The Old Gods

Chapter 1016 The Empress and the Fortune Teller

"Woo~~~"

The fox's cry, plaintive and sorrowful, drifted slowly from the mountaintop, floating into the dim world.

The voice was so captivating that even the opponent couldn't help but feel secretly saddened.

The Martial Emperor was completely unaffected. He turned around and searched for the fourth-tier divine weapon hammer, then immediately flew over.

He didn't need to pay attention to Lie Tian's divine soul.

Someone will be sent to collect the soul.

The Shadow Guardian was this "Soul Collector," who had been observing the battle from a hidden position. At this moment, she had already teleported into the mist.

"Hmm?" Yan Shuangzi was puzzled.

The coin for rebirth vibrated gently, reminding her that Lie Tian's divine soul was right here.

Yan Shuangzi naturally stopped, but the divine weapons and magical artifacts she possessed reminded her that there was another magical artifact at her side.

Magic weapon?

Could it be the flame pattern on Lie Tian's chest?

Apart from that strange flame pattern, there were no other magical artifacts on the battlefield between Emperor Wu and Lie Tian.

But the command flags that Emperor Wu just unleashed had extremely high output! Even the Fiery Heaven Divine Sculpture was destroyed, so how could the magical artifact still exist?
Divine weapons and magical artifacts only possess weapon spirits and artifact spirits; they have no souls after death.

This means that the flame pattern did not die out.

Just as Yan Shuangzi was secretly wondering, an even stranger scene unfolded! As Lie Tian's divine soul was absorbed into the Rebirth Coin, the aura of that magical artifact also disappeared.

The ritual implements, along with the spirit, were trapped inside the ancient bronze coin.
Yan Shuangzi couldn't help but raise her eyebrows slightly.

Money for the deceased can only restrain souls; it has absolutely no power to imprison a top-tier magical artifact.

This ritual artifact
Yan Shuangzi silently absorbed the Holy Spirit's energy, and a guess formed in her mind: this flame pattern was like some kind of soul imprint, always engraved on Lie Tian's soul.

This explains why ritual implements can enter the money for the deceased's rebirth.

This also explains why the flame pattern remained unscathed after being bombarded relentlessly.

It doesn't belong to this dimension at all!
Rather, it exists at the level of the soul, and no matter how powerful the Martial Emperor's techniques are, he cannot harm it in the slightest.

"Woo~~~"

The mournful cry of a fox echoed once more from the sacred mountain.

The sound was clearly distant, but the dimly lit third heaven seemed even more silent.

Qiang Xiu leaned against a huge boulder, silent, gazing at the thick fog in the distance.

Huang Gu had long since put down his drumsticks, his expression somber as he looked at the traces of his former colleagues.

The fortune teller, on the other hand, had a somber expression and his eyes kept changing, as if he was deep in thought.

"Whoo~"

A figure streaked across the sky.

The majestic Martial Emperor, hammer in hand, flew to Lady Ranmen, bowed respectfully, and presented the divine weapon with both hands: "Sect Master."

However, the person was not in Lady Ranmen's hands.

Jiang Ruyi turned to look at the Mad Immortal Protector.

Si Xianxian understood immediately and stepped forward to grasp the top-tier divine weapon hammer that once belonged to Lie Tian.

It is said to be called the Prison Hammer.

As for the top-tier divine weapon domain, Ten Directions Fierce Prison, everyone has just witnessed it; it is indeed of the level of world-destroying power.

Not only is the sea of ​​fire extremely wide-ranging, but the flames of the inferno can also leap up to hundreds of meters high!
For both divine and evil sculptures, a hundred meters would only reach above the knees and thighs.

But for the masses below the gods and demons, it is an inescapable inferno! Not to mention, the explosions within the domain are continuous, frequent, and completely irregular.

Even a god who steps into it will have his legs blown off in a short time.
"You can have it." Lu Ran remained standing on the tip of the Mad Immortal Protector's nose, patting her nose bridge. "Tame it as soon as possible."

