Lu Ran stood high above on the edge of the cliff, looking down at Neil and his group as they gradually drew closer.
Nanami stood beside Lu Ran, glancing at him from time to time, then back at Neil’s crew.
Neil and his people, on the other hand, still hadn’t noticed anything unusual.
After all, under normal circumstances, people don’t usually think to look up.
As their team approached the valley’s exit, the number of monster spawns around them grew sparser, and their levels lower.
One team member checked the map and said excitedly to Neil, “Guild Master, this is the valley mouth. Once we get out of here, we can start making our move.”
Neil nodded. “Don’t get hasty. Keep a close eye on our surroundings. If anyone spots us, kill them immediately—don’t let them get word out!”
After speaking, Neil took the lead and pressed forward. The team members followed closely behind, cautiously scanning the area from time to time.
Just then, someone suddenly shouted, “Guild Master, there are people up above!”
Huh?
Neil froze. He had given that order as a standard precaution, but he never actually thought there would be anyone here. The area around Death Valley in the Kunlun Mountains was completely barren—not even a good place to grind monsters and level up. Who would come here for no reason?
He looked up and immediately spotted the two figures on the cliff.
“Nanami?” Neil was taken aback, genuinely surprised. He knew Nanami, of course, and she knew him.
But he had never expected to run into her here. Wasn’t this Longxia? What was she doing in the middle of nowhere like this? What the hell was going on?
“Nanami, what are you doing here?” Neil shouted.
At the same time, he glanced at the young man next to Nanami, but didn’t think much of him. He just assumed the guy was her attendant. After all, he looked young, and Longxia people looked pretty similar to people from the Land of the Rising Sun—except the men from there were mostly short, like little earth trolls.
Nanami didn’t answer. Instead, she turned her head to look at Lu Ran beside her. That strange gesture made Neil start to take Lu Ran’s identity more seriously.
So he pressed on, “This brother, are you from Sakura too? Why are you both here?”
Lu Ran rolled his eyes and said offhandedly, “Are you brain-dead? I’m this handsome and dashing, how could I possibly be a stubby little earth troll from the Land of the Rising Sun?”
That fluent, insult-laced reply instantly made Neil realize—this guy was from Longxia!
The team members behind him all went on high alert, readying themselves for battle. But since most of them were assassins, they couldn’t reach the height of the cliff!
“So you’re from Longxia,” Neil said. “How bizarre. What’s a Longxia man and Nanami from Sakura doing in a place so devoid of people? Don’t tell me you’re up to something sordid?”
It was clear that Neil and Nanami didn’t get along either. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have insulted her like that.
But what was strange was that the usually proud Nanami didn’t retort. Her expression just turned a bit ugly, and she gritted her teeth, looking at Lu Ran once more.
That told Neil the young man’s status was anything but simple.
“What we’re doing isn’t important,” Lu Ran said with a teasing smirk. “The question is, what are you guys doing? Longxia has shut down all cross-border teleportation, yet you’ve got the nerve to sneak in through the border. Pretty bold.”
Neil swallowed hard and frowned. “Who exactly are you?”
Lu Ran saw no reason to hide it. He spread his hands and said flatly, “You idiots. You sneaked into Longxia to find me, didn’t you? Well, here I am, right in front of you, delivered to your doorstep. You should be thrilled.”
As he spoke, Nanami was still watching Lu Ran. Not because she was attracted to him, but because she didn’t want to miss a single detail. She wanted to see how Lu Ran actually fought!
After all, Lu Ran was a necromancer! But when he had fought Yamata no Orochi earlier, as a necromancer, he hadn’t used any of his summoned creatures at all. That was totally bizarre!
But then again, what were a necromancer’s summoned creatures, really? Apart from the Abyssal Bone Dragon being quite formidable, the rest were pretty average. And, crucially, at Lu Ran’s current level, he hadn’t yet unlocked the skill to summon the Abyssal Bone Dragon!
Down below, Neil felt his heart clench at Lu Ran’s words. He stared at Lu Ran in shock and said, “You’re that mysterious necromancer from Longxia?”
Lu Ran shrugged. “The one and only.”
“Impossible!” Neil immediately shook his head. “At your age, no way.”
Just then, a team member behind him with a detection skill spoke up. “Guild Master, this kid really is a necromancer, but he’s only level 47.”
Neil instantly sneered. “A level 47 necromancer who can’t even summon an Abyssal Bone Dragon. I knew it, you’re just a fraud putting on an act!”
Lu Ran’s brow furrowed. Oh, they still didn’t believe him?
With a flick of his wrist, the Sea-Calming Trident appeared in his hand. He waggled it and said, “Does this thing prove it?”
But Neil just looked confused. He muttered, “Looks a bit like the Sea-Calming Trident, but it’s not. As I thought, still just smoke and mirrors.”
Not only did he not believe Lu Ran, he seemed even more convinced of his own assumption.
Oh, for crying out loud! Lu Ran almost coughed up blood. They were utterly impervious to reason!
Nanami offered an explanation. “The time they infiltrated Longxia must have been after the Dwarf King forged it for you. So they haven’t seen the rankings and can’t use cross-border communication. They don’t know about it. The Sea-Calming Trident’s appearance also changed after it was forged.”
Ah, so that was it. Lu Ran nodded in sudden understanding.
In that case…
“Stay here and don’t wander off. If that’s how it is, then let’s just get this fight started. The sooner it’s done, the sooner I’m finished.” Lu Ran said to Nanami.
Then, he bent his knees slightly.
Bang!
A pair of enormous wings unfurled behind his back. The wings tucked in and then spread wide with a powerful sweep. At the same time, Lu Ran’s legs acted like springs, and he launched himself into the air.
The faces of Neil and his crew immediately changed. They might not have recognized the forged Sea-Calming Trident because they couldn’t check the rankings when they entered Longxia, but they absolutely recognized the Wings of the Elf—there was only one pair like that in the whole world!
“You really are that necromancer!” Neil’s eyes went red!
In the next second, an unprecedented blaze of hellfire erupted from Neil’s body. At the same time, a massive hellish warhorse materialized beneath him. The hellish warhorse neighed, flames spewing from its mouth and nostrils. The sight was, admittedly, pretty spectacular!
Behind Neil, the rest of the team also entered combat mode, fully geared up and staring intently at Lu Ran in the sky.
But the situation now was a bit awkward. They had come to find the necromancer, but the plan was to locate him, launch a coordinated strike, and kill him—relying on a sneak attack.
But now, the guy was flying in the sky, and most of their people couldn’t reach him!
At that moment, Neil spoke coldly, “Even though the plan has changed, since you’ve foolishly delivered yourself to us, we’ll just kill you right now!”
At this moment, the tension was razor-sharp between them. Nanami watched excitedly, her eyes full of anticipation. She was about to see Lu Ran’s true strength!
