Gao Wu: Oh no! Young Master Zhen is a cultivator!

"Again!" The old man thrust out both palms, and blue true energy surged from his palms, condensing into two vortexes that twisted towards Lin Ran from the left and right.

Fragments of stone slabs along the way were swept into the cyclone and ground into powder.

Lin Ran tossed the wooden box to Chu Xining, then threw out both fists, creating a powerful gust of wind as he met the cyclone.

Bang!Bang!

Two muffled thuds followed, and the vortex exploded, sending waves of blue and gold air rippled outwards.

The two exchanged seven or eight more blows amidst the smoke and dust, their fists and claws clashing, creating a buzzing sound in the air.

Chu Xining, carrying the wooden box, retreated to the entrance of the convenience store, shielding Bai Ruolin and Zhao Yanran behind her.

This action surprised Bai Ruolin and Zhao Yanran.

Just then, the piercing sound of police sirens came from the street corner.

Three security patrol cars suddenly stopped on the side of the road, the doors opened, and more than a dozen security officers jumped out and quickly set up a cordon around the area.

The middle-aged man leading the group drew his sidearm and shouted at the two figures locked in combat, "Stop fighting immediately and surrender! Otherwise, when the Special Intelligence Bureau arrives..."

He was halfway through his sentence when his gaze met Lin Ran's.

"Why is it again..." His hand trembled, the muzzle of the gun dropped half an inch, and the rest of the sentence got stuck in his throat.

Lin Ran took a moment to wave at him: "We meet again."

The sheriff's lips moved, but in the end he only took two steps back and gestured to his colleagues behind him, indicating that the cordon should be extended another ten meters.

The old man in black robes glanced at the surrounding sheriffs, secretly considered his options, and made up his mind: "Boy, the ancient mirror will remain with you for now. I will come back for it sooner or later."

He suddenly exerted his strength, and his cyan true energy condensed into a thick palm print, which struck Lin Ran in the chest.

This palm strike is not intended to injure the enemy, but only to use their force to escape.

Lin Ran also threw a punch, and the fist and palm collided, creating a shockwave that sent both of them flying backward.

The old man in black robes used the momentum to leap backward, his figure drawing an arc in mid-air as he flew towards the rooftop opposite.

Did I let you leave?

As soon as Lin Ran had a thought, the Xuan Chen Pearl in his sea of ​​consciousness trembled slightly.

The illusion unfolded silently, enveloping the entire street.

As a precaution, he also destroyed the surrounding security cameras.

All the onlookers saw was the two still locked in combat, with the black-robed elder attempting to escape but being stopped by Lin Ran.

For a time, fists and palms clashed, and it was difficult to determine a winner.

However, the reality within the illusion is quite different.

The old man in black robes had clearly used the momentum to leap back more than ten meters, but found himself still in the same spot.

"How is this possible?" He turned to look at Lin Ran, his face filled with astonishment. "How did you do that?"

The streets were still the same streets, and the people were still the same people, but he always felt that something was wrong.

Lin Ran didn't answer, but said to himself, "I'm giving you a chance to live. As long as you open your mind and let me plant a soul imprint on you, I can let you leave."

The Soul Control Technique can easily control those whose cultivation level is lower than one's own, but it cannot control those whose cultivation level is similar to or higher than one's own.

A martial artist at the Tongxuan Realm has a physical body equivalent to that of a Golden Core Realm cultivator and a soul strength equivalent to that of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. If Lin Ran were to forcefully use the technique, he would likely suffer a backlash.

Therefore, he could only discuss it with the other party.

If they can't reach an agreement, the only option is for the other person to die.

"Absurd!" The old man in black robes said with an arrogant expression.

"You're just a mere Transcendent Realm cultivator, yet you dare to spout such nonsense at me? I didn't want to provoke the Special Affairs Bureau, but since you're courting death, I won't interfere anymore!"

After saying that, the old man in black robes charged at Lin Ran again.

"Sigh..." Lin Ran sighed, "I kindly gave you a chance to live, but you didn't know how to cherish it."

Having said that, he raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and a ball of fire condensed in his palm.

Seeing this, the black-robed elder sneered, "Hmph! So you're a fire-elemental awakener. No wonder you're so arrogant. But the Transcendent Realm is, after all, just the Transcendent Realm!"