"Yes!" Si Xianxian gripped the Fierce Prison Hammer tightly.

"Well done." Jiang Ruyi looked at the triumphant Emperor Wu Tian and encouraged him softly.

Lu Ran realized his oversight and immediately looked down, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, Emperor Wu. Go and absorb all of Lie Tian's primordial energy, then return to the team."

"Yes." Wu Xiao bowed his head and accepted the order, then floated down.

Jiang Ruyi turned around and looked at the tiny human on the tip of the Mad Immortal Protector's nose: "It's my turn."

Lu Ran remained silent.

Even though the matter had been decided long ago, he was still struggling with his feelings when the moment actually arrived.

I really want to go back on my word.

"Sister Ruyi, you must be careful!"

Yuanxi Divine Sculpture flew forward slightly, taking Jiang Ruyi's arm with one hand, her face full of worry: "You must communicate well with Bihebao and protect your mind at all times. Don't fall for the illusion!"

Qiao Yuanxi has a special identity and is very close to Madam Ranmen, so she dares to do some outrageous things.

She reached into her phoenix robe, wanting to pick up the jade purse and give it some instructions.

Unexpectedly, when she picked up the magic weapon, a tiny ant was crushed between her palm and the pouch.

Lu Ran: "."

He had already personally appeared in front of Bihebao when his younger sister expressed her concern.

Before he could even exchange two words, he was grabbed along with his purse.

Jiang Ruyi couldn't help but chuckle and gently slapped Xiao Yuanxi's hand away.

Judging from her demeanor, she truly lived up to her status as Lady Ranmen, remaining calm and composed, without any of the tension one might feel before a life-or-death battle.

Come to think of it, if she were a coward or afraid of battle, she wouldn't have volunteered.

【No rush to start a war, wait for Emperor Wu to return to the ranks.】Lu Ran sent out a telepathic message.

"Hmm." Jiang Ruyi responded softly, "Only officials are allowed to set fires, while common people are forbidden to light lamps."

She slapped Xiao Yuanxi's hand away and took hers instead. Lu Ran didn't leave either, instead lying on the exquisite purse and continuing to give instructions. The jade purse: "."

At this moment, not only is the Lord of Gods and Demons giving instructions, but its new master, the Mad Immortal Protector, is also conveying his thoughts.

No wonder everyone was so nervous; the Thousand Autumns Bell, the magical artifact associated with the divination slip, was truly extraordinary.

With just a few shakes towards the target, you can pull them into an illusion of the cycle of fate.

In the outside world, a moment is but an instant; within the illusion, hundreds or thousands of years have passed.

In the blink of an eye on the battlefield, Jiang Ruyi could transform from a resolute and calm warrior into a distraught puppet with a broken Dao heart.

Of course, this is all about the worst-case scenario.

Concern leads to confusion, and Lu Ran inevitably overthinks things.

"Alright." Jiang Ruyi gently squeezed the jade purse, her voice soft. "Stay quietly with me for a while."

[Hmm] Lu Ran was run over again and finally stopped rambling.

On the mountain of the Gun Saint, a group of gods and demons watched as the mist that Lie Tian had dispersed gradually disappeared into the world.

The brief memorial service was completed.

As the Martial Emperor, who had been partially obscured by the mist, fully revealed himself, the Evil Spear Emperor looked at the old man behind him and said, "It's your turn to go into battle."

The fortune teller's expression shifted repeatedly, his voice tinged with pleading: "My lord."

"Hmm?" The Evil Spear Emperor's expression was indifferent, his nasal voice rising slightly.

The terrifying aura of majesty emanated not only from the Evil Spear Emperor, but also from Spear Decay, who was leaning against a boulder not far away.

If the Evil Spear Emperor is an excellent leader, then Spear Decay is a "normal" god or demon.

