"Heavenly Pride, you don't seem very surprised?"

Lu Ran couldn't help but turn his head to look at Jiang Ruyi.

He saw the young girl nod gently, "Yuanxi told me."

"Oh." Lu Ran muttered to himself, 'This little girl sure is quick with her words, huh?'

Tian Tian timidly asked, "Sister Ruyi, have you always been chatting with Yuanxi?"

Jiang Ruyi smiled at Tian Tian and teased, "What, are you jealous?"

Tian Tian's face turned slightly red, and she immediately lowered her head, realizing that her thoughts had been detected.

"Not very often." Jiang Ruyi spoke softly.

"Mm-hmm." Tian Tian responded repeatedly without daring to look up at Jiang Ruyi.

Jiang Ruyi glanced over the group, "Let's go to Demon Cave for training tomorrow."

"Okay!" Deng Yutang agreed crisply and quickly, "Then the few of us will head back first."

"Oh... oh!" Chang Ying also caught up, promptly embracing the petite Tian Tian in her arms. "Lu Treasure, we'll head off first then!"

"Sister Ruyi, goodbye."

The trio left swiftly, leaving two figures in the classroom.

"Lu Treasure?" Jiang Ruyi turned to look at Lu Ran, with a faint smile playing on her lips.

Lu Ran felt slightly embarrassed, "A historical problem. When we went for training in the black-light Demon Cave, I overdid the Divine Technique·Voice of Compassion."

Jiang Ruyi raised her eyebrow slightly, "The black-light tribe can't hear your call."

Lu Ran waved his hand, "I wasn't trying to control the lamps, but to control people. She's Si Xianxian, a Fierce Heavenly believer, you know, these people are like explosive barrels, uncontrollable."

Jiang Ruyi had a strange look on her face, any unexpected gains?

She looked at Lu Ran and said softly, "Si Xianxian sounds like a girl's name, must be pretty huh?"

Lu Ran: "..."

Jiang Ruyi's smile didn't wane as she gazed lightly at Lu Ran, "It seems a lot happened after I left."

Lu Ran shrugged, "Living, after all, brings stories."

This time, Jiang Ruyi didn't respond.

Suddenly, Lu Ran said, "I even told Si Xianxian that when you return, the two of us will take her to the Ice and Snow World for fun."

Jiang Ruyi looked surprised, "A little girl?"

"Not really, she's a year older than us."

"Why would the two of us need to take her?"

Lu Ran laughed, "If I didn't say that, I'd have to go to the Ice and Snow World alone with her."

Hearing this, Jiang Ruyi felt a sweet sensation rising within her.

"Heh." She didn't show it but just hummed lightly, stepping towards the window sill.

Hmm... wasn't a waste missing you.

Lu Ran still sat at the classroom desk, watching her graceful silhouette: "Later, we went to Beifeng City for training and happened to catch Lord Beifeng creating the Divine Ruins. My Dawn Blade received a certain chance, allowing me to smoothly advance. Your Cold Night Sword..."

Jiang Ruyi raised her hand to grab the sword hilt extending from behind her shoulder. Its touch was ice cold:

"No opportunities needed, when you handed Cold Night to me, it was already full of spirit."

Lu Ran nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, that's my family heirloom..."

Before he could finish, Jiang Ruyi, looking outside, suddenly said, "Everyone's gone, let's go home too."

Lu Ran paused for a moment, then went along with it, "No rush, I'm planning to find the school leaders first, ask them for a favor."

"Hmm?"

"I'm supposed to participate in 'Heavenly Pride', right? I was thinking if we could do it together."

"Me?" Jiang Ruyi slightly raised her head, looking through the classroom window at Lu Ran's ghostly image.

"I'm not capable of securing a spot for you, but you could be a photographer!"

"Photographer?"

"Yes, more people would see you." Lu Ran nodded, "You missed over five months of believer points. Even if the school compensates you, they'd only give you the average points, not top marks. It's tough to get into good universities."

Lu Ran paused, then continued, "We need to think out of the box! The people of Da Xia highly follow 'Heavenly Pride'. As long as we are strong enough and perform spectacularly, we should be able to catch some offers from colleges."

"Mm..." Jiang Ruyi pursed her lips.

She raised her hand, placed her delicate fingers on the windowpane, hovering over Lu Ran's transparent figure and gently traced his features.

Indeed,

wasn't a waste missing you.

"Do you want to participate?" Lu Ran asked, "Don't worry, your strength is definitely enough. You are now in River Realm First Rank, with a Divine Weapon by your side, it'll surely be fine."

"I'm not in River Realm First Rank."

"Ah?"

"I'm in River Realm Second Rank."

Jiang Ruyi watched Lu Ran gaping through the window.

Involuntarily, a smile emerged on her face as she gently tapped his nose with her fingertip.

Unfortunately, that fingertip was tapping on the window glass, Lu Ran was unblessed to feel it.

"You are in River Realm Second Rank?" Lu Ran was indeed a bit dumbfounded.

The grand competition had already concluded and he hadn't noticed that his opponent had advanced to River Realm·Second Rank?!

It was because the young girl had been soaring, preventing Lu Ran from directly feeling her actual speed.

And since Jiang Ruyi had her Divine Weapon alongside her, when she wielded the sword, Lu Ran indeed couldn't decipher if it was her own strength or the Divine Weapon's power bolstering it.