He channeled his inner energy, conjuring a wall of energy in front of him: "If you can break through my defenses, then even if I..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Ran raised his hand and waved, sending the fireball straight towards the air wall.

boom!

The fireball slammed into the air barrier and exploded, shattering the barrier instantly. The splashing flames forced the old man back several steps.

"How is this possible?" The old man's pupils shrank suddenly.

He simply couldn't understand how a martial artist at the Transcendent Realm could so easily break through his protective aura.

Lin Ran didn't respond. He quickly stepped forward and threw a punch, carrying golden fist energy, which smashed towards the old man.

Bang!

The old man raised his fist to meet the attack, and the two fists collided with a loud bang.

The shockwave exploded, and the two of them each took a few steps back.

"This is a metal-type ability!" The old man's voice trembled slightly.

I clearly saw this guy use a fireball earlier, so why is he using a metal-type ability now?

"Don't rush, the surprise is yet to come!" Lin Ran raised his hand and made a hand seal, and several vines sprouted from the ground and quickly wrapped around the old man.

Upon seeing this, the old man disregarded his surprise and immediately stomped on the ground, snapping the vines in two.

However, before he could even catch his breath, several rock ridges burst forth from the ground beneath his feet.

Click click click!

The old man was quickly surrounded by rocky ridges, trapping him in the middle.

"Drink!" The old man unleashed his full power, instantly shattering the surrounding rocky ridges.

Splash!

The rubble scattered on the ground, and Lin Ran's magic arrived again.

A bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, hitting the old man squarely on the head.

boom!

A shallow crater was blasted into the road, and smoke and dust filled the air.

At the last moment, the old man still managed to gather a layer of protective energy to block the lightning overhead.

However, he was ultimately in a bit of a rush, and the protective energy he had painstakingly gathered was not strong enough, and it was easily pierced by the lightning.

When the smoke and dust cleared, the old man was found to be completely blackened, his clothes charred, and he looked quite disheveled.

Then, fireballs, water arrows, rocky ridges, vines, and Lin Ran's fist enveloped in golden light all attacked at once.

The five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—fell simultaneously.

The old man struggled to defend himself, pushing his azure true energy to its limit, barely managing to block the three spells.

Helpless, he was still punched in the left shoulder by Lin Ran, and his right leg was also cut open by the rock ridge.

He staggered backward, finally realizing that he was not facing an ordinary extraordinary martial artist at all.

"How could one person possess so many elemental powers simultaneously? There is absolutely no such awakened being in the world!"

The old man steadied himself, his eyes still filled with confusion.

"The world is vast and full of wonders. There are many things you haven't seen." Lin Ran raised his hand and waved, and an earthen wall rose from the ground behind the old man.

He then turned his hand into a palm, and dozens of ice spikes instantly condensed in the air.

Seeing this, the old man quickly mobilized his inner energy and condensed a cyan shield in front of him.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

The ice spikes struck the shield and exploded into a shower of ice shards.

Before the old man could catch his breath, another fire dragon crashed into him.

boom!

The shield shattered, and the old man was knocked away by the fire dragon.

Before he even landed, several vines wrapped around the old man's limbs.

Just as another bolt of lightning was about to strike, the old man twisted his body with all his might, tearing the vines apart with a creaking sound.

boom!

The lightning struck the vines, and the electric current traveled along the vines to the old man's limbs, making his already charred body even darker.

Fortunately, after the lightning struck, the vines lost their vitality, and the old man was finally freed.

He fell from mid-air, struggled to his feet, and knelt on one knee.

"Wait a minute!" The old man stretched out a hand.

"I admit defeat! I was in the wrong today, and now I am seriously injured. I have learned my lesson. Can this matter be dropped?"

"I'm afraid that won't work." Lin Ran made a fist with his right hand, and five different colored spiritual energies lit up at his fingertips at the same time.

The five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—intertwined and swirled, causing the surrounding air to stagnate slightly.

The old man's voice was hoarse: "Young man, don't push your luck."

"There's nothing I can do, you know too much."

Lin Ran brought his five fingers together, and five rays of light merged into the lightning in his palm, compressing it into a five-colored lightning ball the size of a fist.

Just as the pressure was about to explode, he pushed the lightning ball forward, hitting the old man squarely in the chest.

boom!

A blinding, multicolored light pierced through the old man's chest.

The old man's body stiffened for a moment, then he slowly leaned forward and fell face down into the rubble.