My father is the main character, but the female leads want to kill me.

Lin Ran saw that these guys looked dejected and knew that losing the game was not a good feeling.

He clapped his hands to attract the children's attention and said with a smile, "You've already done a great job getting this far."

"You should know that not many people can actually enter this space to fight, and you've already won a decent ranking after several rounds. You should hold your heads high and be confident!"

He's now in the top 100 on the Black Stone Tablet, so what's there to be insecure about? This means he's one of the top 100 performers in this secret realm. He could go and compete with Yue Lei and Versailles. He might not be as good as Canglong, Shengqiong, or Tianli, but he's definitely not as good as Songling.

It's time for the people of Songling to take over this perennial bottom spot!

With Lin Ran's words of comfort, Chi Sinian and the others felt less upset. Besides, they had given it their all and still lost, so they didn't have much regret.

After picking them up, Lin Ran led the group of kids to their current camp.

When Chi Sinian and the others saw the large military green tents in front of them, they were momentarily stunned. Among them, Xiao Qian, who was the boldest, quickly approached Lin Ran and asked naively, "Sir, why has our encampment changed?"

Lin Ran tapped Xiao Qian on the head, pointed in the direction of the ruins plaza, and said, "Look over there, and you'll know the answer!"

Xiaoqian rubbed her head and followed Lin Ran's gaze, only to find that the ruins were in complete disarray, with some collapsed and others crumbling. Even the stone house where they had once stayed was now a ruin.

Xiaoqian forgot to rub her head, her eyes wide open, looking at Lin Ran with a pair of eyes full of curiosity, and asked, "Sir, why has this place become a ruin?"

Lin Ran: "..."

Did he ever teach such silly students before? It can't be that his teaching skills are bad, can it? Why is this kid always saying such strange things?

Later, Chi Sinian couldn't stand it anymore and quickly stepped forward to pull her best friend away from Mr. Lin. She could understand what was going on if she thought about it herself, but this fool just couldn't see it and kept asking Mr. Lin questions.

It's like all the nutrients from my brain have gone to my chest!

"Mr. Lin, has Yuemei not come out yet?" Chi Sinian asked Lin Ran.

Lin Ran shook her head and said, "Yue Mei hasn't come out yet, but we haven't seen any of her battle scenes either. We can only see that her ranking has been steadily rising. Maybe Yue Mei can bring our academy its best result in recent years."

Lin Ran pointed to the painting, patted Chi Sinian's head, and said softly, "You two should recover from your injuries quickly. If there's a competition for Yue Mei, I'll call you out so we can cheer for her together!"

"Yes, I understand, Mr. Lin!" Chi Sinian bowed to Lin Ran with a happy expression and then went into the tent.

Lin Ran arranged for the children to enter the tent, distributed a batch of pills to them to help them recover from their injuries and regain their condition, and then left the tent.

As soon as he came out, Lin Ran saw Mu Shishuang standing by the door. He couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Shishuang? Didn't I tell you to stay over there and watch the competition in the painting? Why are you here?"

“The game was so boring… I didn’t want to watch it anymore, so I thought I’d come find you!” Mu Shishuang said calmly.

"You must be bored here too. Those kids are all inside recovering from their injuries!" Lin Ran said with a smile, pointing to the tents behind her.

Hearing Lin Ran's words, Mu Shishuang was about to speak when she felt a pang of fear in her chest, as if something terrifying was about to happen. She instinctively covered her chest, her legs went weak, and her right hand instinctively reached for something to hold onto. A deep blue light shone in the depths of her eyes.

Seeing Mu Shishuang like this, Lin Ran became nervous and rushed forward to catch her. However, by a twist of fate, Mu Shishuang's right hand, which was seeking help, ended up on Lin Ran's "two brothers".

"Fuck!"

Lin Ran inwardly gasped. He quickly glanced around and, finding no one nearby, breathed a sigh of relief. He then adjusted himself, picked Mu Shishuang up in a princess carry, and rushed into his tent, placing her on his bed.

Seeing Mu Shishuang trembling slightly and clutching her chest tightly, Lin Ran was at a loss. He stood up and said, "I'll go and call Meng Qing over!"

But before Lin Ran could take a step, Mu Shishuang grabbed Lin Ran's clothes with all her might with one small hand. Because of the excessive force, the veins on her fair hand could be seen throbbing.

"No, no... I'll be fine in a bit!" Mu Shishuang gasped for breath and said with difficulty.

Lin Ran sat back on the bed, took Mu Shishuang's hand, and asked worriedly, "What's wrong with you? Could it be that the Ghostly Vengeance Pill has malfunctioned and is backfiring on you?"

Upon hearing about the Ghostly Resentment Pill, even with a tightness in her chest, Mu Shishuang stared at Lin Ran with her calm yet resentful eyes, like still well water, without saying a word. But the meaning conveyed by her gaze was almost the same: "How dare you say that?"

