The Old Gods

Chapter 1012 The Fox's Cry on the Sacred Mountain
Lu Ran slept soundly that night.

A month ago, after he advanced to the third level of the Heavenly Realm, some unusual things happened in the sculpture garden, and the tremors of the Blood Skull Evil Sculpture gradually decreased.

By mid-February, the Blood Skull Evil Sculpture had completely fallen silent.

Lu Ran wanted to ask the Immortal Sheep Lord, or even connect his spirit with the Blood Skull Evil Sculpture, but after thinking it over, he held back.

They feared that the silence of the evil sculpture was just an illusion, and that now was the most crucial moment.

If I were to disturb the gods and my father or cause any mistakes because of my own impatience, it would be irreparable.

Lu Ran chose to wait silently.

This is one of the reasons why he has often spent time alone in the octagonal pavilion recently.

In any case, the settled Xie Su gave Lu Ran a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps on the third day of the third lunar month, my father will be able to be resurrected? And be by my side during the most important moment of my life, to witness this final battle.

Lu Ran waited patiently, even though time was running out.

From February 28th to March 3rd, Xue Lu remained completely silent, with neither Xian Yang nor her father making a sound.

"Ah"

Inside the bedroom, Lu Ran lay on his side on the bed, gazing at the sky gradually brightening outside the window, and couldn't help but sigh deeply.

Father, are we going to miss out again?

He's already missed out on so much over the past decade, so what's one more time?

"Woke up so early?" Suddenly an arm reached out and wrapped around Lu Ran from behind, the voice soft and gentle, carrying the softness unique to someone waking up from a dream.

Jiang Ruyi closed her eyes, rested her forehead on his back, and placed her slender hand on his chest, feeling the beating heart beneath her palm.

Calm and powerful.

There wasn't the urgency and panic I had imagined.

Since that night at the end of February when she volunteered to fight the spirit divination sticks, Lu Ran has not gone to the Heavenly Realm battlefield again, but has stayed at home.

Thanks to this, Jiang Ruyi's Dao heart was polished to a bright and shining state.

She wasn't sure if he was deliberately making time for her.

Ultimately, Lu Ran is going to have a showdown with a first-class evil god, a battle where he has to risk everything.

Lu Ran was undoubtedly at a disadvantage.

Who can guarantee victory or defeat, life or death?

"Still haven't slept all night?" Jiang Ruyi's voice was soft and gentle, quite different from her usual cold tone.

"Just woke up." Lu Ran placed one hand on his chest, took the slender hand in his, suppressed his complicated emotions, and chuckled, "You also had a big battle today, yet you slept so soundly?"

"The divination slips are nothing but withered bones in a tomb, nothing to worry about," Jiang Ruyi said calmly.

In just a few words, she shed her languid state upon waking, and her soft voice carried an aura of divine majesty.

This made Lu Ran's heart race.

Jiang Ruyi naturally noticed it and then smiled.

The Evil Spear Emperor couldn't really bother Lu Ran; on the contrary, it was himself who was the source of his fear.

"Would you like breakfast? I'll have someone prepare it," Jiang Ruyi whispered.

"How about a fried dough stick and two tea eggs?" Lu Ran suddenly blurted out.

Jiang Ruyi: "."

Are you a primary school student?

This way of seeking good fortune is truly simple and unpretentious.

Lu Ran got up and sat against the headboard, looking at his goddess girlfriend, gently stroking her long hair with one hand: "You seem particularly confident."

Jiang Ruyi closed her eyes, feeling his gentle actions, and said, "After the Phoenix Robe of Nine Heavens was promoted to the fourth level, the number of Phoenix Soul Imprints increased from three to nine."

Previously, I could only imprint my mark on the souls of beings in the Celestial Realm; now, I can do it in the Divine Realm as well.

After today, we will take over the Northwest forces. You can keep whichever gods or demons you wish; I will help you discipline them.

Discipline gods and demons?

This statement is truly astonishing.

Especially the way Fairy Jiang spoke so casually made Lu Ran's heart pound with fear.

The divine and malevolent sculptures in the sculpture park have little independent consciousness.

Even after devouring the souls of the corresponding gods and demons, it remains a lifeless stone statue, offering limited help to the Burning Gate.

With Lady Ranmen possessing such extraordinary abilities, Ranmen naturally had another option:
It can spare the lives of the Northwest Gods and Demons, allowing them to retain their minds and self-awareness, and to wholeheartedly follow the Lord of the Burning Gate.

Of course, the conditions for casting the Phoenix Soul Imprint are quite demanding, and the process is relatively long, allowing no room for error.

In the heat of battle, branding cannot be etched.

This means that if you want to subdue gods and demons, you not only need to have enough strength to defeat them, but you also need to raise the bar to another level:
You need to have absolute power to forcibly control the opponent and ensure that gods and demons are powerless to resist.

Or perhaps it's about making gods and demons willingly submit, obediently stay in place, and accept their fate of being ruled and enslaved for the rest of their lives.

Jiang Ruyi's words confirmed Lu Ran's suspicions, explaining why she was so confident.

She didn't give a direct answer, but she did offer a hint—the Phoenix Robe!

After the Phoenix Robe was upgraded to a top-tier magic weapon, it was also equipped with the top-tier domain, Phoenix Soaring Nine Heavens.

This name was chosen jointly by Lu and Jiang. Lu Ran truly felt that only the name of the phoenix robe itself was worthy of such a powerful domain.

Under the shroud of the Phoenix that blots out the sky, wherever Jiang Ruyi's gaze falls, all living things will be engulfed in raging flames.

Even the Faceless Jade Venerable clan was finding it difficult to cope!