"I trained very diligently," Jiang Ruyi's voice was low and soft, "afraid of being left behind."

"Left behind?" Lu Ran smirked, "Your realm is even higher than mine! Does Divine Sculpture nurture so well down here?"

"Indeed." Jiang Ruyi spoke softly, "I was also fortunate. After advancing to Stream Realm Fifth Rank, it only took me two days to break through into River Realm."

Lu Ran's mouth formed an 'O'.

Theoretically, that was no problem.

Not to mention two days, even if you just advanced to Stream Realm·Fifth Rank two minutes ago, you could have a flash of insight and enter upgrade mode again.

But...

Two days, that's really too quick!

How long had he taken?

Lu Ran remembered clearly, he reached Stream Realm Fifth Rank on the twenty-third of the lunar November and only had a flash of insight on the eighth of the lunar December!

That's a full half-month!

If on that day, December 8th, he hadn't gone to Wu Lie River bank and hadn't seen that roaring river, he would have undoubtedly remained stuck.

Now that he was thinking back, if time could turn back and Lu Ran were given a second chance, heading directly to the Wu Lie River bank...

Well, it still wouldn't have worked!

The so-called 'flash of insight' is a person's deep understanding, also a sudden comprehension after extensive accumulation.

Lu Ran's experiences in Beifeng City, were seemingly indispensable.

Especially the stories of Yan Shuangzi and Deng Yuxiang, who had immensely moved Lu Ran's heart.

The two friends from the past chose vastly different paths.

One stayed under Divine Sculpture, always listening to the divine teachings.

The other gave up the stairway to ascend, stubbornly returning to his hometown.

Lu Ran, having just happened upon Lord Beifeng creating the Divine Ruins, witnessed with his own eyes Yan Shuangzi stepping into the Divine Ruins, gaining that immense resource!

And thinking of that Deng Yuxiang struggling alone in the rain-soaked alley...

This layer upon layer of emotions and reflections revolving around "hometown" undoubtedly were key influences on Lu Ran's epiphany on the riverbank.

"I relied on the protection of my hometown, looking at the Wu Lie River to advance," Lu Ran gathered his thoughts and inquired, "What about you?"

"Hmm~"

Cold Night Sword trembled lightly.

Jiang Ruyi smiled and lowered her head, "Cold Night and I achieved each other.

She condensed into an Artifact Spirit, promoted to Divine Weapon, and I broke through and advanced to River Realm."

Hearing this, Lu Ran couldn't help but feel deeply moved, it sounds so beautiful?

But, having been through it himself, Lu Ran of course knew the difficulty of advancing to River Realm, and also how hard it is for a Divine Weapon to condense an Artifact Spirit.

Jiang Ruyi spoke lightly and softly.

But her personal goals, spiritual will, including the gentle beautiful exterior harboring that heart...

Certainly were extremely clear and incredibly resolute.

Lu Ran curiously asked, "What was your epiphany with the Divine Weapon?"

Jiang Ruyi looked at someone's figure through the window, suddenly tilted her head slightly, and smiled:

"Not telling you~"

Lu Ran: "..."

He could feel, Jiang Ruyi was becoming more and more like a "person".

At least more lively and playful than when she had just come back.

Or perhaps... well, because there was no one else in the classroom?

Jiang Ruyi's focus gradually shifted, no longer gazing at the figure in the window, but looking into the distance, her eyes slightly unfocused.

In the future, I can't tell you either.

What would happen if you knew and became overconfident and reckless?

"Do you want to be a photographer then?" Lu Ran asked.

"Sure." Jiang Ruyi didn't hesitate, teased, "I'll make sure you look gorgeous."

"No need to specifically make it so." Lu Ran hummed, "I'm naturally beautiful, the foundation is there after all."

Jiang Ruyi finally turned around, shooting Lu Ran a look.

"Come on, let's go talk to the school leaders." Lu Ran tilted his head slightly, indicating the direction of the classroom door.

"Mm." Jiang Ruyi stepped forward, bringing a faint jasmine fragrance as she crossed Lu Ran's desk.

But, just as she was about to step out of the classroom, she suddenly halted.

Jiang Ruyi lowered her head to look at her own right hand: "You..."

It turned out, Lu Ran had secretly picked up the index and middle finger of the girl.

He gently shook them, blurting out, "I'm trying to see if I can swing it."

Jiang Ruyi: ???

In just a few seconds, she had imagined many words Lu Ran might say.

Even her cheeks had slightly reddened.

But... what was all this?

Jiang Ruyi, both annoyed and amused, said, "Do you think I'm a Divine Weapon?"

Lu Ran was still clutching her fingers, swaying them left and right: "Works fine, can swing."

She didn't resist, didn't pull her hand away.

Somebody then became more daring, from clutching the fingers to grasping her entire palm.

This white and delicate hand was cool, soft.

It felt just right when held.

Jiang Ruyi's eyes widened slightly, her cheeks instantly flushed.

Lu Ran chuckled, "You haven't been back for over five months, things have changed a lot here, I was worried you'd get lost."

Jiang Ruyi: "..."

Is that the most reasonable explanation you could come up with?

Lu Ran hurriedly left the classroom.

It turned out,

he could swing a hand, and lead a person along.

Jiang Ruyi walked with her head down, her cheeks burning in waves.

Without saying a word, she let Lu Ran lead, sprinting through the corridors...

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