Lin Ran felt a little awkward under the stare, so he quickly changed the subject, saying, "What's going on? Let me check on your health."

Lin Ran attached her soul power to the spiritual power and entered Mu Shishuang's body. The bodies of the spirit race are not much different from those of normal humans; the key lies in their bloodline constitution.

In addition, Lin Ran herself has a wealth of experience. Because she often helps Mu Shishuang clear away fire toxins, she knows Mu Shishuang's body very well. Of course, don't get the wrong idea, she knows it very well in a proper medical sense.

After checking around, Lin Ran still couldn't find anything wrong with Mu Shishuang's body, which puzzled him. Looking at Mu Shishuang, whose face was a little pale, he wanted to help but felt powerless to do so.

Just as Lin Ran was thinking about going to Shangguan Mengqing for help despite Mu Shishuang's objections, Mu Shishuang, who had just been feeling very unwell, suddenly sat up as if nothing had happened and stared at Lin Ran.

Mu Shishuang couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing?"

Lin Ran: "???"

Shouldn't I be asking you that? Why are you acting like this now? You were just looking sickly, but now you're sitting up like nothing happened. Is this a last burst of energy before death?

Lin Ran pulled Mu Shishuang aside and checked her over again. When the result was still the same as before, Lin Ran stared at Mu Shishuang and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine now!"

"Weren't you having chest pains just now?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore!"

"Tell me honestly, what exactly is going on? What abilities did you use to forcibly break the seal every now and then?" Lin Ran asked seriously.

He felt that Mu Shishuang herself should know what had happened, and this might also be related to the Spirit Clan. After all, Mu Shishuang was able to forcibly break through the seal and use a portion of her bloodline abilities even when her strength was completely sealed.

Mu Shishuang had already demonstrated this on the ancient battlefield, so Lin Ran suspected that this might be another side effect caused by Mu Shishuang's abilities.

"No, you don't need to worry too much, there's nothing wrong!" Mu Shishuang said calmly.

"You were in that state just now, and you still say there's nothing wrong?" Lin Ran really admired Mu Shishuang's stubborn personality. She was clutching her chest, her face pale with pain, and she called that nothing wrong?

But no matter how Lin Ran pressed her for answers, Mu Shishuang stuck to the same story, which made Lin Ran so angry that she almost went back to her old ways. But the girl had already done that much; it would be too cruel to punish her again.

"You stay here and rest, you're not allowed to go anywhere, understand?" Lin Ran said to Mu Shishuang.

Mu Shishuang didn't speak, she just stared at Lin Ran. Just as Lin Ran was about to leave the room, he saw Mu Shishuang still following behind him, which made Lin Ran furious. He immediately added a soundproof shield to the tent, grabbed Mu Shishuang with one hand as if she were a rolled-up blanket, and threw her onto the bed. Lin Ran rolled up his sleeves and waved his hand fiercely.

After a while, the soundproof barrier in the tent was removed. Lin Ran glanced at Mu Shishuang lying on the bed before lifting the tent flap and leaving.

When Mu Shishuang turned her head to look at Lin Ran's departing figure, her eyes turned red, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Soon after, two lines of clear tears slid down her cheeks.

In the past, Mu Shishuang had never cried even once when she was punished, but this time she cried, gripping the pillows on the bed tightly with both hands, sobbing softly and muttering:

"Damn it, Lin Ran, I'm saving you..."

……

169. A realm without the Void Clan is incomplete.

Stepping out of the tent, Lin Ran took a few deep breaths at the door, wiped her hands with a handkerchief, and slowly calmed herself down before walking towards the black stone tablet.

On the way there, Lin Ran was also thinking about what had just happened. He had indeed lost his temper because of Mu Shishuang and had punished the taciturn girl again. But now that he thought about it carefully, perhaps Mu Shishuang had sensed something?

The Spirit Race's abilities are inherently mysterious, possessing the ability to foresee the future and even control time. However, the problem is that this girl has a terrible temper. Even if it's a secret that can't be revealed, she won't mince words and insists on keeping quiet, which only makes people angry.

"I'll go back and check on her later; I went a bit too far this time..."

Lin Ran couldn't help but look down at her right hand, which was still covered in blood. She had told herself to hold back and not hit him, otherwise she would become a cruel person, but she couldn't help but hit him anyway.

When she reached the vicinity where she could see the black stone tablet, Lin Ran walked towards Shangguan Mengqing, who was sitting on a blue stone in the corner.

Shangguan Mengqing, who had been resting with her eyes closed, turned to look at the sound of footsteps. When she saw Lin Ran, she asked, "Have you taken care of all your children?"

"Yes, I've had them all stay in the tents to recover from their injuries!"

Lin Ran glanced around. There were quite a few people around, and not far away were Elder Heng and Huang Shishi, as well as several eliminated disciples of the Tianshan Sword Sect and many people from super sects. A small circle had been vaguely formed here.