The effect of using this fire to burn other living beings is self-evident.

Back when they were experimenting with this field together at Immortal Jade Mountain, Lu Ran had given his assessment of the Phoenix Golden Flame's inability to completely incinerate the soul:

That's good. If we could really destroy the soul, we would be more constrained.

After all, if the spirit of the divination stick is burned away by accident, wouldn't that be letting that bastard benefit for nothing?
At that time, Lu Ran never imagined that from that moment on...
The wheels of fate have begun to turn!

“You not only have confidence in yourself, but you also have a lot of confidence in me.” Lu Ran brushed aside her long, black hair, revealing his stunningly handsome profile. “The battle hasn’t even started yet, and you’re already thinking about taking over the Northwest forces.” Jiang Ruyi kept her eyes closed and did not respond.

She has proven this point time and again through her actions throughout her years of growth and struggle.

No further explanation is needed.

"I'm leaving." Lu Ran leaned down and gently kissed her fair cheek. "I'm going to pick you up, and to pick up the soldiers from the various sacred mountains."

The true form of the Immortal Jasmine Goddess naturally stands atop the divine mountain in the third heaven.

"Wait a minute," Jiang Ruyi said softly.

"Ok?"

"Your perfect score is on its way." Jiang Ruyi's lips curled up slightly.

Lu Ran: "."

It's supposed to be perfect, but breakfast can't be just this little bit.

Lu Ran's excellent grades were hidden in the rather lavish meal.

He hadn't eaten in a very long time, and suddenly seeing such a large table of delicious food gave him a feeling of... well, like it was his last meal before he was executed?

Lu Ran didn't dare say those words.

I'm afraid of angering my divine girlfriend and being forced to kneel in the corner and reflect on my actions.
He just ate in silence.

You need to eat your fill before you set off!
Meanwhile, on the battlefield in the celestial realm.

Thick, dark clouds hung over the northwestern part of the battlefield, above the Gun Saint Mountain.

The oppressive and heavy atmosphere, more terrifying than the dark clouds in the sky, enveloped the entire sacred mountain.

Adding fuel to the fire was the Faceless Jade Venerable clan.

With the northwestern forces deploying troops to several sacred mountains, this tribe clearly realized that a major event was likely to occur today.

The Jade Venerable Clan was unusually quiet. They circled the sacred mountain from a distance, waiting silently and observing everything.

"Woo~~~"

Suddenly, a melodious fox cry rang out from the summit of the Gun Saint Mountain.

The voice, which should have been beautiful and melodious, now carried a hint of sorrow and lament.

It is enough to make listeners sad and bring tears to their eyes.

It's hard to imagine that such cries of anguish could be heard on the eve of a major battle!

No leader could tolerate his soldiers undermining morale and diminishing his own prestige.

The Evil Spear Emperor can tolerate this!
At the summit of the sacred mountain, the king, dressed in a noble imperial robe, leaned against a massive boulder, sitting gracefully.

Right beside his legs lay a bewitching and beautiful stone fox.

Although the stone fox is a dark-colored stone sculpture, its body is extremely graceful, with seven long fox tails spread out on the edge of the cliff, like waterfalls cascading down the cliff.

An exquisite fox head rests on the young emperor's calf.

The beautiful scene was made somewhat poignant by the faint sadness emanating from those crescent-shaped fox eyes.

"What, you've figured out your fate?" The Evil Spear Emperor reached out to the side with one hand.

"Eek~" Ghost Moon Fox hurriedly stretched out its fox head, looking pitiful, and gently rubbed against the emperor's palm.

"Hmm?" Although it was only a faint nasal sound, it carried an undeniable authority.

Ghost Moon Fox shook her head repeatedly, whimpering softly.

The Ghost Moon Fox clan possesses the ability to sense impending danger; however, this ability is only directed at themselves.

Just now, under the premonition of the evil magic Bright Moon Fox Heart, it gradually shifted from calm and composed to agitated and confused.

Since it hadn't reached the point of panic, Ghost Moon Fox naturally dared not make any rash claims about his own fate.

But isn't that a sign?

Everything from the past is now clearly laid out before us: that ferocious human race has risen with unparalleled ferocity! To this day, they have slaughtered their way through one sacred mountain after another and crushed one god and demon after another.

Wherever human gods wage war, very few gods or demons survive.

Today is the day of the duel between the God-Demon Emperor and the Human Emperor.

If the Evil Spear Emperor is defeated...
Ghost Moon Fox dared not imagine what her fate would be.

Once again, a beautiful crescent shape lit up in its fox eyes, as it tried to predict good or bad fortune.

Uneasy.

Thankfully, I really hope it can stay like this forever.

Ghost Moon Fox thought to herself, cautiously rubbing against the Evil Spear Emperor's large hand.

"Hmm." The majestic emperor's movements were surprisingly gentle as he lightly stroked the fox's head.

With a major battle imminent, Ghost Moon Fox is inevitably troubled, but as long as it doesn't weep in despair, it means that there is a path that might be viable.

A banquet, a tacit understanding.

Regardless of who wins or loses, the only survivor...
"Dumb~dumb~~~"

Suddenly, the cawing of crows echoed from high above.

The Evil Spear Emperor did not raise his eyes, but turned his head to look eastward.

In the dim light of the sky and under the thick, dark clouds, two human figures appeared.

They are insignificant, yet they cannot be ignored by all living beings.

They were a mother and her child.

They are beings who stand together at the pinnacle of humanity.

In the eyes of the Evil Spear Emperor, these were two human emperors from different eras.

"Little fox, are you scared?"

"Eek~" Ghost Moon Fox leaned forward, burying her fox head in his wide sleeves and under his palm.

(End of this chapter)