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

Lin Ran listened quietly and then quickly made a mental calculation.

These water-based spells might be considered a stroke of luck for others, but they were of little use to him.

He had already mastered the Five Elements Techniques, and had thoroughly grasped the profound mysteries of water control, encompassing the vast majority of water-based techniques.

As long as one's cultivation level steadily improves and one reaches the Nascent Soul Realm, one can easily use techniques such as Water Dividing, River Turning, and Rain Summoning without needing to learn them separately.

However, the bear demon's mountain-moving technique and the tiger demon's immobilization technique, which are outside the scope of the Five Elements magic, are quite practical.

Looking back now, even if he obtained more secret realm tokens, the merfolk could only comprehend water-based supernatural abilities, which wouldn't be of much use to Lin Ran.

"The rest of you may leave. Chong Lie and Xiao Cangshan, please stay." Lin Ran waved his hand, and the group of merfolk returned to the lake.

Chonglie stepped forward and asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to learn this Mountain-Moving Technique?"

"Hmm, not bad. You may pass on your techniques to me." Lin Ran sat cross-legged and raised his hand in greeting.

The two demons dared not hesitate and immediately raised their hands to form hand seals, passing on the entire set of spells to Lin Ran.

Two golden beams flew from the fingertips of the two demons and entered Lin Ran's sea of ​​consciousness.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Ran mastered the techniques of Moving Mountains and Immobilizing Bodies.

Seeing that Lin Ran opened his eyes in no time, Chong Lie and Xiao Cangshan were both shocked.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Cangshan's pupils contracted sharply. He bowed and clasped his hands in reverence, his tone filled with awe.

"Our master's comprehension is beyond our reach!"

Chong Lie immediately chimed in, "It was in that secret realm that we received the inheritance and comprehended the techniques, which took us several hours."

Lin Ran waved his hand casually, his expression indifferent: "Keep it low-key, keep it low-key."

Having learned the techniques, he lingered no longer, and with a thought, he withdrew from the Nine Heavens Grotto.

Having determined the direction, it took to the air again, heading towards the new sea.

Meanwhile, in the suburbs of Xinhai City.

The old man stood in the air, looking down at the scene below, his eyes filled with contempt and his tone icy.

"A mere sixth-realm martial artist dares to fight me? He truly has no regard for his own life!"

He raised his hand again, spiritual energy condensing at his fingertips, forming a refined and sharp killing intent, intending to completely annihilate everyone present.

In a split second between life and death, Wang Chen gritted his teeth and forced himself to sit up, shouting urgently.

"Wait! I know who the murderer you're talking about is!"

The old man stopped abruptly, looked down, his eyes filled with scrutiny and suspicion.

"Since you knew, why didn't you say so before? Were you trying to deceive me?"

Wang Chen endured the excruciating pain and replied in a deep voice, "I am not deceiving you, senior. It's just that the murderer you mentioned is an advisor to my New Sea Intelligence Bureau."

"If it weren't for the sake of the people of this city and my desire to avoid escalating the conflict, I wouldn't want to betray my colleagues."

The old man's gaze narrowed slightly, and his imposing aura lessened: "So, you truly know the killer's identity?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the murderer you mentioned should be Lin Ran, an advisor to my New Sea Special Intelligence Bureau."

Wang Chen explained the whole story clearly and calmly.

"A few days ago, he killed someone in the secret realm and afterwards deliberately sealed off the entrance. If I'm not mistaken, you must have just broken through the seal to get here."

The old man narrowed his eyes slightly, his murderous intent growing stronger: "So you knew. Speak! Where is the murderer now?"

His aura intensified, making him resemble a giant beast ready to devour its prey.

"I wouldn't dare to lie to you, senior." Wang Chen replied truthfully, "My colleague left Xinhai a few days ago to participate in a secret realm trial in Kyoto, and he hasn't returned yet."

The old man frowned, his tone sharp: "Secret Realm Trial? You're not trying to stall for time, are you?"

"Every word I said is true, there is absolutely no falsehood!" Wang Chen said sincerely.

The old man stared at Wang Chen silently for a moment, then slowly spoke: "You said that person's name is Lin Ran?"

"That's right, it's Lin Ran." Wang Chen replied while observing the old man's expression.

He thought to himself that this person had come for revenge, and now that he knew the identity of his enemy, he shouldn't forcefully take action.

Unexpectedly, the old man's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and his voice was chillingly cold: "Very well, since that's the case, you can all die!"