Gun Xiu was indeed aloof and unwilling to concern himself with too many things. He preferred to enjoy a little wine and collecting and admiring spears, but if you truly disobeyed him...
Why would the Burning Gate need to intervene?

Perhaps in the next second, the First God will have already thrust his spear at you.

Lingqian knelt down decisively, lowering his head and concealing his gloomy expression: "Yes, sir."

The Evil Spear Emperor showed no reaction, his gaze remaining indifferent, always fixed on the divination slips.

The fortune teller quickly got up, walked briskly to the edge of the cliff, and flew down.

The commotion at Shenshan naturally attracted the attention of the Ranmen faction.

"Wait for me to come back." Jiang Ruyi picked up Lu Ran and placed him in Xiao Yuanxi's hands.

"Madam, be careful!"

"Be careful!" With a concerned voice, Jiang Ruyi nodded gently and flew downwards.

Lu Ran flickered to Qiao Yuanxi's fingertip, looking down at the resolute figure of the woman in the phoenix robe, his heart filled with complicated emotions.

"She's a calm girl, a meticulous leader," a female voice came from the side.

Lu Ran turned his head and saw his mother's figure, her clothes fluttering, on Xiao Yuanxi's ring finger.

Qiao Wanjun watched Jiang Ruyi go to the battlefield and said, "She knows very well that your battle is the most important. If she loses, it may affect your performance."

"Um"

Qiao Wanjun turned her head and looked at him, a gentle smile on her face, reassuring him: "You should know her better than I do, so don't worry."

Since she insisted on going into battle, she must have some confidence.

Lu Ran remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

At the same time, the statues of the Divine Oracle and the Divine Jasmine have entered the venue and are facing each other from a distance.

Jiang Ruyi sized up the tall, thin old man, looking at this god whom Lu Ran hated and who caused Chang Ying and countless believers to suffer.

His gray stone body concealed his white hair, and his thick beard looked somewhat disheveled.

He was wearing an old long gown, with a copper bell at his waist and a fortune-telling banner in his hand, looking every bit the part of a fortune teller.

Contrary to what I had imagined, that wrinkled old face always had a smile on it when facing the world.

But at this moment, the atmosphere was particularly serious.

Spiritual divination slips certainly don't bring laughter.

The human goddess Ming before me has an incredibly powerful aura!
That noble and flowing phoenix robe perfectly complemented her temperament and accentuated her supreme majesty.

That indifferent gaze, that sense of self-righteous dominance, that calmness of regarding the gods as if looking down upon all living beings—the divination slip had just experienced that on the sacred mountain!
This is clearly an empress!
It is an existence on the same level as the Evil Spear Emperor.
"My lord, I have been stationed on the front lines of the battlefield, fighting against foreign enemies and protecting the celestial realm and the mortal world. Asking the human race for more offerings and faith is truly a last resort."

The fortune teller clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, displaying a sincere and humble attitude.

Jiang Ruyi remained expressionless.

Asking for more offerings is truly out of desperation.

A single, casual remark glossed over everything.

Therefore, all the deception and enslavement that humanity has endured over the past decades has been for your sake in protecting the Three Realms.

On the skeletons of human believers, those tattered talismans still clung desperately, fluttering wildly.
It was all because of you protecting people.

Ah.

"My lord, although my skills are not refined and I have not been able to defeat the enemy, I have guarded the front line for decades without ever making a mistake."

"I am willing to defend the sacred mountain on the front line for the greater good, and to give my life for our common home."

"In this friendly exchange of blows, I humbly request that you, sir, show mercy. This humble Taoist priest..."

The divination slips, whether overt or covert, express and request something, and also demonstrate their value.

"You've worked hard," Jiang Ruyi suddenly said.

Lingqian's heart stirred, and she found that the Empress's cold and majestic words were actually quite beautiful.

However, Lady Ranmen spoke again, saying calmly:
"Since your skills are not up to par, let someone else take your place as a god."

The fortune teller's face froze: !!

(End of this chapter)