A week later, in the village.

Perched in a stilt house, Lu Ran stood on the second floor's corridor, hands on the wooden railing, gazing up at the night sky's full moon.

Unlike other demon caves, within Ghost Moon Mountain, the inns were not stone lodges, but beautifully crafted small wooden buildings.

Lu Ran's eyes were a bit hazy, as if he were lost in his own world.

For a full seven days, he hadn't yet emerged from that special emotion.

The icy blue eyes of the Ghost Moon Fox, especially those crescent-shaped pupils...

The aftereffects were too strong.

In a sense, the Evil Technique·Moon Chasing Eyes could be considered a dreamscape jointly woven by the caster and the victim.

The caster provided the foundation of the Illusion Realm, an initiator.

As for how the illusionary world unfolded, that depended more on the inner world of the person ensnared, stemming from their desires.

All the figures you could want, the fair maiden, the charming scholar, the beauty, and the lustful poet...

The white fox had them all.

Of course, it didn't have to be just one.

With a myriad of enchantments, you could take as much as you wished, pouring all into your bosom.

Lu Ran never expected that in the world of pupil skills, the Ghost Moon Fox would take the form of Jiang Ruyi.

Now thinking about it, he didn't even know when her eyes had turned into those beautiful, bizarre fox eyes.

Such subtle penetration, surreptitiously swapping day for night.

"Ah..." Lu Ran sighed deeply, a bitter smile crossing his face.

Since being ensnared by Moon Chasing Eyes once, he had realized a problem.

Whenever he ventured into the mountains now, every white fox he saw, every pair of crescent eyes...

They all seemed like her eyes.

"Crazy." Lu Ran covered his eyes with one hand, rubbing them harshly.

"Brother Lu?"

"Hmm?" Lu Ran turned his head and saw Deng Yutang stepping out of the hall and onto the corridor.

Deng Yutang came to the wooden railing and looked up toward a window on the third floor, "Jiang should be close to successfully advancing, right?"

Thick white fog swirled at the window, and the energy fluctuations were intense.

Clearly, Jiang Ruyi was at a critical moment of advancement.

Over the past seven days, everyone had gathered enough demon crystals, and Jiang Ruyi was thoroughly prepared; today was the day to see the fruits of her efforts.

"It should be soon," Lu Ran said offhandedly.

Deng Yutang withdrew his gaze, smiling at Lu Ran, "Still troubled?"

Lu Ran looked up at the bright moon, his tone tinged with a hint of melancholy,

"The Red Scarf Young Master's perseverance is so strong, how could he understand the love charm laid by the white fox."

Deng Yutang: "..."

He didn't know how to comfort Lu Ran or help him out of this quagmire.

After a while, Deng Yutang suddenly spoke, "Maybe I should try it too?"

Red Cloth Divine Skill·Red Cloth Will needed to be initiated voluntarily by the Believer, in other words, Deng Yutang could also be ensnared.

Lu Ran's face showed difficulty; as someone who had experienced it, he really wanted to dissuade the other.

But Deng Yutang was a Warrior, and if he wanted to know his enemy, Lu Ran couldn't well stop him.

After some thought, Lu Ran finally said, "Be cautious. You have Spirit Defense Techniques, so you're not easily ensnared. Some hardships are unnecessary to endure."

Spirit Defense Techniques generally had one characteristic—over-rank defense!

For instance, Deng Yutang, a River Realm Believer with River Grade Divine Technique, even if a Ghost Moon Fox of the River Realm appeared and used Pupil Skill on him, it would be difficult for Deng Yutang to be ensnared.

Only if a Ghost Moon Fox from the Sea Realm took action personally would Deng Yu be fed a dose of emotional poison.

"I just want to feel what it is that has you so dejected," Deng Yutang said, raising his head suddenly.

A room on the third floor experienced turbulent wind, with sounds of moving furniture coming continuously.

Had Jiang Ruyi advanced?

Lu Ran's mood finally lifted a bit; he quietly looked up.

After a while, she hadn't shown herself at the window.

Hmm... perhaps she was practicing a new Divine Skill.

Jade Talisman Believers at River Realm·Third Rank had a technique named "Golden Jade Eight Talismans."

This was a bona fide defensive skill that, once deployed, would surround the body with eight pieces of White Jade Stone.

And each piece of White Jade Stone would be wrapped in a faint golden light.

Golden Jade Talisman had quite impressive defensive power.

Each time it received a blow, it would emit a unique sound, akin to striking a bell or a cymbal.

Thus, this technique was also known by the beautiful name "Gold and Jade Striking."

It's worth mentioning that River Grade·Golden Jade Eight Talismans had no need for the master's mental command, but defended autonomously.

Only when this skill advanced to Jiang Grade could the caster terminate trusteeship and control the Golden Jade Talismans on their own.

And by then, the palm-sized Golden Jade Talismans could be adjusted to larger sizes according to the master's will!

They not only offered broader defensive coverage but could also be used to destroy buildings or crush enemies.

Jade Talisman Believers were rightfully called the "late-game champions" by people.

The further they practiced, the Divine Technique effects and strength improvements were astonishing.

"What's there to feel." Lu Ran had waited a long time without seeing Jiang Ruyi appear, so he spoke again, "You know the uniqueness of Moon Chasing Eyes.