Lin Ran's arrival only attracted a small number of people's attention.

Huang Shishi, who was standing not far away, frowned when he saw Lin Ran, who had already left, turn back to find Shangguan Mengqing. However, he quickly relaxed and continued to communicate with the people of Tianshan Sword Sect about the news in the secret realm.

However, he would occasionally glance at Shangguan Mengqing out of the corner of his eye.

With so many people around, Lin Ran knew that the "female celebrity" beside him was attracting a lot of attention. If he made any intimate moves, there would probably be a lot of rumors spreading tomorrow, and she would also have a lot of trouble and danger. The "female celebrity" had a lot of suitors, and if a strong one came along, he wouldn't be able to beat them.

So Lin Ran said a few words to Shangguan Mengqing, then went to find that unlucky guy Yue Lei, and sat down next to him to have a spiritual exchange with the "female celebrity".

"Fairy, did anything happen while I was arranging things for the students?" Lin Ran couldn't help but ask.

"No, why would you suddenly ask that?" Shangguan Mengqing asked, puzzled.

Lin Ran was unsure whether to tell Shangguan Mengqing about Mu Shishuang's situation, but that was just his guess; perhaps Mu Shishuang really did just have a minor health problem.

In the end, Lin Ran said, "I just thought I might have missed something exciting."

"What's so exciting about it? It's just the same people from the secret realm having one-on-one duels in a different place!" Shangguan Mengqing said.

A one-on-one duel is bound to be exciting if it's a clash of titans, but if one side is strong and the other weak, it's basically a boring duel with nothing to see.

Lin Ran and Shangguan Mengqing chatted telepathically, and soon only eight rankings remained to be determined on the black stone tablet. The scene shown in the scroll depicted those eight people appearing simultaneously in the same space.

This caused an uproar among the audience. Many people were discussing why it wasn't a one-on-one duel like before. Now, with eight people present at the same time, were they going to fight to the death?

Shangguan Mengqing looked up at the painting and then transmitted her voice to Lin Ran, saying, "Your child and your disciple have both made it to the top eight, making them highly sought-after by super sects!"

"Yes, I didn't expect Yuemei to make it to the quarterfinals..."

Lin Ran was filled with surprise. He had always hoped that Xiao Chong would win first place in this secret realm, but he only hoped that Yue Mei could go further and bring glory to Linghua Academy. He never expected that the child would actually make it to the top eight, which was enough to join a super sect.

"If I go back and tell Qiu Qingzi, Wen Bixuan, Qianyi, and the others that Yuemei has entered a super sect, will they say it's a joke?" Lin Ran was already thinking about what it would be like to face the higher-ups of Linghua Academy when she returned.

In the painting, the eight people looked at each other, seemingly surprised. But soon they approached people they knew. Yuemei naturally approached Lin Chong, and the others joined in, forming a four-way game.

According to the younger generation who came out of this building, everyone will have a purple-gold talisman, and the person who ultimately wins first place will be able to use all the talismans to unlock the most precious treasure in this secret realm.

As for what kind of secret treasure it is, given the level of this secret realm, it can't be too bad, and the fact that it was specially placed in the second stage makes its rarity beyond doubt.

The eight people present had all come this far, and none of them wanted to give up the secret treasure that was just one step away. Without even saying a word, the eight of them had already sparked a fierce battle. When one of them swung his weapon to attack, the fuse that had burned to the bottom was finally detonated, and the explosive barrel was completely detonated.

Looking at the painting of his son and apprentice's skillful coordination, Lin Ran couldn't help but recall the Autumn Rain Sword Technique he and Shangguan Mengqing used together. He transmitted his voice to Mengqing and said, "Does my son and apprentice's coordination have the feel of when we fought together?"

How long did they cooperate?

"It shouldn't have been long, right? I had them cultivate together for a while back then, and then they should have been fighting side by side in this secret realm?" Lin Ran didn't know why Shangguan Mengqing asked this, but she still answered truthfully.

"Then why is it that we two have been together day and night, practicing swordsmanship together every day, and it took us almost two years just to become proficient in our coordination, while Xiao Chong and Yue Mei only took a short time? Old man, why is that?" Shangguan Mengqing asked in return.

Lin Ran: "..."

Oh no, he's been defeated again. It would be a bit embarrassing to admit that he has no talent, but it seems like he has no other excuse.

"Well, I think it's because our strengths were unbalanced back then. You were only at the Spirit Transformation Realm, while I was already at the Spirit Core Realm. It's normal that it took us a while to coordinate," Lin Ran said somewhat guiltily.

Hearing Lin Ran's words, Shangguan Mengqing couldn't help but smile beneath her veil. She calmly said, "Oh, so it was because I wasn't strong enough back then. Really, old man, you should have said so sooner!"

"What did I say?" Lin Ran was a little confused.