After saying that, he raised his hand again, showing no intention of letting the group go.

Wang Chen's expression changed drastically, and he questioned sharply, "Why did you go back on your word, senior?"

"When did I ever say I would let you go?" the old man said indifferently.

Wang Chen paused slightly, suppressing his anger, and retorted in a deep voice, "As a cultivator, aren't you afraid of creating karmic obstacles by acting like this?"

"Then there's no need for a dying man like you to bother!"

The old man, too lazy to waste any more words, flicked his finger, and a buzzing sound resounded through the sky.

A snow-white flying sword shot out from the sky, its speed reaching its limit, tearing through the air and aiming straight for Wang Chen's vital point between his eyebrows.

Just as the flying sword was about to pierce through his brow, a casual voice suddenly came from the sky.

"Hey, what's wrong with our Director Wang? He looks so disheveled!"

Clang!

A crisp metallic clang rang out as a streak of azure sword light descended in an instant, precisely blocking the snow-white flying sword.

The two sword energies collided, sparking a sky full of sparks, and a violent shockwave swept outwards.

Lin Ran stood in mid-air, his robes billowing in the wind, silently hovering above the battlefield.

The old man raised his eyes and stared intently at the newcomer, his gaze filled with murderous intent: "You're Lin Ran?"

"You've heard of my legend too?" Lin Ran feigned surprise, his tone laced with a hint of teasing. "Is my reputation that great now? So much so that even people from other worlds are familiar with me?"

He had just returned to Xinhai when he saw the old man drawing his sword from afar, indicating a critical situation.

When he saw the old man's attire, he instantly understood the whole story.

These monks must have come specifically to seek revenge on him.

The old man's eyes widened in fury, and he roared, "You villain! Prepare to die!"

Before he could finish speaking, the old man activated his mind, and his snow-white flying sword unleashed its ultimate sword light, slashing towards Lin Ran's head in mid-air.

call out!call out!call out!

The flying swords unleashed a series of slashes, their sword light layered upon layer, sharp and domineering.

Lin Ran wielded his sword and dismantled the attacks in mid-air, the sword flashing as he struggled to maneuver.

clang!clang!clang!

Each collision unleashed powerful shockwaves, causing the void to tremble and the flowing clouds to dissipate.

Lin Ran grew increasingly serious as the fight progressed: "A Nascent Soul Realm cultivator is indeed difficult to deal with."

He was on the defensive throughout the game, unable to find an opportunity to counterattack, and was suppressed at every turn.

If it weren't for the continuous supply of spiritual energy from the Chaos Black Lotus, he would have been defeated long ago.

He had previously mistakenly believed that the Nascent Soul Realm and the Martial Venerable Realm were equal in combat strength, but now that he had fought them in person, he realized that the difference was enormous.

He can now kill ordinary Martial Venerables with a wave of his hand, but when facing Nascent Soul cultivators, he can only passively maneuver and has no chance of winning.

It seems that only those at the legendary Martial Saint level can directly contend with Nascent Soul level experts.

Not to mention that the opponent also had three Golden Core cultivators and dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators standing guard, watching them intently from the sidelines.

If he reveals even the slightest flaw, he will immediately be in dire straits.

During a lull in the fighting, Lin Ran glanced at the battlefield below.

Although Bai Zhenting and Bai Zhenyue were seriously injured, their qi and blood were stable and their lives were not in immediate danger.

Zhang Qichuan and another Transcendent Realm martial artist were both on the verge of death, their life force rapidly fading, and they urgently needed medical attention.

If the stalemate continues, neither of them can hold out for much longer.

Lin Ran made a decisive move, unleashing spiritual energy beneath his feet and abruptly retreating, flying away into the distant sky.

He intended to lure the Nascent Soul elder away, giving the people below a chance to recover and heal.

Whoosh!

Lin Ran's figure transformed into a streak of azure light, instantly rushing several miles away.

He glanced back and saw that only the white-haired old man was chasing after him alone, while the group of cross-realm cultivators behind him all stood still, showing no intention of following.

Lin Ran frowned deeply: "This is bad. What exactly do these guys mean?"

There are cultivators guarding the skies above the New Sea. If the seriously injured do not receive treatment, they will likely die.

If we want to save lives, we must act quickly and turn back to provide assistance.

Lin Ran sighed softly, "I'm still too kind-hearted."

With a thought, the portal to the Nine Heavens Grotto-Heaven opened instantly.

Four powerful figures broke through the air first, their immense power suppressing all directions.