The dreamscapes that the white fox plants in people's minds are all personally tailored.

You won't see what I did."

"Hmm," Deng Yutang sighed deeply, leaning against the railing, "You never told us what you went through."

Lu Ran remained silent, as usual, without responding.

He could feel Deng Yutang's concern.

Deng Yutang's actions over the past few days...including his presence now, and his express desire to try that pupil skill...

Such a good brother!

Lu Ran raised his head, murmuring, "What I went through..."

Deng Yutang immediately perked up, not expecting Lu Ran to relent.

Everyone was concerned about Lu Ran, and they had all asked him about it, but even Jiang Ruyi hadn't gotten an answer.

Lu Ran: "Her."

Deng Yutang: "What?"

Lu Ran slightly tilted his head, pointing towards a window on the third floor: "Her."

Deng Yutang looked up and saw Jiang Ruyi's figure appearing at the window, smiling down at the two on the corridor below.

Deng Yutang's expression turned odd.

So, you went through... her?

This answer was truly unexpected, and once Deng Yutang recovered, he couldn't help but smile.

In a blink, the figure at the window had vanished.

Deng Yutang put some force into his back, straightening up with the rebound and walked back towards the hall, "I'm going to sleep."

Lu Ran watched Deng Yutang's retreating figure, speaking softly, "Thank you."

Deng Yutang turned around, and though he said nothing, his expression said it all: Is it worth saying that?

Lu Ran indeed appreciated Deng Yutang's concern, but mushy words were not his style.

He shrugged his shoulders: "Thanks for letting the space."

Deng Yutang: "..."

The next second, Deng Yutang turned and left.

Just then, Jiang Ruyi came facing him: "Why are you leaving?"

Deng Yutang passed by Jiang the Beauty without turning back: "Tired."

"Hehe~" Jiang Ruyi couldn't help but chuckle lightly.

She stepped onto the outer corridor of the second floor, looking at Lu Ran: "Did you make him tired?"

"Mr. Deng knows his own mind, he's tired by himself," Lu Ran reached out and pulled the young girl into his arms.

"Whoa." Jiang Ruyi stiffened, not expecting Lu Ran to make such a move.

Perhaps it was the quiet of the moonlit night, or perhaps because they were alone.

In any case, Jiang Ruyi hesitated for a moment, but then leaned into his embrace, without leaving.

"Congratulations on advancing," Lu Ran murmured, cradling the tender beauty and smoothing her long hair.

"It used a lot of demon crystals," Jiang Ruyi's voice was soft and low.

"Just kill more," Lu Ran said nonchalantly, "There are white foxes everywhere here."

Jiang Ruyi slightly lifted her eyelids, her beautiful eyes carrying a teasing glint: "Could you bear it?"

Lu Ran: "..."

Indeed.

On a rational level, Lu Ran clearly knew the Ghost Moon Fox Clan were evil demons, cruel spirits that devoured humans alive.

But emotionally, every strike Lu Ran delivered was tinged with an inexplicable sentiment.

This was what they called "aftereffects."

"Thump~"

Suddenly, a unique, low sound echoed.

Though it wasn't loud, it rang right by Lu Ran's ears, startling him!

Lu Ran then realized that several palm-sized White Jade Stone pieces had formed a "Rune Stone Ring," slowly revolving around them.

Divine Technique·Golden Jade Eight Talismans!

"You've learned it already?" Lu Ran examined the Golden Jade Talismans.

"I already mastered the method, practiced it countless times, just waiting to advance," Jiang Ruyi picked up a Golden Jade Talisman, gesturing to the side.

The Golden Jade Talisman Stone returned to the Rune Stone Ring, continuing to follow the main troop, slowly floating around its master.

Jiang Ruyi smiled, "If we face the Ghost Moon Fox Clan again and you have a soft heart or hesitate, I'll ring the bell for you."

"Sure," Lu Ran also smiled, "Oh, there's something I need to tell you."

"What?"

Lu Ran: "When you came back, you rushed to advance and missed the notification.

The Inn's front desk informed me that the military has chosen a suitable mission for us, which could upgrade our training mission."

Jiang Ruyi: "What mission?"

Lu Ran explained, "The military wants us to clear a mountain.

Apparently, there's a tribe of Ghost Moon Foxes in the mountain, including quite a few high-ranking ones from the River Realm."

Jiang Ruyi frowned slightly, "Are you sure there are no foxes from the Jiang Realm?"

Lu Ran reassured, "No worries, the military has been encircling and blocking this clan for a long time, and they have a thorough grasp of the enemy situation.

Moreover, there will be military personnel acting with us."

Jiang Ruyi felt somewhat relieved but added, "Ghost Moon Foxes above River Realm Third Rank possess the Invisibility Technique."

Lu Ran chuckled: "Isn't that why they need me?

The military values my ability, knowing how keen my ears are, and that's why they're giving us this opportunity, letting us join the operation."

As he spoke, Lu Ran's hand gently smoothed the girl's long hair.

Feeling Lu Ran's tender movement, Jiang Ruyi softly "mhmmed."

Lu Ran: "Let's go for it, a good twenty minutes, we'll see our teammates off."

"Mhm, okay," Jiang Ruyi nestled against his shoulder, slowly closing her eyes.

...

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