lu Ran significantly!

Hao Tian had been quite honorable and had not used this technique until now.

Against "blind" Lu Ran, who had exceptionally keen hearing, if Hao Tian as much as hollered, Lu Ran would be completely overwhelmed!

"Brother Lu, you really underestimate me! It's just a friendly match; would I really use Divine Technique to bully you?" Hao Tian immediately responded.

Upon hearing this, Lu Ran looked up at the dense, lingering dark clouds above Hao Tian's head.

Hao Tian: "..."

Awkward Times 2!

"Pff...haha~" Tian Tian couldn't help but laugh.

However, her smile soon faded, becoming a bit anxious.

Because Hao Tian was charging forward again!

"Take this!" Hao Tian's speed was so fast it was maddening, his hands wielding Evil Bamboo crackling with electricity.

Thankfully, Evil Bamboo material wasn't of high grade and was usually used for household items.

Even as a weapon, it was only suitable for beginners.

Meaning, Hao Tian couldn't infuse more Divine Power into the Evil Bamboo or it would explode.

"Thud!"

The long staff, like a halberd, hit the ground heavily.

Lu Ran shifted aside with ease, landing to the side.

Evil Technique·Evil Agility increased Lu Ran's control over his body, making him ever more nimble.

Evil Technique·Evil Sense allowed Lu Ran to perceive and hear the world in a way unlike any ordinary person.

He could execute many precise and subtle maneuvers.

This was a huge advantage!

Lu Ran genuinely believed he could be as elusive as a fluttering leaf, his movements unpredictable, entangling his opponent!

Entwining until the end...um, to death!

On the battlefield, there's no need to hit and run, rapidly creating distance from the enemy.

The concept of "dancing with the wind" and taking advantage of the flow should be higher-level techniques.

For now, Lu Ran wasn't overreaching.

After all, he didn't even have a suit of flowing water armor.

If Lu Ran got too close to an enemy, he could be injured by the blast of energy they emitted.

If too far, he wouldn't be able to react and ride the waves.

Finding the balance between these two extremes without protective gear was truly difficult.

Therefore, what Lu Ran wanted to mimic and understand was the unpredictable dance of the bamboo leaves.

"Thud!"

Lu Ran landed solidly on his feet.

As soon as Hao Tian's bamboo descended, Lu Ran had already tilted his body and lightly touched the ground first.

"Swoosh~"

Lu Ran sharply raised his thin stick with his left hand, swinging it sideways.

"Hmph!" Hao Tian grunted, raising his thick stick vertically to block the blow.

He then applied force, lifting the bottom of his staff to slash upwards.

As Lu Ran ducked in evasion, his own stick swept at the enemy's thigh.

Hao Tian, still lifting the staff, couldn't block in time and leaped backward.

Lu Ran followed like a shadow, with a stomp of his foot, one hand's stick missing, but the other coming back for another strike!

The posture was clear—he aimed to take down the enemy's thigh.

"Dream on!" Hao Tian, retreating, had already retracted his thick staff, smashing it down toward Lu Ran again.

Lu Ran's tactic suddenly changed!

Tapping the ground with his toes, he was supposed to strike at Hao Tian's right leg, but abruptly darted to Hao Tian's left side instead.

The sudden change of direction startled Hao Tian immensely!

Whether by a flash of insight or premeditated, the poise Lu Ran displayed at that instant...

Was as unpredictable as a leaf twirling down from the sky.

"Zizz~Zizz~"

Hao Tian's body crackled with electricity; Divine Technique abruptly activated.

This was purely muscle memory of the martial artist, seeing Hao Tian burst backward with astonishing speed.

East Thunder Divine Technique·Rapid Light Flash!

When an East Thunder believer uses this technique, they can move at high speeds for a brief moment, dashing into and out of battle.

"Huff!"

Almost simultaneously, mist billowed beneath Lu Ran's feet.

Immortal Sheep Divine Technique·Immortal Hoof!

Lu Ran's figure dashed forward!

Well...he didn't catch up.

The Immortal Hoof was indeed fast, but the rendition Lu Ran used was merely of Stream quality.

That being said, Lu Ran had no reason to be disappointed.

Even if the quality of their Divine Techniques were the same, East Thunder Divine Technique·Rapid Light Flash would be a notch faster than Immortal Hoof!

This was the disparity of Divine Techniques, something believers couldn't compensate for.

"Damn!"

Hao Tian, leaning against a cluster of bamboo, looked astoundingly surprised.

He had been ready to apologize, having made a mistake by subconsciously using Rapid Light Flash.

If Hao Tian had used that technique, there would've been no point in sparring at all.

But he never expected his deployment of Rapid Light Flash would also trigger Lu Ran's Divine Technique!

Those legs shrouded in mist, that drifting Immortal Fog along the way...

What was this?

"Immortal...Immortal Sheep Believer?"

Hao Tian, coming to his senses, wore an expression that was extremely vivid!

I, a grand Second-class God·East Ting Believer, have been fighting up to this point with a lowly Nine-level God·Immortal Sheep Believer?

After a moment of silence, Lu Ran nodded subtly:

"Baa."

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