Ye Luo slowly opened his eyes, hearing Yuan Xiaoyong's terrified voice.
He was stunned by the scene before him; a figure stood in front of him, face obscured, towering over him at about 1.8 meters tall.
"Who are you?!" Yuan Xiaoyong looked at the young man in front of him in terror, his pupils contracting violently.
Just now, his attack was effortlessly neutralized by this young man.
With just a light wave of his hand, his attack vanished without a trace!
This casual ease struck fear into him, a terror from the heart.
The power absolutely surpassed his own by more than just a little, for he couldn't sense any aura from the young man.
The other seemed like an ordinary person, a mortal without any cultivation, yet that move just now was definitely not something a mortal could do.
It reminded him of novels he had read, where powerful figures lived in simplicity, appearing ordinary but were incredibly strong, capable of destroying enemies in a single thought.
He suspected that this young man in front of him was one of those so-called hidden masters!
Chen Lan said nothing, merely frowned at Yuan Xiaoyong; he had teleported over the moment he sensed Yuan Xiaoyong's aggression.
That the other would act so heinously, casually slaughtering state officials, infuriated him.
Since his father was a soldier, his childhood dream was to join the military, but due to certain special reasons, he hadn't passed, a regret he carried.
He always admired soldiers, people who protected the nation without expecting anything in return, always watching over the common people.
The department managing cultivators was the same; they bore the mission of protecting the country and deserved admiration.
Yet now, this dangerous criminal before him had killed them so casually!
"I'm sorry, please spare me, I didn't mean to kill anyone," Yuan Xiaoyong, seemingly aware of Chen Lan's strength, knelt quickly, begging for mercy.
"Die." Chen Lan spoke indifferently.
Bang!
Yuan Xiaoyong instantly exploded into a mist of blood, disappearing without a trace, both soul and Nascent Soul obliterated, with no chance of resurrection!
This scene left Ye Luo and the deputy captain stunned, staring at Chen Lan in terror.
This power was terrifying, exerting no external pressure, it was with just a single word that he annihilated Yuan Xiaoyong, who was in the Divinity Transformation Stage.
At the very least, he had to be in the Mahayana or Tribulation Stage!
"Thank you for your help, mighty senior!" Ye Luo stood up, cupping his fists in gratitude.
The deputy captain grimaced, also struggling to his feet and expressing thanks, but unable to cup his fists.
"No need, we're all people of Huaxia, just lending a hand." Chen Lan didn't turn back; he didn't want to expose himself, lest the state come knocking, which would be troublesome.
However, with his Divine Sense, he could see clearly, noticing the deputy captain's arm was gone.
Snap!
Chen Lan snapped his fingers, and a surge of pure Spiritual Qi rushed over to the deputy captain, surrounding his non-existent left arm, flickering faintly.
Under the amazed eyes of the two, the previously nonexistent arm slowly grew bones, veins, and finally flesh, fully restored!
Witnessing this event akin to a miracle, Ye Luo was utterly dumbfounded, could a Tribulation Stage master really perform such miraculous means to regenerate flesh on white bones?!
"Thank you, thank you, mighty senior!!!" The deputy captain, seeing his left arm regrown and functional, fell to his knees with a thud, bowing his head in gratitude.
This wasn't just a restoration of his arm; his entire career was saved.
If he lost an arm, he'd have to leave the cultivator management department, and his strength would be greatly reduced.
This intervention made the senior like a parent reborn to him, and he kneeled without hesitation!
"Just a small matter." Chen Lan said plainly, a surge of inexplicable Spiritual Qi lifting the deputy captain to his feet.
In the eyes of Ye Luo and the deputy captain, Chen Lan was now a worldly expert, an absolute power, filling them with reverence.
At this time, Chen Lan noticed someone approaching, and it was Yan Yu.
It seemed she had received the call for support and rushed over.
"Goodbye." Chen Lan said, his form disappearing.
Watching Chen Lan disappear, Ye Luo and the deputy captain knelt again: "Thanks for saving us, mighty senior, we will never forget!"
It wasn't until Yan Yu arrived, seeing them kneeling and questioning, that they stood up.
"..."
"You're saying, a powerful Tribulation Stage senior came to save you, and he could even regenerate flesh on bones, making your arm regrow?"
Yan Yu listened to the two, stunned.
This ability was something even a Tribulation Stage master might not accomplish.
Though only in the Mahayana Stage, she couldn't do it; it required immensely pure and abundant Spiritual Qi.
One move to kill a Divinity Transformation Stage cultivator, she couldn't do that, having rarely fought and would need at least five moves against Yuan Xiaoyong.
The Tribulation Stage, though, could indeed manage a one-move kill.
But who was this person, aiding them yet choosing anonymity, perhaps preferring to keep a low profile?
"A pity, not knowing the senior's name." Ye Luo sighed; they had forgotten to ask just now.
"Even if you asked, he wouldn't tell you," Yan Yu said.
The person, having chosen to leave, clearly didn't want to be exposed; how could he willingly reveal his identity?
"Let's head back then," Yan Yu instructed, departing.
Since Yuan Xiaoyong was dead, she had no reason to linger, needing to return to continue her patrol of Qindu.
...
Qindu University.
Chen Lan pushed open the dormitory door.
"Damn, so fast?" Luo Tao looked at Chen Lan entering, less than three minutes since he left, how could he be done with the restroom that fast?
"Just a pee," Chen Lan responded dismissively.
"Oh, that explains it, I was wondering why you didn't take any paper, turns out it was just a pee," Luo Tao realized, having considered if cultivators didn't need to wipe and was about to test the theory.
At this moment, the heavens' golden list spoke again.
[Cultivation Golden List broadcast has concluded]
[The top ten will be announced tomorrow]
With that, the Cultivation Golden List rolled up, disappearing without a trace.
"What? Gone? Not even finishing the announcement, such a damn tease, it's so damn annoying!" Luo Tao ran to the balcony, pointing at the sky, cursing angrily.
Rumble!
Suddenly, lightning and thunder filled the night sky, rolling loudly.
Luo Tao ducked his head in fright, "Wow, was just speaking offhand, no need to be so petty."
He quickly ran back inside, no longer daring to offend the Cultivation Golden List.
Seeing this, Chen Lan shook his head helplessly.
The eleventh was already a Daluo Golden Immortal, so the ranks above must be over Daluo Celestial Immortal.
He knew who the top three were anyway, first was himself, second the Saint King, third the Quasi-Saint.
Sigh, who knows what turmoil will come once his ranking is revealed tomorrow.
For now, though, the internet has exploded, everyone searching for those big shots, and some starting grassroots organizations.
The world has completely changed!